The Hero's Walk

by Anita Rau Badami

Sripathi Rao's life is as arid as the dusty South Indian town where he lives. All he ever wanted was an ordinary life with a solid job and a happy family. But Sripathi has never been a lucky man. Now ageing and disenchanted, struggling to keep his job, Sripathi lives in the crumbling ancestral house with his lonely spinster sister, embittered mother, and a wife and son he hardly knows anymore. His only joy is his talented, vibrant daughter Maya. But when Maya marries Alan, a fellow student at her American university, Sripathi angrily cuts her off, until he receives a phone call from Vancouver informing him that Maya and her husband have been killed in a car crash. All Sripathi is left with are his regrets and Maya's seven-year-old daughter, Nandana. Confused and scared, little Nandana must move to India, and adjust to a life with the family she has never met before.

Genres: Fiction, India, Canada, Book Club, Literary Fiction, Indian Literature, Contemporary

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Living in Canada since 1991.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider this book one of my sweetest finds. I came across it by happenstance, was mesmerized by the opening, bought it, and quickly disappeared into the plot.

As others have noted, it is a quiet novel, showing the deeper meaning of the word “hero” while dwelling in the still spaces of everyday human moments. One such moment that has become a part of me is the image of Koti, the downtrodden maid, sweeping the courtyard sand into a rangoli—a beautiful pattern to ward off evil. This and similar Hindu rituals throughout the book resonated with me in the midst of their exotic appeal and once again confirmed that the need to find meaning transcends cultures.

At the same time, the book does have a strong plot and tension that carry the reader through. The opening, where the reader knows what horrible news the ringing telephone will reveal, is especially well crafted to create a sense of impending tragedy.

The writing itself is beautiful and poetic. Consider this line: “He had become more aware than ever that the world was full of unseen things, old memories and thoughts, longings and nightmares, anger, regret, madness. They floated turbulently around, an accumulation of whispery yesterdays that grew and grew and grew.”

Mystical, meditative, wistful . . . The Hero’s Walk captures everything I want in a book.

[Matt Quann · Rating 2 out of 5]

CANADA READS 2016 FINALIST
I decided to begin my annual Canada Reads adventure with the Indian family tale, "The Hero's Walk." The tale opens in India as Sripathi Rao learns of his estranged daughter's death and his newfound status as next of kin for a granddaughter he has never met. Sripathi, a man set in his ways, is sent to Canada to collect his granddaughter and begin her upbringing in India. Sripathi is forced on a journey of self-discovery to reevaluate his new role within his family. This is interspersed with four other viewpoint characters who live within the large ancestral Rao home, each with their own personal struggles and motivations.

On reading the synopsis, I really expected to be swept away by writer Anita Rau Badami's tale; however, the actual story leaves much to be desired. My first issue is with the story structure itself. Though not every novel needs point A to point B plot progression, I generally expect that a strong character-based novel will provide character arcs that ultimately leave the protagonists changed. Badami does such frequent shifting of plot points and character POVs that the reading experience is extremely disjointed. The POVs change so often that I found myself struggling to relate to any of the characters, let alone keep their personal goals in mind. Some of the POVs ultimately turn out unresolved and have only tangential relation to the main plot.

Sripathi's mother's POV sections provide some of the most frustrating passages I have read in the past year. Though the character's history supports some of her actions, she comes off as cartoonish in her behaviour and thoughts. This character and others take away from Sripathi and his granddaughter Nandana, the two most enjoyable viewpoints in the book. Though Sripathi's rigidity and emotional deafness was grating at times, Badami conveys a strong sense of loss, embarrassment, regret, and desire for redemption through his sections. However, it is the brief glimpses of Nandana's understanding of the death of her parents and the foreign land in which she finds herself that lands most effectively. Though she ends up being a tag at the end of each chapter, Badami has a good eye for the cognition of children and a strong voice for the willful Nandana.

