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Karma and Other Stories
In this sparkling collection, award-winning writer Rishi Reddi weaves a multigenerational tapestry of interconnected lives, depicting members of an Indian American community struggling to balance the demands of tradition with the allure of Western life.
In "Lord Krishna," a teenager is offended when his evangelical history teacher likens the Hindu deity to Satan, but ultimately forgives the teacher against his father's wishes. In the title story, "Karma," an unemployed professor rescues birds in downtown Boston after his wealthy brother kicks him out of his home. In "Justice Shiva Ram Murthy," which appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2005, an irascible retired judge reconnects with a childhood friend while adjusting to a new life with his daughter and her American husband. In "Devadasi," a beautiful young woman raised in the United States travels back to India and challenges the sexual confines of her culture. And in "Bangles," a widow decides to return to her native village to flee her son's off-putting American ways.
Set mostly in the Boston area, with side trips to an isolated immigrant community in Wichita, Kansas, and the characters' hometown of Hyderabad, India, Karma and Other Stories introduces a luminous new voice.
In "Lord Krishna," a teenager is offended when his evangelical history teacher likens the Hindu deity to Satan, but ultimately forgives the teacher against his father's wishes. In the title story, "Karma," an unemployed professor rescues birds in downtown Boston after his wealthy brother kicks him out of his home. In "Justice Shiva Ram Murthy," which appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2005, an irascible retired judge reconnects with a childhood friend while adjusting to a new life with his daughter and her American husband. In "Devadasi," a beautiful young woman raised in the United States travels back to India and challenges the sexual confines of her culture. And in "Bangles," a widow decides to return to her native village to flee her son's off-putting American ways.
Set mostly in the Boston area, with side trips to an isolated immigrant community in Wichita, Kansas, and the characters' hometown of Hyderabad, India, Karma and Other Stories introduces a luminous new voice.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2007
28 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Rishi Reddi
3 books54 followersRishi Reddi was born in Hyderabad, India, grew up in the United Kingdom and the United States, and is a long-time resident of Massachusetts. She attended Swarthmore College and Northeastern Univeristy School of Law. She is the author of Passage West (2020), a Los Angeles Times "Best California Book of 2020," and Karma and Other Stories (2007), which received the L.L. Winship /PEN New England Award for Outstanding Fiction. An essayist, book reviewer and translator, her work appears in Best American Short Stories, was performed on National Public Radio, and was chosen for honorable mention in the Pushcart Prize. She's been awarded Fellowships from the National Book Critics Circle, MacDowell Artists Colony and Breadloaf, and received grants from the U.S. Department of State and Massachusetts Cultural Council, among others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
April 3, 2013
Didn't expect a whole lot from this collection of stories from Indian-American writer Rishi Reddi. However, I found this collection absolutely engrossing. Her characters are brilliantly colored, fully fleshed out, something very hard to do in the short story format when brevity is the name of the game. I look forward to reading future works by Reddi.
October 3, 2017
Was almost late for something because I couldn't stop reading these stories. (Not that I'm not often late for other reasons...but this was specifically book related). These stories are beautiful and engrossing and so fully lived in. I loved that they were connected but not overly so.
August 30, 2008
I heard part of the first short story of this book, Justice Shiva Ram Murthy, being read on NPR while getting ready for bed one evening. It caught my attention, and I sat on the floor in my bathroom until the end of the reading. So, I was happy to find it on the new book shelf at the library.
I enjoy reading short stories. For one, they fit well into my life since I don't normally get to sit down and read for long periods of time. Short stories are often moments in time, snapshots of people's lives. There isn't as much of a need to tie everything together at the end. You can be left wondering what happened to the people in the story, but it's okay that you don't.
I enjoyed every story in this book. And the fact that they were loosely tied together by the characters added to the charm that I find in short stories.
I enjoy reading short stories. For one, they fit well into my life since I don't normally get to sit down and read for long periods of time. Short stories are often moments in time, snapshots of people's lives. There isn't as much of a need to tie everything together at the end. You can be left wondering what happened to the people in the story, but it's okay that you don't.
