Thrity Umrigar is one of my favourite authors.She usually writes women-centric fiction and I love that she provokes me to stop and think.Her books have characters which one might meet in everyday life.The stories she writes about feel so very real.
A bit about the book:
Laximi, a village girl who comes to the United States is desperately lonely and trapped in a loveless marriage.Forced to cut ties from her family in India and living a life restricted to a small restaurant and a grocery store,she attempts suicide in despair.However she is saved by timely intervention and her case is assigned to Maggie,an African-American psychologist with an Indian husband.Maggi who is usually detached in her professional relationships befriends Laximi and they become close.She also helps Laximi start a successful cleaning and catering business.
Laximi has a dark secret in her past and when she confesses it to Maggie she reacts in a way which is completely unexpected by Laximi.However the tables are soon turned when Laximi stumbles upon Maggies secret which in turn shakes her faith in Maggi and jeopardizes their bond.This is a very honest novel about friendship,expectations,disappointments and second chances.
My views:
I was immediately hooked on to this book.The characters are given distinct voices.It took some getting used to, to read Laximis part because the dialect she was given was that of an Indian village girl who barely knows how to speak English.So its fractured English for Laximi all way.But I got used to that quickly.Maggie Bose on the other hand is a self-assured ,independent woman but flawed at the same time.Being a psychologist and dealing with peoples problems and helping people deal with their lives.But when she faces her own demons she needs to take help as well.I was drawn into their lives.
We as adults lead very complex lives.As people we are capable of so many emotions,its scary if we allow ourselves to get swept away by them.You cant logic your way through emotion sometimes and mistakes do happen.The most important lesson this book teaches is not to be judemental about others.Different people,lead different lives and have different pasts.Just because someone doesnt conform to your standards doesnt give you the right to take a higher moral ground.
I liked that this book explores the fragility of a friendship and takes us through an entire gamut of emotions.I was non-judgemental while reading this book though it provoked me to think that a certain character has behaved wrongly.It raises pertinent questions about the sanctity of marriage,being trapped in a loveless marriage and infidelity.
I liked that the conclusion was open-ended because it couldnt have been any other way.Its not easy nor is it simple to get back on track in life after life changing events.Its always an ongoing process,a story which never ends.
I rate this book a 4 out of 5.
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