I really, really wanted to enjoy this book. A multigenerational, multi-POV novel that deals in Indian culture, redemption, forgiveness, "The Hero's Walk" is a book that fell flat for me despite sounding like a checklist for "Books Matt Would Like." Badami's writing is sharp and her depiction of seaside India comes off strong. It's such a shame that the plot is diverted with ancillary stories that take away from a central theme and a sense of continuity between characters. Though "The Hero's Walk" is an ambitious attempt to handle a lot of spinning plates, I couldn't help but feel that they came loudly crashing to the ground.

[Devika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one for the most part. Like so many books it begins well and retains a consistency, of characters, plot, narration and language right up to three quarters of the way. Then it seemed as if the author's steady train of thought was interceded by irregular neuronal activity. Which means the author suddenly included an inappropriate twist which the story could easily have done without. Let us attribute it to lack of sleep, or a looming deadline. While it happens to the best of us, this lapse really pushed the book from being - undoubtedly a good book which I confidently recommend to one and all - to being - a decent book you should read if you have the time.

This is refreshingly un-north Indian and describes (I think authentically) a traditional, kannadiga, brahmin household. It manages to evocatively portray the world of an aging man who is haunted by the misdeeds of his past. Though he religiously abides by his brahminical duties he is filled with a deep anguish he cannot escape. It manages to portray the world of a bewildered seven year old orphan who is uprooted from her middle class Canadian life and dropped into her grandparents chaotic household where nothing makes any sense. No tooth fairy. No Halloween. Only rassam rice. A third character who I think lends a great deal to the book (especially a fantastic comic element) is Ammaya the bad-tempered, theatrical matriarch who never hesitates to throw a noisy tantrum and routinely invokes the names of countless gods to legitimise them.

To bad for the random neuron firing.

[Camy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to always gravitate towards books about India – there is something very intriguing about the family life, the traditions, richness of the culture, the ties to the Commonwealth – the sights, the sounds and the smells. There is just something "spicy" about novels set in India. The setting is full of action, full of movement and there is so much imbedded in atmosphere, and there is always much to ponder. I think this author has done an admirable job in telling her story. Perhaps as a foreign student myself coming from Asia to Vancouver, I have an affinity with the family...although the story is filled with tragedy and sadness – and yes, there was a great deal of emotion to explore, inevitably I felt there was positive closure. Anita Rau Badami is very descriptive in the writing and her characters are robust personalities that you slowly get to know and perhaps understand – there is a very poignant aspect to her story-telling. I applaud her efforts and since this is the second book (Tamarind Mem was first one) I have read from her pen (her computer) I see her development, and I hope to read more from her.

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an excellent read! Rau Badami can certainly spin a wonderful tale, so many of her sentences were amazingly written. She also created one of the more despised mother-characters I've read about in a long time! Overall, a wonderful story, wonderful characters -- this one is a little quieter in terms of the Canada Reads 2016 theme of "starting over", but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment reading it.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another CanLit book club selection. As I started reading this my first thought was, "thank god, this is going to be way better than Birdie."

A solid 4.5 for sure, but really I think I have to go with 5 stars because this book made me happy and it actually felt like the words were feeding my soul.

I loved the authenticity of this. Even just a couple pages in it was clear that it was written by an Indian. Everything was so familiar and relatable to me and made me smile; silly things like covering the bathroom mirror in bindis, or phrases I don't hear often like "tain-tain" and "baap-re-baap," which are actually inside jokes in my family. I can see how others unfamiliar with the language and culture might have trouble understanding some things ... as I was reading, I wondered if others in book club would have to stop and Google certain terms.
On that note, I do get tired of books about Indians written by non-Indians; it's one of my pet peeves because they always seem unauthentic. I'll be watching for more by the author and as always I'll be on the lookout for more novels by Indian authors.

My other thoughts were discussed at book club, but in sum, this was a beautiful novel that really resonated with me, and I'm so glad I found it.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sripathi and his daughter had a falling out when she moved to Canada from India and wanted to marry someone she met there. They never spoke again, though Maya went on to have a little girl herself, Nandana. Unfortunately, when Nandana was only 7-years old, Maya and her husband died in a car crash. Sripathi had to collect his granddaughter and bring her to India to take care of her and to live with the rest of the family: his son, Arun, his sister, Putti (who never got married, as their mother never approved of anyone!), their mother, Ammayya, and Sripathi’s wife, Nirmala.