I enjoyed every story in this book. And the fact that they were loosely tied together by the characters added to the charm that I find in short stories.
December 30, 2020
A good, solid collection of short stories.
June 8, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ round upp
A powerful collection of short stories about Indian immigrants navigating life in America. The stories explore themes such as culture, traditional gender roles, views on sexuality, and marriage practices among older generations. These topics spark reflection on the impact of cultural differences experienced by immigrants as they navigate the distinctions between Indian, Indian American, and mainstream American ways of life.
A powerful collection of short stories about Indian immigrants navigating life in America. The stories explore themes such as culture, traditional gender roles, views on sexuality, and marriage practices among older generations. These topics spark reflection on the impact of cultural differences experienced by immigrants as they navigate the distinctions between Indian, Indian American, and mainstream American ways of life.
August 5, 2022
Great short stories that give a good cultural perspective of various generations of Indian people in the United States.
October 13, 2021
In her collection of stories, Reddi gives us detailed lives - both exterior and interior - of her characters, and we're drawn compulsively to their stories and to the moments of their epiphanies. Beautifully rendered and written
November 28, 2008
Review taken from The Literary Snob
There have been a great number of Indian novels and collections in the last several years. Karma and Other Stories, a collection by Rishi Reddi, is one of the more overlooked titles in the (Indian) ocean of these books. While these seven stories are enjoyable, for the most part, they unfortunately miss the mark of rising above the competition.
Karma and Other Stories starts strong with "Judge Shiva Ram Murthy," a story about an elderly Indian man adjusting to life in America. When a mishap happens with his food at a Mexican restaurant, the title character goes to great lengths to prove how he has been wronged. This story has a refreshing voice and makes one think about cultural differences in both a comical and enlightening way.
Unfortunately, this original voice does not stay refreshing for long. Story after story repeats the basic formula: a displaced character, one from Hyderabad and who speaks Telugu, struggles to reconcile their Indian heritage with their American residence. Often this formula involves young second generation Indian daughters, each of whom are dancers and struggle with being sexually-charged.
The only exception to this formula is the title story, "Karma". This was by far my favorite. It was unique, magical, and held my complete attention until the end. "Karma" steps beyond the character's Indian heritage and asks the reader to examine their life's work and the passions they too often ignore.
If Reddi wants to tell her own story, I think she'd be better off writing a novel. Expanding any of these stories to a complete work would have been more fulfilling than reading nearly identical stories over and again. If she prefer to stick with the short story, she'll definitely need to reach outside of her own story. It's an interesting tale, but I'd rather read it one time and move on.
July 6, 2009
I got this book from a bargain sale and consumed it during a brief visit to Kansas (coincidentally, where some of the stories are set) and boy, am I glad that I did! I thank Rishi for introducing me to another set of fascinating Indian American characters- Jhumpa, you have company! :P
A few of these stories, particularly at the beginning, seemed a little bland with the characters acting and sounding very similar. However, I think Rishi gained traction with her later stories- particularly "Karma," "Bangles" and "Devadasi." I honestly couldn't tell you what exactly the characters "learned"- or if they learned anything at all! These were true slice-of-life stories without a broader agenda applied, and for that, I give Rishi high props.
A few of these stories, particularly at the beginning, seemed a little bland with the characters acting and sounding very similar. However, I think Rishi gained traction with her later stories- particularly "Karma," "Bangles" and "Devadasi." I honestly couldn't tell you what exactly the characters "learned"- or if they learned anything at all! These were true slice-of-life stories without a broader agenda applied, and for that, I give Rishi high props.
October 16, 2020
A compilation of 6 different stories of the same theme, the frustration and struggle of Indian-American to fit into American normal and culture. The stories span the conservative generation to the second generation which were fairly modern mostly due to American education they were enrolled in. The stories were begun with Justice Murthy a retired magistrate Republic of India who was trapped in his thoughts of past profession in the period of settling himself in the new normal. Then followed by other slice-of-life tales covering secret affair, inter generation conflict, unemployment, Indian dance and racisms. At the end, you will found that these conflicts were root from the cynical attitude which lead to the failure of mutual understanding.
