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Breaking Free: A Novel
‘Doesn’t this life strike you as shameful?’
‘I am an artist. That’s the only thing that matters to me.’
Kasturi and Lakshmi are born into the devadasi clan. While Kasturi thinks of nothing other than the joy she experiences when she’s dancing before the deity in the temple, Lakshmi is troubled by the treatment dasis receive from society, the secretive manner of her father’s visits to their house, and his reluctance to acknowledge her publicly as his daughter. To the surprise of those around her, instead of learning to dance, a frustrated and angry Lakshmi insists on getting an education, and becomes a doctor. As their paths diverge, the differences in their opinions cause a rift in Kasturi and Lakshmi’s relationship. But when tragedy strikes, Kasturi’s faith in tradition is shaken and she finds herself turning to Lakshmi once again.
Set against the rising clamour for India’s independence, Breaking Free is a nuanced and thought-provoking story of three generations of women and the effect history and memory–and secrets–have on their lives. Brilliantly translated by N. Kalyan Raman, it brings Vaasanthi’s Tamil masterpiece to an entirely new readership.
Plunges the reader into the varied and turbulent world of devadasis, bringing the complexities of their history to life — GITANJALI KOLANAD
A powerful story, told with clarity and insight, about some of the young girls who suffered and the few who fought back — KAVERY NAMBISAN
‘I am an artist. That’s the only thing that matters to me.’
Kasturi and Lakshmi are born into the devadasi clan. While Kasturi thinks of nothing other than the joy she experiences when she’s dancing before the deity in the temple, Lakshmi is troubled by the treatment dasis receive from society, the secretive manner of her father’s visits to their house, and his reluctance to acknowledge her publicly as his daughter. To the surprise of those around her, instead of learning to dance, a frustrated and angry Lakshmi insists on getting an education, and becomes a doctor. As their paths diverge, the differences in their opinions cause a rift in Kasturi and Lakshmi’s relationship. But when tragedy strikes, Kasturi’s faith in tradition is shaken and she finds herself turning to Lakshmi once again.
Set against the rising clamour for India’s independence, Breaking Free is a nuanced and thought-provoking story of three generations of women and the effect history and memory–and secrets–have on their lives. Brilliantly translated by N. Kalyan Raman, it brings Vaasanthi’s Tamil masterpiece to an entirely new readership.
Plunges the reader into the varied and turbulent world of devadasis, bringing the complexities of their history to life — GITANJALI KOLANAD
A powerful story, told with clarity and insight, about some of the young girls who suffered and the few who fought back — KAVERY NAMBISAN
- GenresFiction
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2022
6 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Vaasanthi
123 books28 followersVaasanthi (born as Pankajam on 26 July 1941) is an Indian journalist and writer.
She got her degree in English literature and history at Mysore University and a Master's degree at Oslo University in Norway. She served as the editor of India Today, Tamil edition for nine years. Many of her essays on art, culture, and politics have been seriously focused on the emergence of a number of articles and created debates.
Vaasanthi has written a number of lectures and reports on women's issues and she is also a political analyst. Penguin Books published a book in English (Cut-outs, Caste and Cines Stars) with their standings in the political history of Tamil Nadu during the time she worked as the editor of India Today.
She also wrote the biography of J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi. She has written around 40 novels and six short story collections.
She got her degree in English literature and history at Mysore University and a Master's degree at Oslo University in Norway. She served as the editor of India Today, Tamil edition for nine years. Many of her essays on art, culture, and politics have been seriously focused on the emergence of a number of articles and created debates.
Vaasanthi has written a number of lectures and reports on women's issues and she is also a political analyst. Penguin Books published a book in English (Cut-outs, Caste and Cines Stars) with their standings in the political history of Tamil Nadu during the time she worked as the editor of India Today.
She also wrote the biography of J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi. She has written around 40 novels and six short story collections.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 7, 2022
Maybe it's the translation but the writing is way too monotonous.
I appreciate the representation of the community in the story. However, I feel it lacked depth and the charm I wanted to feel while reading the book.