It started a bit slow for me, as I found it tricky to figure out who was who, as there were a lot of characters! There was also (at least at first) some jumping around in time, as characters were lost in their memories, as well as present day, so I found that trickier to follow, as well. I enjoyed Nandana’s story from the start. The book got better in the second half, once I figured out (mostly!) who was who. However, I didn’t like Sripathi much: especially in the first half - I found him to be a very angry man.

[iam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY liked this book. I will probably reread it sometime in the near future. There is page after page turned down to mark favorite snippets. The characters in this book are so wonderful. The author manages to do something that most others can't: She has made it clearly understandable how members of this family can love and dislike each other at the same time without turning anyone into a hero or a villian.

The characters are always using the best turns of phrase:
"...You will appreciate this gift of time. A valuable gift that goes as soon as it arrives."
"Stretch your legs only as far as your cot goes!"
"...joy and sorrow, anger and pain, memory and forgetfulness - the salt and sugar of daily existence."
"My flowers are so fresh you can smell the wind on them still."

[Hoora · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب درباره خانواده ای شش نفره است که در شهری کوچک زندگی می کنند و زندگی شان پر از اتفاقات ریز و درشت روزمره و مرگ و ازدواج و... است. هر یک از اعضای این خانواده راوی بخشی از داستان(زبان سوم شخص)هستند. کتاب در عین حال که پر از فلش بک به خاطرات گذشته شخصیت ها است، تصویری از جامعه هند و وضعیت زندگی مردمان طبقات پایین را نشان می دهد.
این کتابِ از نظر من عالی و حال خوب کن را با قیمت 6800 تومان و چاپ اول زمستان 1387 خیلی اتفاقی خریدم. نمی دانم چرا کتاب در این ده سال تجدید چاپ نشد.
اگر به ادبیات هند علاقه دارید و این کتاب را جایی دیدید، پیشنهاد می کنم بخرید و بخوانید.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nirmala realized that her rhythm was off slightly and the students were uncertainly going through the steps. She wiped her eyes and nodded approvingly at the girl who was to play King Rama. She performed the hero's walk to perfection – graceful, dignified, measured. But the one who played Ravana, the demon king, was awkward and restrained. “Stamp harder,” she urged. “Remember you are also a great king, full of valour. But you are vain, and that is what sets you apart from the hero. Thrust out your chest, child. Twirl your moustache. Flex your muscles.”

The Hero's Walk has a fairly straightforward plotline – and since that plotline is spelled out on the back of the book, I don't think of this as a spoiler, per se, but consider this a warning – to wit: just as Sripathi Rao is approaching retirement age, and buckling under the pressures of providing for his mother, wife, sister, and son in the mouldering Big House that serves as the ancestral family home on the Bay of Bengal, he receives word that his estranged daughter and son-in-law in Vancouver have died in a car accident, making him the guardian of their seven-year-old daughter, whom he has never met. Bringing Nandana to India is a shocking experience for both of them, and while it doesn't go well at first, when Sripathi (and all the other major characters) learn to assert themselves against the strictures and prejudices of their culture – when each of them begin to stamp their feet and flex their muscles, becoming more Ravana than Rama – they find more satisfying paths to follow through life. For me, this was just an okay read – there were neither surprises or deep meaning – but my biggest complaint would be that this is a 10lb book in a 5lb bag; bloated and boring to bursting.

I have read many books set in India, and while I usually enjoy learning new details about such a different culture, with The Hero's Walk, author Anita Rau Badami layers facts onto her plot without subtlety or finesse. The following is a typical passage:

Later that evening, after the dance students had dispersed, the family went to the temple. Nandana looked unfamiliar in a long, green cotton skirt and matching blouse instead of her usual jeans. Nirmala carried the fruit offerings in a silver platter – fresh bananas, a single apple (as apples were far too expensive now), a small bunch of grapes coated white with some pesticide that wouldn't wash off, a coconut with its fibre still intact (it was inauspicious to get rid of that tuft before the coconut was offered to God). A couple of garbatti sticks and a string of flowers to complete the picture. When Sripathi's father was alive, the offering was much grander and included out-of-season mangoes, pomegranates, even a silver coin or two.