August 6, 2007
The stories in this collection are moving and at times quite touching. Reddi is especially adept at portraying the younger generations of her South Asian families.
However, while each story is in some way connected to another--through characters, places, etc--the book never moves beyond a surface depth of emotion and struggle. Each tale is straightforward and sincere, but the simplicity of construction and ideas leaves the reader bored at times. One wishes that there were more substance between the lines, especially since some stories seem to invite more depth. Unfortunately, Reddi never drifts far from the basic model telling of a story without interpreting it in some way.
However, while each story is in some way connected to another--through characters, places, etc--the book never moves beyond a surface depth of emotion and struggle. Each tale is straightforward and sincere, but the simplicity of construction and ideas leaves the reader bored at times. One wishes that there were more substance between the lines, especially since some stories seem to invite more depth. Unfortunately, Reddi never drifts far from the basic model telling of a story without interpreting it in some way.
March 16, 2009
More like a three and a half. I liked these stories: they were well written, although the style was quiet and unobtrusive. I didn't find myself oohing and ahhing over amazing images or turns of phrase--nothing was really startling or unexpected--yet the characters and their lives felt true and fully imagined.
January 17, 2025
Short but sweet stories featuring memorable and authentic characters. Feels like the stories are set in the same universe, that the characters could be from the same community. An enjoyable, quick read.
August 21, 2011
Thanks Lisa for this excellent book of stories.
September 24, 2021
“As part of this family, the tree had witnessed the joys and sorrows of the human heart, the inescapable cycle, over and over, generation of generation. The tree had done what Lakshmi could not : it has withstood the harshness and gentleness of each season and flourished. In that moment it occurs to Lakshmi that she had lived her life always seeking convenience, traveling the safe middle road which does not bring sweetness or severity, fearing to invite her sorrow into her world..”.
- Karma and other stories by Rishi Reddi
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I felt this is a solid collection of short stories. I felt engaged throughout the whole book even the plot is simple and straightforward. This is because the book has such a well written characters. You felt you can emphatize and mirrored yourself in their sense of self. There is few characters here and there you find in some of these short stories that are linked in some way either via networking to show how close knitted the Indian community can be despite living abroad or relatives ties. Ultimately, It is indeed delightful when you can recognize them from the previous story. I would labelled this as an Indian Diaspora Literature / Indian Immigrant literature especially those who lived in the USA. Rishi Reddi wrote the stories from her own lenses - the common themes appeared across the stories : on the Indian Identity, Values, Upbringing, Family bond, Love and Generational Gap of old people with young people. Overall, as a short stories book, this is truly enjoyable ride. I finished it in one sitting. I highly recommend it.
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Short stories rating :
1. Justice Shiva Ram Murthy : 3/5 - This remind me of a ‘Rice Plate’ story in Dus Kahaniyaan (2007) movie. Its not the same plot per se but the subtlety of religion obligation and prejudices towards others in the story itself.
2. Lakshmi and The librarian : 4/5 - This story remind me of a hindi movie titled : English Vinglish (2012), only this time its a lonely housewife who often came to the library to borrow a book and a helpful librarian.
3. The Validity of love : 4/5 - If you ever remember Deepika’s character in Cocktail (2012) , Lata really reminded me of her in this story. There’s no saif or Diana penty in this story. Its just Deepika’s and her self doubt over love , arranged marriage and this Indian identity that chained her as a single women living in US.
4. Bangles : 5/5 - This story tugged my heart when it reached the ending. We followed the journey of a grandmother who recently lost his husband and travelled from India to US to live with her son. She then saw the parallel of the upbringing that she had and how her father favored her brother. Shen compared it to how her son has raised his grandson the same way. She couldnt understand the western interpretation of what family meant but she tried to tolerate it. She grown to be impatient towards her spoiled grandson but she believed he will change soon. Unfortunately, it did not happen and she thought of coming back to India just to avoid more conflicts. Her son refused her wish as he insisted that as a son, he should take care of her and her place belonged there with his family.