I appreciate the representation of the community in the story. However, I feel it lacked depth and the charm I wanted to feel while reading the book.
July 15, 2022
Breaking Free was originally written in Tamil by Vaasanthi and has been translated to English by N. Kalyan Raman.
This is the story of Kasturi and Lakshmi who are born into the devadasi clan. They have different views. Kasturi is content by dancing in front of the deity meanwhile Lakshmi is bothered by the treatment they receive from the society.
Lakshmi wants to break free from the shackles and wants get education and become a doctor. The difference between their thoughts and views causes a rift between their friendship and soon their paths are separated. But soon circumstances lead to one another again.
I really liked this book. This book gave me insights on the lives of the devadasis who give their life to a deity. It was fascinating and interesting to know all that.
I also liked the main characters. As the story progressed, I started caring for them more and more, and wanted the best for them. I sympathized with them.
This is also an encouraging story about a woman who is not happy with her life and wants to break free and make her life better. We see her struggle but she doesn’t give up easily.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. It was written beautifully and was translated well. This story will stay with you for a long time after reading. I’d definitely recommend this book!
This is the story of Kasturi and Lakshmi who are born into the devadasi clan. They have different views. Kasturi is content by dancing in front of the deity meanwhile Lakshmi is bothered by the treatment they receive from the society.
Lakshmi wants to break free from the shackles and wants get education and become a doctor. The difference between their thoughts and views causes a rift between their friendship and soon their paths are separated. But soon circumstances lead to one another again.
I really liked this book. This book gave me insights on the lives of the devadasis who give their life to a deity. It was fascinating and interesting to know all that.
I also liked the main characters. As the story progressed, I started caring for them more and more, and wanted the best for them. I sympathized with them.
This is also an encouraging story about a woman who is not happy with her life and wants to break free and make her life better. We see her struggle but she doesn’t give up easily.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. It was written beautifully and was translated well. This story will stay with you for a long time after reading. I’d definitely recommend this book!
August 26, 2022
"I am drifting between sleep and wakefulness. A ray of ashen light has crept in through the window. My life appears to be suspended in limbo, at the end of a string held in a puppeteer's hand. If he relaxes his hold, the puppet will collapse to the floor, its life will expire and mingle with the sky. It's strange, the way he sits tight without relaxing his grip."
A devadasi "was a female artist... dedicated [in a ceremony similar to marriage] to worship and serve a deity or a temple for the rest of her life." They were skillfully trained in music and dance. Over the centuries, this position became rigidly hereditary and associated with families from certain socio-economic backgrounds. It became a nexus of temple prostitution also which was one of the many reasons behind the demand for its abolition in the 20th century. Vaasanthi's novel explores to explore its impact on people.
It looks at three generations of women who are from devadasi families, focused on two friends in pre-Independence India whose lives separate in marked ways. Through their story, she looks at how this practice was underscored by caste privilege and class prestige without deciding in favour of either women who remain in the fold or those who manage to leave it, providing the reader with both complex perspectives sans a value judgement. At the centre of the book is a mystery, and the burden of stigma and history.
(I received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
August 19, 2022
Defying age-old traditions is never an easy task, more so in a society that adheres to its belief systems. However, change, inevitable as it is, can also be the cause for conflict and constant churn leading to manifold consequences. It is this push and pull that lies at the heart of Breaking Free by journalist and writer Vaasanthi, translated from the Tamil by N Kalyan Raman.
Following the lives of three women and the times they live in, Breaking Free is an intergenerational story structured around the Devadasi tradition, where women brought up from their childhood in the art of dance and singing are dedicated to a temple deity, symbolic of her union with the divine.
Vaasanthi takes readers into the cloistered world of Devadasis, where beauty and grace is the only ticket to become the most sought one, where delusions of divinity thrive, in willful denial of the way one’s body has to be offered without consent. The translator’s note by N Kalyan Raman provides more historical and social insight into the Devadasi system and complements the literary presentation by the author.The men are in the shadows: it is the female protagonists who we get close to, but by making the fate of the women dependent on who the men are, she drives home just how much the fate of women was tied to the men.