Maybe that kind of infodump works for another reader, but it doesn't for me (and especially the parenthetical asides: these intrusions are jarring to me; an intrusive message directly from an author who can't find an organic way to share what she wants the reader to know). There were also many passages like the following, where the reader is taken out of the storyline in order to learn something unrelated to the action:

A horn blasted insistently behind him. Sripathi looked into his mirror and saw a bus hot on his heels. It had a complicated license number on its head – a series of letters followed by an illegible route number. The letters were the initials of the current chief minister of the state; an astrologer had said they were so powerfully good that they would ward off all accidents, but since the chief minister had several initials to her name, there was barely room for anything else. As a result, the number was sometimes omitted altogether or else painted on the side. The fact that nobody ever knew where they were going when they got into a bus became a regular excuse for lateness at offices around the town.

I did find that vignette interesting, but it goes on for another page before we cut back to Sripathi on his scooter, and that was annoying to me.

Empathy was created with Sripathi's burdensome role as sole provider and keeper of the caste ways, and his wife Nirmala was well drawn. I liked when the point-of-view would switch to young Nandana and the tone became appropriately juvenile. The sister, Putti, was less developed; the mother, Ammayya, is a ridiculous cartoon (as was Sripathi's dead father in flashback); the son, Arun, is pretty pointless; and the book is bulked out with a long cast of characters that add nothing to the story but length. I was completely unsurprised by anything that happened – even Ammayya's final curse was predictable – and that made the whole experience unsatisfactory. On the other hand, Badami has won acclaim and prizes for this book, so other readers must be finding value in it. Just not this reader.

[Iamthez · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I grabbed this book and thought "Wow, this sounds so familiar and yet I know I haven't read it."

Half way through, I realized I had to read this book in university for my South Asian Literature class.

Good read then, good read now. Apparently not memorable enough though. Heck, I remember having to write an exam on this book, and forgetting half of the characters names. I used so many euphemisms for female and male, I think my teacher just felt sorry for me and ignored the fact I couldn't distinguish anyone in this book. Don't know if that's a problem with me or the book.

I'll just say it's a problem with me.

[Dsinglet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel of a deeply disfunctional family, caught in the behaviours of the past as they confront the modern world. Sirapathi, the father is trying to support a large old home, an aging sadistic mother, a rebellious son and a daughter who moves to Vancouver, marries and has a daughter. He is loosing his relevance at work and lives with constant criticism from his wife and mother. When his daughter dies in a traffic accident he brings home his granddaughter. She has stopped talking and rejects her grandfather. The book slowly winds to a conclusion.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I had imagined the little girl from Canada becoming the main feature of this story as she goes to live with her grandparents and relatives after the deaths of her parents, she is more a catalyst for the changes that take place within them. Much of the novel is the bitter inner life of her grandfather who cannot forgive his daughter (the little girl's mother) for marrying a white Canadian. He, his wife, his sister and his son all grow and transform.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Hina Zephyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hero's Walk was shortlisted for Canadareads 2016. Anita rau Badami has created a great story about victims of circumstance. My feelings for the main characters evolved as the story progressed. Sympathy for Ammaya's tragic life turned to revulsion as she continued to demand pity and refused to show any empathy for her family. Sripathi's impassive and cold demeanor hid a broken man, struggling with remorse, while Putti, the obliging daughter, finally cracks under the strain of spinsterhood and challenges the boundaries of caste, showing great courage.The Big House with its matriarchal set up is atypical of many South Asian households and where the baton might be yielded by the likes of Ammaya, but the real power to keep things moving with wisdom rests with the daughter-in-law, Nirmala.
Set against the backdrop of the imaginary Torturpuram's sweltering heat and the drowning monsoon, The Hero's Walk is a great book for someone who wants to understand why people sometimes get stuck in their skin, unable to shed it and move on.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Living in a mouldering home in sweltering Torturpuram, on the Bay of Bengal, middle-aged Sripathi writes ad copy by day and deals with his overbearing mother, loving but hectoring wife and rebellious son at home. Estranged from his beloved daughter who rejected a traditional life to move to Vancouver and marry a Westerner Sripathi's life is upended by a phone call bringing tragic news that requires him to travel to Canada and bring his granddaughter back to India. Anita Rau Badami vividly describes the political, physical and social climates of Torturpuram and the struggles of the older generation to adapt to their changing world. Her dialogue begs to be read aloud, so expertly does she capture the cadence of her characters' conversation—especially the bantering between Sripathi and his wife. It's a book about family and how love can curdle and rot relationships but also heal and redeem.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very rich and detailed novel is about the heroism in coping with life's challenges. It describes a family of assorted characters and shows how loss and new circumstances change them. Badami is a very gifted writer; I was struck by how real the characters, especially the main one, Sripathi, seemed. Their thoughts showed an honesty and fragility that emphasized how human they were. A secondary element of this book is the cultural background of life in a small Indian town, but what I really liked about it was the characters and their evolution.

[Marcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to say about this novel. It kept me engaged and reading, but it also felt lacking in some way. I think it's that I enjoyed the characters, but not so much the plot of the novel. I liked the way the characters, especially Maya's parents, redeem themselves by raising their granddaughter. And there was some lovely humor surrounding the matriarch of the family, the great grandmother. But these elements didn't hold the novel together in ways that make me want to recommend it beyond this.

[Prakarsha Pilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

With simple language and an impressive narrative, the hero's walk has to be one of the best Indian books in the domestic fiction area.

Sripathi Rao's family is as Indian as it gets - a sister to be married off, a son who isn't responsible, a wife who is cooperative yet nagging, a mother who has more stereotypes than the religion itself and a daughter. Maya, who is dead to them, as she married a Canadian when she went there for her higher studies. Maya and Alan died in a car accident, leaving a ten year old, Indian-Canadian Nandana behind. Will Nandana be accepted by her orthodox Indian family? Will Sripathi's younger sister find someone in the demanding arranged marriage system?

The story is as Indian as it gets. So much that, I could see my own family in Sripathi's in many instances. More than the story, the book is a mirror to the upper caste, upper class Indian household. About how they live, how they love and how they choose between personal happiness and rules of orthodoxy. The family events, fights and their reactions to certain situations were extremely relatable to me, a South-Indian. Navigating through three generations of a family in a country being modernised is a treat to read.

My favourite part of the story was Nandana. The author wrote Nandana's character with extreme poignance and tear-jerkiness. I could feel the childlike confusion and hurt of a kid thrown amongst strangers, from Canada to India, in the wink of an eye.

The writing style is very simple and suitable for beginners. The book is big, undoubtedly, but if you are into the story, you won't have a problem. I finished this book entirely on a holiday because the story was subtly beautiful. I am sure you can go for it too, without worrying about the length, if Indian families are something you want to read about.

[Ankur · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so.... tedious.

There was so much potential with this one (an intriguing plot, lots of strong characters) but it was just so boring. It was hard to drum up interest in finishing this one, but I did.

The story picked up a little steam towards the end but by then it was too late to really care. Such a disappointing read.

Would not recommend this one.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written enjoyable read.

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a compelling read - characters were not particularly likeable - the plot wandered about and that surprised me it was a Canada Reads choice several years ago.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5, this wasn’t really what i was expecting but it was still entertaining. i like the complexity/depth of each character that the author got across even tho it wasn’t that long of a book

[Pauline Ross]

Not reading this since it's not available for Kindle. Why, publisher, why?

[Sandra Prosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though it is an older book I really enjoyed this story about the relationships between and within family members.