5. Karma : 5/5 - American Dreams gone wrong. Shankar leaving India and his position as a colonial history professor just to live in the USA is unfathomable to me. As he could not resume teaching in the USA, he did all sorts of menial jobs and eventually unemployed due to his temper. His brother, Prakash then asked him to move out from their house as he felt Shankar needed to be independent.
6. Devadasi : 5/5 - This story is about Uma, A girl who identify herself as an American but fell in love with Bharata Natyam Dance. She went back to India and cannot feel the attachment to it like her parents when she first arrived. However, upon learning Bharat Natyam and tracing its history with Raju, whom she called master-ji, she felt free in a way no one can take away her indianness as she reclaimed back her identity.
7. Lord Krishna : 4/5 - The ‘satan’ lessons by Krishna’s teacher history is seriously disgusting - to even find similarity of between Satan with Lord Krishna Deity is just unforgivable.
- Karma and other stories by Rishi Reddi
.
.
I felt this is a solid collection of short stories. I felt engaged throughout the whole book even the plot is simple and straightforward. This is because the book has such a well written characters. You felt you can emphatize and mirrored yourself in their sense of self. There is few characters here and there you find in some of these short stories that are linked in some way either via networking to show how close knitted the Indian community can be despite living abroad or relatives ties. Ultimately, It is indeed delightful when you can recognize them from the previous story. I would labelled this as an Indian Diaspora Literature / Indian Immigrant literature especially those who lived in the USA. Rishi Reddi wrote the stories from her own lenses - the common themes appeared across the stories : on the Indian Identity, Values, Upbringing, Family bond, Love and Generational Gap of old people with young people. Overall, as a short stories book, this is truly enjoyable ride. I finished it in one sitting. I highly recommend it.
.
.
Short stories rating :
1. Justice Shiva Ram Murthy : 3/5 - This remind me of a ‘Rice Plate’ story in Dus Kahaniyaan (2007) movie. Its not the same plot per se but the subtlety of religion obligation and prejudices towards others in the story itself.
2. Lakshmi and The librarian : 4/5 - This story remind me of a hindi movie titled : English Vinglish (2012), only this time its a lonely housewife who often came to the library to borrow a book and a helpful librarian.
3. The Validity of love : 4/5 - If you ever remember Deepika’s character in Cocktail (2012) , Lata really reminded me of her in this story. There’s no saif or Diana penty in this story. Its just Deepika’s and her self doubt over love , arranged marriage and this Indian identity that chained her as a single women living in US.
4. Bangles : 5/5 - This story tugged my heart when it reached the ending. We followed the journey of a grandmother who recently lost his husband and travelled from India to US to live with her son. She then saw the parallel of the upbringing that she had and how her father favored her brother. Shen compared it to how her son has raised his grandson the same way. She couldnt understand the western interpretation of what family meant but she tried to tolerate it. She grown to be impatient towards her spoiled grandson but she believed he will change soon. Unfortunately, it did not happen and she thought of coming back to India just to avoid more conflicts. Her son refused her wish as he insisted that as a son, he should take care of her and her place belonged there with his family.
5. Karma : 5/5 - American Dreams gone wrong. Shankar leaving India and his position as a colonial history professor just to live in the USA is unfathomable to me. As he could not resume teaching in the USA, he did all sorts of menial jobs and eventually unemployed due to his temper. His brother, Prakash then asked him to move out from their house as he felt Shankar needed to be independent.
6. Devadasi : 5/5 - This story is about Uma, A girl who identify herself as an American but fell in love with Bharata Natyam Dance. She went back to India and cannot feel the attachment to it like her parents when she first arrived. However, upon learning Bharat Natyam and tracing its history with Raju, whom she called master-ji, she felt free in a way no one can take away her indianness as she reclaimed back her identity.
7. Lord Krishna : 4/5 - The ‘satan’ lessons by Krishna’s teacher history is seriously disgusting - to even find similarity of between Satan with Lord Krishna Deity is just unforgivable.