A large section of Breaking Free is set in the tumultuous time of the freedom struggle in India where Mahatma Gandhi’s calls to throw off colonial rule had gripped the country along with the fiery poetry of Subramania Bharati that talks about equality. But did these calls for equality also include women, specifically Devadasis? Women contributed equally to the freedom struggle and had to first go against their own families to take to the streets, women pushed legislation for their betterment but has society’s perception and treatment changed at all? These are questions that emerge through the lives of the two protagonists in Breaking Free.
Full review here: https://openthemagazine.com/lounge/bo...
Following the lives of three women and the times they live in, Breaking Free is an intergenerational story structured around the Devadasi tradition, where women brought up from their childhood in the art of dance and singing are dedicated to a temple deity, symbolic of her union with the divine.
Vaasanthi takes readers into the cloistered world of Devadasis, where beauty and grace is the only ticket to become the most sought one, where delusions of divinity thrive, in willful denial of the way one’s body has to be offered without consent. The translator’s note by N Kalyan Raman provides more historical and social insight into the Devadasi system and complements the literary presentation by the author.The men are in the shadows: it is the female protagonists who we get close to, but by making the fate of the women dependent on who the men are, she drives home just how much the fate of women was tied to the men.
A large section of Breaking Free is set in the tumultuous time of the freedom struggle in India where Mahatma Gandhi’s calls to throw off colonial rule had gripped the country along with the fiery poetry of Subramania Bharati that talks about equality. But did these calls for equality also include women, specifically Devadasis? Women contributed equally to the freedom struggle and had to first go against their own families to take to the streets, women pushed legislation for their betterment but has society’s perception and treatment changed at all? These are questions that emerge through the lives of the two protagonists in Breaking Free.
Full review here: https://openthemagazine.com/lounge/bo...
June 24, 2022
I love it when I'm able to feel for the characters, root for them, feel their heartbreak, and get desperate to see them succeed & get justice. I love it when the line between fiction and reality blurs and I'm unable to keep the book down.
I've always been very curious about the life of Devadasis (women dedicated to worshiping a deity or a temple for the rest of their life). I remember watching a documentary on them and wondering what went through their minds when they were told about their duty or destiny. This book gave me more answers than I was seeking!❤
The first few pages had already set the tone, and I knew that a tragedy had occurred. I read those pages with a lump in my throat. I found it hard to free myself from the grip of the translator's writing. His masterful writing evoked so many emotions at the same time.
Halfway through the book, I imagined a very different ending for Lakshmi and Kasturi, who were born in the Devadasi clan. I rooted for both of them. Their attitude and point of view toward destiny were polar opposite. Yet Kasturi would always have Lakshmi's back. And Kasturi's decisions would always puzzle Lakshmi. Such was the bond between them!
After reading the blurb I knew that among the two lead protagonists, Lakshmi and Kasturi, I would get to read about Lakshmi's inspiring fight for education and Kasturi realizing that her destiny is in her hands. But what I wasn't prepared to read was how powerful their transformations would be! Providing a deeper insight into the lives of Devadasis, this story is set against the rising clamor for India's independence. And you would witness the impact it had on the lives of three generations of Devadasi women.
This story is about a daughter's quest to know about the secret life of her mother, it is also about a woman who was told that her destiny was decided the moment she was born, it is about her challenging everything she had known in her life, and, it is also about a woman who chose to fight for her rights and create her own destiny.
Brilliantly written and masterfully translated, this story and its characters are here to stay!❤
I've always been very curious about the life of Devadasis (women dedicated to worshiping a deity or a temple for the rest of their life). I remember watching a documentary on them and wondering what went through their minds when they were told about their duty or destiny. This book gave me more answers than I was seeking!❤
The first few pages had already set the tone, and I knew that a tragedy had occurred. I read those pages with a lump in my throat. I found it hard to free myself from the grip of the translator's writing. His masterful writing evoked so many emotions at the same time.