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sripathi sat motionless, unable to move. He stared at his hands, knotted with the weight of the years they had carried; the paper cut on his left hand, just below the thumb, which began to burn the moment he noticed it; and the three black moles on his palm, which he had believed for years would bring him untold wealth. These were the hands that had cradled a small body, stroked unruly curls off a sweaty forehead, swung a little girl - his first born - in the air above his head. The same hands that had written such hard, unforgiving words nine years ago. He glanced down at them, empty now, their palms seared by lines of time and fate."

My heart aches just revisiting that passage. I think this right here is a good indication of the sort of pain that can be conjured up, but also the sort of attention to detail that pairs with it. I actually had to read the entire scene from start to finish a few times before moving on because the grief was so palpable from the page. Even though as the reader, I had read the synopsis and knew what the phone call would be about, and yet it was still difficult to grasp the loss and the regret that Sripathi Rao, and his family, would have to overcome. Not just that, but to welcome in a new life, the orphan from this tragedy, his granddaughter, Nandana, who is now left in his care. The little girl has grown up in Vancouver and has never visited India because her now dead mother, Maya, had broken off an engagement and married her father, Alan Baker instead. This momentous decision abroad then cut off ties with her family. Subsequent letters with photos and pleas and phone calls could not convince Sripathi to forgive his daughter.

Although one could argue that Sripathi is the title character in this, the family members are all very much involved in the story. His wife, Nirmala, goes through her own journey of strength and unburdening herself of previous constraints, allowing herself to speak her mind and make decisions not just for herself but for the good of her family. His son, Arun, is an activist who can't make head or tail of in the slightest. He just wants the boy to get a job. He resents him for wasting his life when his older sister has left for good. The two have the potential to argue in every conversation no matter how good the intentions are at the start. His sister, Putti, is still without a husband and is getting desperate to get out of the house, away from her mother, Ammayya, who is fiercely stubborn in her own ways and clings on to her daughter for her dear life, refusing to let anyone to take her away. All of them have their reasons for being, their flaws, their desires, and these personalities conflict in an all too-real way on a daily basis. Even the house itself that they live in, situated in this seaside town of Toturpuram, can seem overbearing as it ages, and has a life of its own.

I think my being able to relate to so much of the characters and their ways of thinking has to do with my enjoyment of not just the story but the way it's told. I can see the complaints of it being rather slow, plodding along, but I enjoyed how stitch by stitch, Anita Rau Badami sewed the fabrics of these lives together. It's also about as visceral of a sensory experience you can have without journeying to the place itself. We're still hanging onto winter here at the end of March and yet I felt like the humidity was just around the corner, with that, the rains and torrential downpour. All the details only improve on this book and does not drag for me in the slightest.

I usually end up reading more of the Canada Reads shortlist before the debates but this year this one was only my only read, but I only finished it after the winner was chosen. I'm very happy with my choice. Runner-up isn't bad! I don't think it's for everybody but boy, for someone who sometimes has little patience for family dramas [in that it mirrors real life too much], this one just got me. I was moved, over and over again, reading this. It's so beautiful. I love that there's a chance, a hope, of starting over, or forgiveness, of changing your ways, even after decades of history. It doesn't always happen, and in the personal cases I know, rarely if ever happens, but when it does, even that one time, makes it seem possible for all of us.

PS: Vinay Virmani, who defended this, has also acquired the film rights! I will be first in line to support this project when it comes to fruition on the big screen. Ideally, a premiere at TIFF would be something special. I would love to see it as soon as possible. :)

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is hope felt in this book, but there is also sadness. It is the sadness of cultural restraints that people allow themselves to be pigeon holed into — one way of thinking and being. This is not unique to one culture; all cultures experience this in their own ways. However, even with this sadness, I found The Hero's Walk interesting, as characters grew and adapted during a difficult time in life.

The title baffled me; who is the hero? The answer: the hero is different for each reader. That is the beauty of the book. For me, it is Maya. She broke the binds of her cultural restraints and chose to live a life that suited her, even if her chosen life created pain. However, there is also Sripathi who could be the hero, as his ideals and cultural beliefs have been stretched. I appreciate his growth as a person and father as he processed his grief.