July 3, 2019
Um, I don't know. I picked this up, because from the inside cover it sounded interesting, then I found out it cover a Book Challenge.
7 short stories, where one is left to imagine the author's foregone conclusion.
"Justice Shiva Ram Murthy" an arrogant man goes to lunch w/ his friend & accepts the cashier's suggestion for the #4 meal, to which he agrees... without reading the menu to know it includes meat. He raises a terrible scene... Rude Arrogant, Unapologetic.
"Lakshmi and the Librarian": Lakshmi befriends the local Librarian, when his mother becomes ill, so too does he. She breaks social norms to visit him & encourages him to visit his dying mother.
"The Validity of Love": Two young women face the quandary of love & marriage. One believes she is modern and due to her rigidity loses her American boyfriend. The other refuses her arranged marriage, but after time becomes enthralled w/ the young man & marries him.
"Bangles": A widow brought to live in Boston w/ her son is put in the position where she is forced to babysit her spoiled, disrespectful, brat of a grandson.... Asking her son to send her home, he refuses... but she has her solid wedding bangles....
"Karma": Two brothers living together, one a former professor in India, the other a successful doctor... The Doctor kicks the other out of the house after his anger cost him his job. Looking for a job, he comes across traumatized birds and takes them to the local vet. He then gets a job as the vets assistant, while dreaming of becoming a chef.
"Devadasi": A young woman goes back to India w/ her parents for family wedding. While she is there she takes up the ancient art of Hindu Sacred Temple dancing. Being used to her freedom in America, she learns the cost is too high for her in India.
"Lord Krishna": A young man, Krishna, attends an exclusive parochial school in Kansas. The school is rife w/ bullying, especially in the form of the history teacher, a religious zealot who taunts Krishna w/ a photo of Lord Krishna saying that he is an incarnation of Satan. When Krishna tells his father, the school's major benefactor, all comes to a head in a meeting w/ the Dean, the teacher, Krishna, & his parents.
These are stories of people who live & believe much differently than I do... So, except for the story "Bangles" I really couldn't relate, but I could empathize w/ many of the characters.
Ah, the characters, didn't seem real to me... They felt one-dimensional and I never warmed up to the majority of them.
7 short stories, where one is left to imagine the author's foregone conclusion.
"Justice Shiva Ram Murthy" an arrogant man goes to lunch w/ his friend & accepts the cashier's suggestion for the #4 meal, to which he agrees... without reading the menu to know it includes meat. He raises a terrible scene... Rude Arrogant, Unapologetic.
"Lakshmi and the Librarian": Lakshmi befriends the local Librarian, when his mother becomes ill, so too does he. She breaks social norms to visit him & encourages him to visit his dying mother.
"The Validity of Love": Two young women face the quandary of love & marriage. One believes she is modern and due to her rigidity loses her American boyfriend. The other refuses her arranged marriage, but after time becomes enthralled w/ the young man & marries him.
"Bangles": A widow brought to live in Boston w/ her son is put in the position where she is forced to babysit her spoiled, disrespectful, brat of a grandson.... Asking her son to send her home, he refuses... but she has her solid wedding bangles....
"Karma": Two brothers living together, one a former professor in India, the other a successful doctor... The Doctor kicks the other out of the house after his anger cost him his job. Looking for a job, he comes across traumatized birds and takes them to the local vet. He then gets a job as the vets assistant, while dreaming of becoming a chef.
"Devadasi": A young woman goes back to India w/ her parents for family wedding. While she is there she takes up the ancient art of Hindu Sacred Temple dancing. Being used to her freedom in America, she learns the cost is too high for her in India.
"Lord Krishna": A young man, Krishna, attends an exclusive parochial school in Kansas. The school is rife w/ bullying, especially in the form of the history teacher, a religious zealot who taunts Krishna w/ a photo of Lord Krishna saying that he is an incarnation of Satan. When Krishna tells his father, the school's major benefactor, all comes to a head in a meeting w/ the Dean, the teacher, Krishna, & his parents.
