Chandra

by Frances Mary Hendry

Chandra is looking forward to her arranged marriage - her new husband is open-minded and modern-thinking. But when he dies shortly after their wedding Chandra realizes that she is now the property of her husband's family who blame her for their son's death. She escapes into the desert and eventually finds her way home - but her husband's family are hot on her heels.

Genres: India, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Frances Mary Hendry is a British writer of children's historical fiction. Born and educated in Glasgow, Scotland she now resides in Nairn, where many of her books are set.

Reviews

[Peiman · Rating 4 out of 5]

دلم میخواد به این کتاب پنج ستاره بدم نه به این خاطر که داستان فوق العاده ای بود یا شاهکار ادبی بود به این خاطر که برای من خیلی قابل لمس بود، و مطمئنم برای خیلی از ما ایرانی ها همینطوره. جایی که هنوز در بعضی از شهرها و روستاها سنت های اشتباه در حال قربانی گرفتن هستن. یه سری از کلمه ها هستن که انگار به خودی خود یک چیز خوب و مثبت در نظر گرفته میشن، مثل سنت، مثل رسوم، مثل قانون، در حالی که اینها به خودی خود خوب و مثبت نیستن، قانون خوب خوبه، سنت و رسم خوب خوبه نه هر قانون و سنتی. حالا اینکه این خوب و بد چیه و چطوری تعیین میشه رو کاری ندارم ولی چیزی که اکثریت قبول دارن بده (پایبند به دموکراسی باشیم فعلا) نباید اجرا بشه حتی اگه قانون یا رسم باشه، قانون بد باید عوض بشه نه اجرا.
چاندرا داستان دخترکی ۱۱ ساله ست که با پسری ۱۶ ساله ازدواج می‌کنه به خواست پدر و مادر طبق رسوم، پسری که اولین بار شب عروسی میبینتش برای مدت کوتاهی، پسری که از شهری بسیار دور هست که ساعت ها تا محل زندگی چاندرا فاصله داره. ازدواج میکنند ولی قراره تا چند سال پهلوی هم نباشن جز در تعطیلات. در اولین تعطیلاتی که چاندرا به شهر شوهرش میره اتفاقاتی می‌افته که اصلا انتظارش رو نداره و تازه از اینجا درد و رنج سنت و رسوم غلط رو میشه با پوست و گوشت حس کرد. داستان رو میشه در دسته‌ی داستانهای الهام بخش دسته بندی کرد.ه

[Jaclynn (JackieReadsAlot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very moving story and an excellent addition to my classroom library.

[Rasleen Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true gem!
"Chandra" by Frances Mary Hendry is a book that touched my heart in profound ways.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the world of Chandra, a young Indian girl struggling to find her place in a society bound by tradition. As I journeyed with her through the ups and downs of her life in India, I couldn't help but feel a deep connection to her inner struggles and desires. Hendry's writing style is both evocative and intimate, painting a vivid picture of the vibrant colors, sounds, and scents of India. Chandra's journey of self-discovery resonated with me on a personal level, reminding me of the importance of embracing our own identity and finding the courage to follow our dreams. "Chandra" is a book that will stay with me long after I turned the final page, a poignant reminder of the power of resilience and the beauty of embracing who we truly are.

I highly recommend this book to others. An excellent dose of inspiration!

[Špela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zgodba je zelo dobra, berljiva in zapisana v dokaj lahkotnem tonu. Zelo nazorno prikaže tradicionalno indijsko kulturo.

Vsebina knjige, dogovorjena poroka, je bila tako rekoč povod, da sem si knjigo izposodila. Nato pa se je zgodilo veliko nepričakovanih dogodkov, ki jih ne bom podrobno opisovala, da ne bi komu pokvarila branja.

Na trenutke mi je bilo kot bralki vseeno težko razumeti tako drugačno kulturo. Spraševala sem se, kje je meja med drugačno kulturo in teptanjem ženskih, otrokovih in človekovih pravic (glavna junakinja je stara 11 let). Kultura namreč ne more biti izgovor, da nekoga zaničujemo oz. celo mučimo.

S seboj bom vzela stavek, ki se me je na poseben način dotaknil: "Dobro dekle si, a v slabi situaciji."

Začetno poglavje Knjigi na pot, ki ga je zapisala Vladimira Rejc (oz. spremna beseda), dolgo tri strani, sem namenoma prebrala po prebrani knjigi - še dobro, ker vsebuje veliko kvarnikov glede same vsebine zgodbe. Morala bi biti zapisana na koncu knjige.

[paige ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read overall. Insightful.