Halfway through the book, I imagined a very different ending for Lakshmi and Kasturi, who were born in the Devadasi clan. I rooted for both of them. Their attitude and point of view toward destiny were polar opposite. Yet Kasturi would always have Lakshmi's back. And Kasturi's decisions would always puzzle Lakshmi. Such was the bond between them!
After reading the blurb I knew that among the two lead protagonists, Lakshmi and Kasturi, I would get to read about Lakshmi's inspiring fight for education and Kasturi realizing that her destiny is in her hands. But what I wasn't prepared to read was how powerful their transformations would be! Providing a deeper insight into the lives of Devadasis, this story is set against the rising clamor for India's independence. And you would witness the impact it had on the lives of three generations of Devadasi women.
This story is about a daughter's quest to know about the secret life of her mother, it is also about a woman who was told that her destiny was decided the moment she was born, it is about her challenging everything she had known in her life, and, it is also about a woman who chose to fight for her rights and create her own destiny.
Brilliantly written and masterfully translated, this story and its characters are here to stay!❤
August 22, 2022
Breaking Free by #Vaasanthi, translated by #NKalyanRaman
Evocative read on the once glorious and traditional #Devadasi epoch in Tanjore of Tamil Country. A juxtaposition of 2 path breaking events : India’s independence from the British alongside the abolishment of the Devadasi system. Here the lives of Kasturi and Lakshmi represent the contrasting events about to make history. Did independence mean the same for both? Parallel convictions and revolutions in the midst of political upheaval.
Devadasis were the danseuses born and raised to be temple dancers, mainly as the mortal consorts to the pantheon of gods. They dedicated their existence entirely to the fine arts and gods. Upon menarche, the women are destined to become Daasi = slave to the Devas = Gods. Hence, Devadasi. The temple priest ties the nuptial string to the dancer, as a symbol that she now belongs to her one true lover, the idol (God). The dancers conditioned to the delusions due to their cultural practices, dedicate their entire lives learning classical music and dance. They dance before the gods ceremoniously. This completes the hindu liturgy in the temple. They are born artists, dancers and musicians. Rhythms, music, expression runs in their DNA.
The society ensured these artists lived in constant humiliation. They were never recognised or given a status quo. The women never married, they were kept as concubines by the village heads or Mudaliyars such as Periya Mirasu in the story. Other women passed on salacious gossips. Men made sexual advancements at them often to exploit, rape. The societal hierarchy made sure they remained at the condemned levels. They were treated with obscenity and contempt.
Even in this time and era, the attached obscenity to their names evolved to become the main Tamil profanity hurled at all of us Tamil women by Tamil men is the ever famous “Thevadiyaa”. Apparently meant to condemn the woman for being promiscuous or disobedient or rebellious or immoral. Today’s term of Thevadiyaa means prostitute. The despicable ‘Mama’ fellows never knew thevadiyaa stemmed from the name Devadasi which means Devaradiyar in Tamil. Devar-Adiyar wagged by loose tongues and diseased nerves of revolting people led to the moniker vulgarity ‘Thevadiyaa’. Starting from my own father to many other different men, I’ve been called a Thevadiyaa multiple times. It doesn’t even offend me. Ever since I learnt the actual mending during my Tamil lessons in school, I smiled and thanked them from the bottom of my heart for such high praises. It takes originality, the love for music and dance, the ingenuity in creating a beautiful musical dance amalgamation, independence, to have direct access to the chambers of the lord (for the pious ones), ability to give beauty and pleasure to arts and sex, artistic temperament and free-flowing creativity to be a Devadasi / Thevadiya.