These are stories of people who live & believe much differently than I do... So, except for the story "Bangles" I really couldn't relate, but I could empathize w/ many of the characters.
Ah, the characters, didn't seem real to me... They felt one-dimensional and I never warmed up to the majority of them.
January 10, 2021
Who would thought a book with seven short stories with regard to the Indian American community could be an interesting and touching read.
Of course I like Lakshmi and the Librarian the most but every short stories have its own important life lesson.
1. Lakshmi and the Librarian - a wife and a mum trying to find her voice and freedom in her own way.
2. The Validity of Love - the importance to stand up for that one person that understand you in the way no other person could, the one you finally realized that she/he is your person.
3. Bangles - no matter how much you love your children especially when they have grown up, the utmost crucial stuff is to love yourself first because you matter. You should not give up your life, freedom and happiness to accomodate your children' and grandchildren' needs.
4. Devadasi - do find the stuff that make you happy the most. If you dance, paint, playing sports, etc make sure you do them all for yourself, not for others.
5. Karma - you will find your own path in your own time as long as you dont give up. Even if you stumble and fall, you will finally get to the destination if you keep on going.
6. Justice Shiva Ram Murthy - you need that one friend that will sort of help you hide the corpse if you killed someone especially when you are a senior citizen and have to live at the foreign country no matter how annoying that one friend make you feel.
I chuckled at the phrase 'a lawyer have a slightly more developed moral sense than an engineer'.
7. Lord Krishna - parents need to really listen and try to understand their kids.
Loved all the seven short stories.
Of course I like Lakshmi and the Librarian the most but every short stories have its own important life lesson.
1. Lakshmi and the Librarian - a wife and a mum trying to find her voice and freedom in her own way.
2. The Validity of Love - the importance to stand up for that one person that understand you in the way no other person could, the one you finally realized that she/he is your person.
3. Bangles - no matter how much you love your children especially when they have grown up, the utmost crucial stuff is to love yourself first because you matter. You should not give up your life, freedom and happiness to accomodate your children' and grandchildren' needs.
4. Devadasi - do find the stuff that make you happy the most. If you dance, paint, playing sports, etc make sure you do them all for yourself, not for others.
5. Karma - you will find your own path in your own time as long as you dont give up. Even if you stumble and fall, you will finally get to the destination if you keep on going.
6. Justice Shiva Ram Murthy - you need that one friend that will sort of help you hide the corpse if you killed someone especially when you are a senior citizen and have to live at the foreign country no matter how annoying that one friend make you feel.
I chuckled at the phrase 'a lawyer have a slightly more developed moral sense than an engineer'.
7. Lord Krishna - parents need to really listen and try to understand their kids.
Loved all the seven short stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2022
Read this on the heel of another set of short stories written by another Indian author (Sindya Bhanoo) and as much of an overlap there was in characters and context, I liked this a lot!
Much like the other book, I did not like the opening story - Justice Shiva Ram Murthy - not for the story, but more to do with the dialogs. I guess it's personal more than anything
This set was a little longer, and apart from all being set in USA or people from USA, they didn't have any other thread.
A quick one liner on each story: No spoilers
1. Justice Shiva Ram Murthy -> I liked the senior citizen angle and how they compromise with where they were - between ego and practicality.
2. Lakshmi and the Librarian --> I could relate very well and tied nicely
3. The validity of Love --> This was slightly all over the place with way many characters but done well.
4. Bangles --> This was again slightly cliched, but things are changing now and I like the flow and change of heart.
5. Karma --> Totally could relate to the lesser successful sibling, but man, was the other guy harsh!
6. Devadasi --> This was good. Maybe more so coz we are so deep into dance and we have done similar things. Neat ending.
7. Lord Krishna --> This started weird and I cant imagine such a thing happening in 2022 (tho could have happened much earlier) but nicely done.
Very few of them had a neat ending, it's mostly peeks into life stories and am beginning to like this kind of narrative.
Much like the other book, I did not like the opening story - Justice Shiva Ram Murthy - not for the story, but more to do with the dialogs. I guess it's personal more than anything
This set was a little longer, and apart from all being set in USA or people from USA, they didn't have any other thread.