I enjoyed this story's pace and ability to bring another perceptive to my life through sensory words and remarkable characters.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The project I’ve given myself around the 2016 Canada Reads list is to read all 5 books in rotation and report on them after each 100 pages.


The Hero’s Walk –
Ah, dialogue! These characters breathe, gripe, badger each other and earn the grief that the author sends their way. Their aggressive narcissism leads the reader to laugh at their over the top emoting in spite of the underlying tragedy. You feel the heat and the decay of their home. Bonus: the child feels real instead of a cute plot vehicle. Very little happens over the first hundred pages but the trip is fun and the pages fly by. High hopes for this one.

200 pages – still moving at a snail’s pace but the excellent dialogue continues. The only exception to the first point is the grandfather’s time in Canada, which jets by in a few pages. The Canadian chapters lack any of the rich sense of place so much time is spent establishing in the Indian setting. Minor characters are endowed with rich back-stories and the main characters slowly evolve. It’s like watching the minute hand on a clock but you’re immersed in everyone’s lives and the characters breathe, spit and scream as if they were in the same room as you. My only concern is that the child will teach all of the adults how to fix their lives and it will all end in a saccharine, Disney-esque lovefest. Footnote: do other people’s copies have slanted print on many pages? Mine appears to be a bad printout on about half the pages, which is mildly annoying.

300 pages – With only 50 pages left, the characters’ trajectories all seem downward. A lost job, a kidnapped child, a grotesque suitor and an increasingly crazed matriarch do not make for a happy home. The mother seems to be getting some gumption however, so maybe that will set things in motion. The characters remain vibrant and the writing engaging. The pace is slow but steady, as other books have had major events between the 200 and 300 page marks, this one has been more gradual. Here’s hoping the ending is satisfying. One expects all the characters to realize their ruts and start living their lives properly but I hope that it doesn’t happen in too tidy or forced a manner.
Ending – Tidy but not too tidy and ending with a strong metaphor (the turtles), it felt right. You had the death of the character who most represented the weight of the past and tradition but her experience at the hospital represents so many problems with the modern. The other characters have made decisions that allow them to continue their lives with no assurance that things will necessarily be better. A strong novel and I hope it wins Canada Reads 2016.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reminder of all the interesting aspects of the culture of India. Having been there recently the images were vivid.

[❀ Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hero’s Walk was my 5th and final read from the Canada Reads 2016 short-list of novels sharing the theme of starting over. It is a tale of the rigid thinking of a Sripathi, a father from India, who shuns his beloved daughter when she marries a Canadian man. His daughter and her husband are killed in a tragic car accident leaving him the caregiver of their young daughter, Nandana.

Initially, three generations live together in a home full of bitter memories which is slowly decaying around them. Sripathi’s mother is bitter after a life of disappointment including a husband who cheated on her and died young, leaving her to be cared for by her only son. After multiple stillbirths, her son Sripathi had not become the doctor she wished for . Her daughter Putti remained unmarried and living at home with the family after numerous failed matchmaking attempts. Sripathi had forgotten his love for his wife and he is disappointed with his son Arun related to his involvement in political activism. Sripathi has been estranged from his beloved daughter, Maya, who had gone to America for her education and subsequently announced her marriage to a man who was not Indian. He had refused to read her letters, talk to her on the phone or have her visit, even when he learned of his grand-daughter, causing strife in his own marriage.

Sripathi receives a call from Canada with the news that Maya has died and ends up bringing his grand-daughter, Nandana home to India which is an adjustment for all. Nandana, in her grief, refuses to talk and struggles to get used to Indian life despite the kindness of her grandmother and uncle.

Without providing a spoiler, the family adjusts to Nandana’s arrival leading to new beginnings for the family. This was an interesting story of two cultures colliding and the unfortunate impact of decisions made. It is also the story of love, perseverance and resilience.

All 5 novels were very unique and I am looking forward to the discussion during the Canada Reads debates as well as our book club discussion. Each member of book club has chosen a contender to read so I look forward to hearing the views of our group and hope that all books are represented.

http://ayearofbooksblog.com/2016/03/1...