Rootless But Green are the Boulevard Trees

by Uma Parameswaran

A three-act play set in Winnipeg in the late seventies, an Indian immigrant family (the Bharves), are on the brink of coming apart due to a clash of values and ambitions. Sharad (the father), a former scientist, works as a real estate agent; Savitri (the mother) is a teacher; Veejala (the aunt) is a frustrated scientist at the university. Jyoti (the daughter) has a white boyfriend and will probably move out. A crisis occurs as Veejala announces that she is going back to India and Jayant (the son) is packing to go off to Montreal. A phone call comes during this tense situation.

Genres: Plays

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Uma Parameswaran is a retired professor of English, University of Winnipeg; has published extensively in the field of postcolonial literatures; and is the author of several works of fiction, poetry and drama, including the award-winning collection, What was Always Hers, and a recent novel, A Cycle of the Moon.

Reviews

[Krishnapriya Kamalakshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it as a part of my Masters' syllabus. Made me feel multiple emotions, gave me numerous perceptions. the sense of rootlessness and the need to survive while retaining, gaining or creating an identity has been brought out in an easily understandable and relatable way. In some scenes, it is impossible to remain an aloof reader.