A quick one liner on each story: No spoilers
1. Justice Shiva Ram Murthy -> I liked the senior citizen angle and how they compromise with where they were - between ego and practicality.
2. Lakshmi and the Librarian --> I could relate very well and tied nicely
3. The validity of Love --> This was slightly all over the place with way many characters but done well.
4. Bangles --> This was again slightly cliched, but things are changing now and I like the flow and change of heart.
5. Karma --> Totally could relate to the lesser successful sibling, but man, was the other guy harsh!
6. Devadasi --> This was good. Maybe more so coz we are so deep into dance and we have done similar things. Neat ending.
7. Lord Krishna --> This started weird and I cant imagine such a thing happening in 2022 (tho could have happened much earlier) but nicely done.
Very few of them had a neat ending, it's mostly peeks into life stories and am beginning to like this kind of narrative.
December 5, 2019
I'd give this a 4/7. A high three stars. This was an enjoyable collection of short stories, and it was an extremely fast read. It reminded me a bit of Jumpha Lahiri's short stories, although unfortunately, I do not think they matched up. While these stories were well written and gave a good flavor of the Indian American experience, I didn't really have much to contemplate about many of them. I wished that they had all contained a bit more of a resolution -- I know that many short stories just give you a snippet of someone's experience, but I prefer them to be a bit more tidily resolved. I was also led to believe that these interconnected short stories were more connected than they were. They would occasionally mention other characters that were in other stories, but beyond brief mentions, they weren't truly interconnected.
A decent read, but nothing I found world-changing or deeply profound.
A decent read, but nothing I found world-changing or deeply profound.
January 14, 2019
I’ve had this book since 2012 and have never felt an urge to read it till yesterday - still trying to figure out why I had not picked it up earlier!
I deeply enjoyed the construction of each tale and the depiction of the characters, often times a quiet exterior but with colourful, opinionated and conflicted personalities.
As it is a collection of short stories, the tales were heartfelt and uncomplicated, but the underlying conflicts were within the characters and their need to accept and fit in with the American culture or to remain true to their cultural and religious roots, mainly to not be considered defiant of their elders and their beliefs (the latter being an Indian+Asian thing - hence, completely relatable).
I deeply enjoyed the construction of each tale and the depiction of the characters, often times a quiet exterior but with colourful, opinionated and conflicted personalities.
As it is a collection of short stories, the tales were heartfelt and uncomplicated, but the underlying conflicts were within the characters and their need to accept and fit in with the American culture or to remain true to their cultural and religious roots, mainly to not be considered defiant of their elders and their beliefs (the latter being an Indian+Asian thing - hence, completely relatable).
September 29, 2018
I read this to consider teaching it. The characters in the stories are Indian American immigrants living in Boston and Lexington, MA. The best stories for teaching, and my favorites, are:
"Justice Shiva Ram Murthy": This story shows the loss of who someone once was in the old place (in terms of class, status, etc.) and how this can influence their mindset and behavior in a new place.
"Bangles": is a story of intergenerational love and tension and how once again the old rules don't necessarily apply in a new place.
"Lord Krishna": is about power, prejudice, and who gets to speak and why. I'm still thinking about this story.
"Justice Shiva Ram Murthy": This story shows the loss of who someone once was in the old place (in terms of class, status, etc.) and how this can influence their mindset and behavior in a new place.
"Bangles": is a story of intergenerational love and tension and how once again the old rules don't necessarily apply in a new place.
"Lord Krishna": is about power, prejudice, and who gets to speak and why. I'm still thinking about this story.
September 1, 2022
This book is an interesting look into the Indian immigrant community and their unique stories.
Not my usual cup of tea, but Reddi manages to touch on every single subject I wanted her to and did so with maturity and skill. It put me in the heads of all kinds of Indians in AMerica, the elderly, the homesick, the schoolboy, the housewife. Her characters are sometimes lovable and other times completely obnoxious, like real people. The writing is very clinical and lets you figure things out for yourself. It is a good read, but not a classic. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone not already interested in this kind of thing, but I would not discourage him either.