The welfare is taken care by the Maharajas who run the temple administration. A double entendre I must say as the women need to offer sexual services to these kings. They have to be at the back and call to their ‘benevolent’ masters. The colonizers too had their folly. Often sexually exploited by mortal kings and mentally wedded to imaginary gods, these women became condemned and othered. A rather difficult dilemma at the brink of the country’s independence. The devadasis will lose their identity, income, displaced and their temple anchor when their system is abolished. While, Lakshmi, the protagonist who later became a surgeon after breaking free from her Devadasi lineage advocated and fought till the system was eradicated. The turbulent changes were not easy on other dancers still living true to their cultural ethics. Thulasi thought the Brahmans were her redeemers. She was cheated out of love and took her own life to break free from the chains of slavery by birth and choice. The suicides among the dancers were prevalent as they were tossed from one infernal to another. Many stayed back and rather chained to their profession. Once in a while, a rebellious and courageous case makes it to the other side becoming surgeons, Teachers, or accomplished musicians today. Hence this story serves a politico-societal, caste biased exposition.
Devadasis are the primal danseuses who presented the Sadir dance repertoire which is today’s brahmanized classical Bharara Natyam. Sadir attam was said to be scandalous thus the revival was to only extract the complex structured dance format and its rhythmic patterns and given a brahmanical makeover. Today, Bharata natyam is associated with righteous, virtuous dance format for the gods and patronised by the Brahmin community mainly. What happened to the pioneers - devadasis and the accompanying musicians? They were marginalized, ostracised, exploited, underpaid, underfed, and today they are wholly known as Isai Vellalar. The devadasi tradition underwent complete erasure,their contribution to the intricate Indian fine arts or the very mention of their importance to our arts have become obsolete. Like white-washing, this was Brahmin washing.
Read Thavil, Nadswaram musicians one regularly sees in Hindu temples while they are othered and bypassed as they sit hidden from public view only expressing their devotion and musical skills through their striking music. This type of music is the mangala vadyam, meant to invoke the gods and ring in the auspicious omen. Irony. The producers of the music in flesh and blood continue live knowing their limitations in society and humiliation of having such a bloodline.
I love reading about the Devadasis, Isai Vellalars, and their service to the arts. ‘Breaking Free’ pays ode to the Devadasi women, recognises their struggle and integrates their stories into our lives. The translation by N.Kalyan Raman is impeccable. Both Vaasanthi and Kalyan Raman produced a scintillating score of a story. The Kavadi Chinthu’s senhurutti ragam sung by Singaram in the story keeps haunting me. Something transcendental was felt when reading this masterpiece. Tremendously moved by the passionate voices in this story.
#translatedworks #igreads #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #bookreview #readersofbookstagram #bookreviewsofinstragram #partagascigar #booksandcigar #royallochnagar #whisky #partagas #kindlereads #reader #book #read #tamiliterature
Evocative read on the once glorious and traditional #Devadasi epoch in Tanjore of Tamil Country. A juxtaposition of 2 path breaking events : India’s independence from the British alongside the abolishment of the Devadasi system. Here the lives of Kasturi and Lakshmi represent the contrasting events about to make history. Did independence mean the same for both? Parallel convictions and revolutions in the midst of political upheaval.
Devadasis were the danseuses born and raised to be temple dancers, mainly as the mortal consorts to the pantheon of gods. They dedicated their existence entirely to the fine arts and gods. Upon menarche, the women are destined to become Daasi = slave to the Devas = Gods. Hence, Devadasi. The temple priest ties the nuptial string to the dancer, as a symbol that she now belongs to her one true lover, the idol (God). The dancers conditioned to the delusions due to their cultural practices, dedicate their entire lives learning classical music and dance. They dance before the gods ceremoniously. This completes the hindu liturgy in the temple. They are born artists, dancers and musicians. Rhythms, music, expression runs in their DNA.
The society ensured these artists lived in constant humiliation. They were never recognised or given a status quo. The women never married, they were kept as concubines by the village heads or Mudaliyars such as Periya Mirasu in the story. Other women passed on salacious gossips. Men made sexual advancements at them often to exploit, rape. The societal hierarchy made sure they remained at the condemned levels. They were treated with obscenity and contempt.