[فرفری موی غزل ساز · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان جالب و قشنگی داشت. راجع به فرهنگ هندوها و نگاهشون به جنس زن خیلی چیزها فهمیدم. بعضی جاها از شدت عصبانیت واقعا خوندنش رو کنار میذاشتم تا آروم بشم ولی برای اینکه ببینم انتهاش چی میشه مشتاق بودم ادامه بدم. در کل به نظر من داستان قشنگی بود. خوندش رو توصیه میکنم.
خلاصه داستان بدون اسپویل: داستان درباره دختری به نام چاندراست که قبل از رفتن به خونه همسرش، بیوه میشه. انگ بدشگون بودن بهش میخوره و مث یه برده باهاش رفتار میشه. بنابراین فرار میکنه و به نزد خانواده اش برمیگرده اما مشکلاتش تموم نمیشه و این تازه شروع ماجراست.

[Berke Sahbazoglu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this a long time ago in middle school. It is a short story about an Indian girl, from a wealth family, who is married. The marriage is arranged by her family but her new husband dies. When she becomes a widow is treated monstrously as if she were the one to blame for his death.

She runs away to her home and rebels against her father for forcing her into something like this. Was interesting because it shed light upon how the concepts marriage and widows are perceived and dealt with.

Female children are a punishment for the family because the bride's family has to pay a dowry to support the new couple. Secondly widows are ostracized and humiliated publicly. They are abused both physically and verbally. Some widows in India have been known to commit suicide by burning themselves after their husbands' deaths.

[Selina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bapa said she must follow tradition. Tradition said,
From the cradle to the grave a women belongs to a man; in childhood to her father, in youth to her husband, in old age to her son."

A story about breaking the cage and finding freedom. Who can you rely on when your own parents betray you?
Women having to fight for themselves to be able to decide their own future.
Choosing education instead of early marriage. Children that have been brainwashed by their parents have to figure out the right path and seperate the truth from the lies. A woman's duty can only be defined by her and by her alone and no man has the right to take that from her.

[Davy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Diary,
Today, I got the highest mark in the class test! yeah! Also I big news is I'm going to be married! My Daddy help me to marry a man, I hope he is going to be handsome man. You Know, I'm so excite to my future family of my husband. I hope they are a good and nice family.

Although I think arrange marriage is a bit too traditional compare this modern life, but I'm still so excited about the upcoming wedding. I can dress in traditional Indian bride dress, I think I'm going to be so beautiful. Good night.


Chandra

[Nazia Ahmed · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book about a young girl who has a arranged marriage, her new husband is open-minded and modern-thinking. But when he dies shortly after their wedding and now her husband's family blame her for their son's death. Story about how she escapes...

[Soobie is expired · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soobie a dodici anni:

Bel libro. Racconta la storia di una ragazzina indiana di 11 anni che va in sposa ad un lontano cugino sedicenne. Ma dopo il marito muore e la suocera comincia ad odiarla.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't remember much about it.

[Dennis Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice. Even through it's a little boring the intense Indian culture, which brought many revelations, and the adventurous contents (to my liking) kept me reading to the end.

[Ivan Cheung · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that it was very inspirational and touching, because how she struggled so hard to escape through the clutches of her deceased husband's family's torture.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If You loved I am Malala, you will definately love this book.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a child I loved this book. Its the only book that I've kept from childhood.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really admire the story that each every line in the book have inspired me ...

[Nathan]

This book is about an 11 year old Indian girl, whose parents have planned to give their daughter
an arranged marriage. Chandra is looking forward to her arranged marriages, her new husband is open
minded and Morden thinking, but when he dies shortly after their wedding Chandra realizes that his is
now the property if her husband family who blame her for their punishment for the family because the
bride’s family has to pay a dowry to support the new couple. Secondly widows are ostracized and
humiliated publicly. They are abused both phiycally and verbally. Some windows in India have been
known to commit suicide by burning themselves after their husband’s death. After her husband died her
in laws expect her to be a slave to them, they beat and abuse her because they think she is cursed and
they think they killed her husband.

I feel like the marriage decision is never of the couple, it is families that take decision of their
coming tighter, in many cases the couple rarely known each other before their marriage. In arranged
marriage, you will have to satisfy parent interest rather than satisfying your own interest. In arranged
marriage love is not your first priority. Family member convince the two individuals that love will
eventually bloom within the marriage. There will always be family interference from both families in
your marriage and that will not room to think of what you can do to make up families decision.

Because her in laws want her dead, and will try to arrange her death, she goes into hiding with
one of her best friends, and she id guarded by bhawar, the man who helped her not fall off the train she
used to escaped from her in laws, eventually, her grandmother arranged for her to go to Glasgow to live
with a friend who married an Englishman. It will cost them thousand dollars to smuggle her in. thinking
that no one will know he is there. Her brother in law has been tracking her, spots her and tries to kidnap
her. But with the help of her friends Bhawar, Chandra escapes and manages to get to safety in England
by the age off 12.