Gypsy Masala

by Preethi Nair

A young Indian woman, raised in London to fulfill her parents' dreams of respectability, sets off in search of her own dreams—and disrupts the whole family. "Tell me about your dreams, and if you have dared to follow them." This is the challenge for three members of the Vishavan family. Evita (real name Molu, but she's always had a tendency towards the theatrical) is stuck in a 9-to-5 job until she hears the irresistible beat of a drum, summoning her to follow her dream. It takes her to faraway places and people, but the rhythm of change is also to be found closer to home. Sheila and Bali have raised Evita as their own child. Yet their sadness has kept them apart; holding on to their separate secrets, they have rejected the possibility of following any dreams. Neither expects the disruption that follows Evita's return. From remote villages in Kerala to the heart of contemporary London, this is a story of discovery, love, and what might happen if you dare to live your dream.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Deepanwita Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow your heart, follow your dreams. Beautifully written, Preethi Nair explores the various perspectives of the three main protagonists, around whom the story revolves.
I specifically love the narration style and also the way the author has portrayed the struggle. It is not necessary that you get everything in life but there are certain things you need to lose in order to learn, in order to come back and begin afresh.

We make mistakes, we take risks, we try running away from our dreams, follow them and in all this we may lose, we may win but life always gives a second chance.

Good book to read!!..

[Savita Ramsumair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!!

I love every bit of this novel. As a first novel, Preethi has certainly done an excellent job. I'm looking forward to reading her other two novels. I can surely relate to get 3 protagonists for there are aspects of our lives that we all keep hidden from others.

[okyrhoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

The ‘Evita’ section fails to grab the reader’s interest in the beginning. It wasn’t until I read the ‘Author’s Note’ at the end of the book that I was better able to appreciate the ‘Evita’ section.

Maybe the weakness lies in that this is Preethi Nair’s first novel and that the character of Molu/Evita reflects the writer’s own struggles to listen to the ‘African dancer’ and actualize her transformation.
In contrast, there probably isn’t much autobiographical parallelism with the other two segments, ‘Sheila’ and ‘Bali,’ so in the latter part of the book the author lets the characters speak for themselves. I did enjoy the bittersweet tales of these people’s lives. In the end the thematic threads of the narrative come together very nicely.

When Sheila says "I would like to save you twenty years and tell you what I have learned about hopes and dreams: if you suppress them, you pollute a clean river with fear, regret and disappointment, and that makes it very difficult to swim and find the place which is home," I am reminded of a memorable line from one of Marge Piercy's poems:
"Fantasy unacted sours the brain."

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short work about following your heart and the beat of your own drum. We get three stories from a family of three about what has brought them to this point in their life and what happens when you deny your 'African dancer' and also the consequences of following him.

I liked how Nair looked at the whole family and not just one individual. Whilst we only want the best for each other we often do the opposite, trapping each other in bonds of duty and expectation and it just takes one person to break the cycle. It is always fascinating reading these kind of stories that are told from the perspective of several characters but there just wasn't enough to keep me wanting to turn the page, personally. I didn't come away feeling inspired or emotionally effected by the stories. Sheila and Bali's stories were the best of the 3 and I felt that if those were developed more then I would have been happy to read more about those two.

As a debut work it is good but just not for me. I am going to read her novel One Hundred Shades of White as I believe I might prefer Nair's full length novels to her shorter fiction.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

#13 02/02/06 GYPSY MASALA by Preethi Nair
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/# OF PGS: Fiction, 2000, 172 pgs
CHARACTERS: Evita/young woman mid-20's; Uncle Bali
Auntie Sheila
TIME/PLACE: present/ London & India
COMMENTS: Told thru 3 viewpoints, each character feels a victim of circumstances and that there must be something more than the life they have been dealt. Evita's parents die young and she is adopted by her Uncle Bali and moves from India to London. She grows to love her adopted parents and is at a crossroads of following what her parents think she should do and what she would like. Auntie Sheila has an arranged marriage and moves to London
w/ Bali. Bali, marries Sheila after his 1st wife dies
tragically in childbirth. Each character's section is
their search for the elusive "African Dancer" who will
allow them to follow their passions and realize their
dreams.

[penelopewanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book is what intrigued me first, but having finished the book I'm not sure what the connection is meant to be. The African Dancer plays the role of what I could have fantasized a Gypsy would have been. I suppose there is a character in the first story who might be a gypsy, but she does not appear in the two other sections of the book. I felt fairly indifferent to the fate of the first narrator, but the other two characters had more substance and their tales were far more moving. I have started reading the excerpt of another book by this author (Beyond Indigo) which is at the end of this one, and so far it seems more promising than this - or at least it appeals to me more.

[Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one book that I just couldn't sink my teeth into. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to appreciate it, and for the first third of the book, I really wasn't sure where it was going. I did, however, enjoy the last two parts of the book, the bits narrated by Sheila and Bali. All in all, I found it a bit preachy, and lacking in subtlety.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! The fantasy part is fantastic, and yea let's follow our dreams. The insights in the 3 characters in the book was wonderful and insightful and yea and each followed their dream after telling their stories.
Wonderful book, I read it in a day.

[Jyothsna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Preeti Nair in this book was trying to tell her readers to "follow their heart", but the lesson I took away from this book was "open communication" and everyone has a reason and different perspective on things, although it may seem so obvious at first.

[Jemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really beautifully interwoven stories, with a whimsical fairytale touch

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't really a fan of this book but it was nevertheless something that I could, in a way, relate to...

[Margaret]

A little bit quirky - I liked having three different viewpoints on the same events as well as getting to know more about each character.

[Teresa D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly Paul Coelho

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up without any expectations, and was pleasantly surprised. A quick read, covering various settings, themes and circumstances in a very readable manner - would definitely recommend.

[Evan Dilauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swiftly told tale about the choices we make and the consequences that follow. What happens when you do or don't follow your dreams may be equally out of our control.

[Reena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gypsy Masala had some interesting moments but not as good as 100 Shades of White.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy read, just not very memorable