Even in this time and era, the attached obscenity to their names evolved to become the main Tamil profanity hurled at all of us Tamil women by Tamil men is the ever famous “Thevadiyaa”. Apparently meant to condemn the woman for being promiscuous or disobedient or rebellious or immoral. Today’s term of Thevadiyaa means prostitute. The despicable ‘Mama’ fellows never knew thevadiyaa stemmed from the name Devadasi which means Devaradiyar in Tamil. Devar-Adiyar wagged by loose tongues and diseased nerves of revolting people led to the moniker vulgarity ‘Thevadiyaa’. Starting from my own father to many other different men, I’ve been called a Thevadiyaa multiple times. It doesn’t even offend me. Ever since I learnt the actual mending during my Tamil lessons in school, I smiled and thanked them from the bottom of my heart for such high praises. It takes originality, the love for music and dance, the ingenuity in creating a beautiful musical dance amalgamation, independence, to have direct access to the chambers of the lord (for the pious ones), ability to give beauty and pleasure to arts and sex, artistic temperament and free-flowing creativity to be a Devadasi / Thevadiya.
The welfare is taken care by the Maharajas who run the temple administration. A double entendre I must say as the women need to offer sexual services to these kings. They have to be at the back and call to their ‘benevolent’ masters. The colonizers too had their folly. Often sexually exploited by mortal kings and mentally wedded to imaginary gods, these women became condemned and othered. A rather difficult dilemma at the brink of the country’s independence. The devadasis will lose their identity, income, displaced and their temple anchor when their system is abolished. While, Lakshmi, the protagonist who later became a surgeon after breaking free from her Devadasi lineage advocated and fought till the system was eradicated. The turbulent changes were not easy on other dancers still living true to their cultural ethics. Thulasi thought the Brahmans were her redeemers. She was cheated out of love and took her own life to break free from the chains of slavery by birth and choice. The suicides among the dancers were prevalent as they were tossed from one infernal to another. Many stayed back and rather chained to their profession. Once in a while, a rebellious and courageous case makes it to the other side becoming surgeons, Teachers, or accomplished musicians today. Hence this story serves a politico-societal, caste biased exposition.
Devadasis are the primal danseuses who presented the Sadir dance repertoire which is today’s brahmanized classical Bharara Natyam. Sadir attam was said to be scandalous thus the revival was to only extract the complex structured dance format and its rhythmic patterns and given a brahmanical makeover. Today, Bharata natyam is associated with righteous, virtuous dance format for the gods and patronised by the Brahmin community mainly. What happened to the pioneers - devadasis and the accompanying musicians? They were marginalized, ostracised, exploited, underpaid, underfed, and today they are wholly known as Isai Vellalar. The devadasi tradition underwent complete erasure,their contribution to the intricate Indian fine arts or the very mention of their importance to our arts have become obsolete. Like white-washing, this was Brahmin washing.
Read Thavil, Nadswaram musicians one regularly sees in Hindu temples while they are othered and bypassed as they sit hidden from public view only expressing their devotion and musical skills through their striking music. This type of music is the mangala vadyam, meant to invoke the gods and ring in the auspicious omen. Irony. The producers of the music in flesh and blood continue live knowing their limitations in society and humiliation of having such a bloodline.
I love reading about the Devadasis, Isai Vellalars, and their service to the arts. ‘Breaking Free’ pays ode to the Devadasi women, recognises their struggle and integrates their stories into our lives. The translation by N.Kalyan Raman is impeccable. Both Vaasanthi and Kalyan Raman produced a scintillating score of a story. The Kavadi Chinthu’s senhurutti ragam sung by Singaram in the story keeps haunting me. Something transcendental was felt when reading this masterpiece. Tremendously moved by the passionate voices in this story.
#translatedworks #igreads #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #bookreview #readersofbookstagram #bookreviewsofinstragram #partagascigar #booksandcigar #royallochnagar #whisky #partagas #kindlereads #reader #book #read #tamiliterature
December 3, 2022
A random airport find on my way from Hyderabad back home. I loved this book. Not only it's written beautifully, but also I learned so much about Tamil culture and specifically about the history of the Devadasi system. Great book for anyone interested in Indian society, history, culture.