Not my usual cup of tea, but Reddi manages to touch on every single subject I wanted her to and did so with maturity and skill. It put me in the heads of all kinds of Indians in AMerica, the elderly, the homesick, the schoolboy, the housewife. Her characters are sometimes lovable and other times completely obnoxious, like real people. The writing is very clinical and lets you figure things out for yourself. It is a good read, but not a classic. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone not already interested in this kind of thing, but I would not discourage him either.
July 10, 2024
This is my first time reading a book about Indian communities living in the States and surprisingly, I enjoyed it very much. I like how each story is interrelated in a way (the main character in story A is the neighbor of main character in story B, etc.), but at the same time talks about different problems faced by the characters (mostly stemming from similar concerns- being an immigrant). It's a bit of a pity that the author does not delve deeper into each character's issue, which made some stories seem shallow and like 'oh that's it??' ish (iykyk). Nevertheless, I had fun reading the book! 4/5
May 27, 2017
Buku yang bagus. Rishi Reddi memaparkan dengan baik problematika yang dihadapi perempuan India dari berbagai golongan usia, saat berbenturan dengan adat dan tradisi yang sering tidak bisa berjalan seiringan dengan perkembangan zaman. Dari tujuh cerita pendek di dalam buku ini, Karma adalah favorit saya. Manis, hangat, dan menyenangkan adalah deskripsi apa yang saya rasakan setelah selesai membaca buku ini.
September 7, 2017
I am okay with this book. There are a lot of lessons can be learned from all the short stories. Besides, I can experience each of the individual thoughts and feelings from different generations. The writer gives the readers an experience to understand these individuals life. Out of seven short stories, I love Karma and Lord Krishna the most. Highly recommended because not only you can learn the Indian cultures and traditions, you also can learn each individual thoughts and feelings.
June 22, 2020
This set of beautifully written short stories describe the challenges of Indian immigrants adapting to the United States. Rishi Reddi’s personal experience with immigrating to the US at a young age provides a unique perspective. Each story examines the Indian immigrant experience from the perspective of men and women at various points in their lives. You won’t regret the time you spend with these stories.
February 21, 2022
The characters in all the stories were sort of very realistic in terms of how South Asians usually are or how South Asian actually behave.
I had very few points because I was just so engrossed in the story that I forgot I had to have points for our discussion.
I love the open endings to a lot of stories. I love open endings in general because it makes it easier for us to imagine how it ends or what could have happened.
I had very few points because I was just so engrossed in the story that I forgot I had to have points for our discussion.
I love the open endings to a lot of stories. I love open endings in general because it makes it easier for us to imagine how it ends or what could have happened.
September 12, 2022
Pretty solid storytelling in terms of talking about the Indian-American experience in the United States. I like how in some ways, some of the stories are connected to the other stories in this book since they take place in Boston. I had a few issues with characters, which is why I give it four stars. But overall, these collections of stories are very wonderful and I like how they all connect together.
January 21, 2024
These short stories take place in and around Boston and involve mis-connections between people. Some are caused by cultural restrictions or miscommunication. All speak to our need to be heard and understood.
Two of my favorite stories are ‘Lakshmi and the Librarian’ and ‘Bangles.’ Both are tales of women who know they need something more than their current lives. Who can help them find their way? What choices can they create?
Rishi Reddi’s short stories are crisp as well as complex. Enjoy!
Two of my favorite stories are ‘Lakshmi and the Librarian’ and ‘Bangles.’ Both are tales of women who know they need something more than their current lives. Who can help them find their way? What choices can they create?
Rishi Reddi’s short stories are crisp as well as complex. Enjoy!
February 1, 2019
If anyone can direct me to more writing from Rishi Reddi I would be very appreciative! Unfortunately I haven't been able to find much information online. This collection was stunning. For the last year or two I've had great difficulty becoming absorbed into fiction, but each of these stories totally pulled me in and away from real life.
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