Read
August 22, 2022If you do decide to pick this book up, i highly recommend going through the translator’s note at the end of the book first. You will understand why im saying so once you read it. There is no need to write a preface for every novel that is written. A social novel does not need to be explained or the author's motivation for writing it unless absolutely necessary.
Although it is entirely a fictional story, history is involved. Based on historical events that actually happened. There is a difference of opinion on the fact that the legal schemes in the upper caste dominated socio-religious system were, and still are in various forms, unjust to women, without even being perceived as such. Set against the rising clamour for India’s independence, Breaking Free is a nuanced and thought-provoking story of three generations of women and the effect history and memory–and secrets–have on their lives.
The author keeps her narrative moving across time and characters, and it does take some effort to ascertain which time and whose perspective is being talked about but once the rhythm settles, the characters take over. Touching on themes of collective shame and the stigma that upper caste people foist on those they keep at their whim and mercy, Breaking Free provides a glimpse of the way in which women of the lower caste were tightly controlled and how their exploitation was enabled by society, including the women in their own families.
Thank you @harpercollinsin for the media copy.
Although it is entirely a fictional story, history is involved. Based on historical events that actually happened. There is a difference of opinion on the fact that the legal schemes in the upper caste dominated socio-religious system were, and still are in various forms, unjust to women, without even being perceived as such. Set against the rising clamour for India’s independence, Breaking Free is a nuanced and thought-provoking story of three generations of women and the effect history and memory–and secrets–have on their lives.
The author keeps her narrative moving across time and characters, and it does take some effort to ascertain which time and whose perspective is being talked about but once the rhythm settles, the characters take over. Touching on themes of collective shame and the stigma that upper caste people foist on those they keep at their whim and mercy, Breaking Free provides a glimpse of the way in which women of the lower caste were tightly controlled and how their exploitation was enabled by society, including the women in their own families.
Thank you @harpercollinsin for the media copy.
September 12, 2022
Some books, you don't feel like finishing it up. Like nibbling a piece of chocolate you keep reading it page by page- breaking free is one such book.
The story moves across 3 generations, where the 3rd generation is not aware of their own roots and history. Kasturi and Lakshmi were born to the Dasi clan. While the former believes that she was born to dance the later aspired to earn knowledge and recognition. Freedom for Kasturi was the right to dance before the diety day and night without interruptions, for Lakshmi it was freedom from the clan she was born to and study and move away from her village, for Tulasi freedom was the right to preserve her self respect. Set against the pre-independent India and the independence movement happening all over the nation this novel tells history, memories and secrets.
The story moves across 3 generations, where the 3rd generation is not aware of their own roots and history. Kasturi and Lakshmi were born to the Dasi clan. While the former believes that she was born to dance the later aspired to earn knowledge and recognition. Freedom for Kasturi was the right to dance before the diety day and night without interruptions, for Lakshmi it was freedom from the clan she was born to and study and move away from her village, for Tulasi freedom was the right to preserve her self respect. Set against the pre-independent India and the independence movement happening all over the nation this novel tells history, memories and secrets.
September 4, 2022
Breaking free is a thought provoking novel and one which dives into history and backdrop of a clan which has been kept in secrets and never wanted to bloom before the society - both by the clan or society. It talks about two women from devadasi clan, Kasthuri - who is the protagonist and has accepted the norm of being a devadasi and surrender herself to God. Whereas Lakshmi is the brave one and is against the norms, does not accept her fate and goes out of the clan web, gets herself educated and shine as a known personality in a society.
Both have the differences of opinion in the way of the life, hence they tear apart at one point of time, but at every situation gets reminded of each other.. When a tragedy strikes, Kasthuri does not have anyone other than Lakshmi to safeguard not only her but also her secrets.
What are the secrets and how does history chase Kasthuri future generations by provoking the past and succumb their fall, forms the crux of the story.
It was like being a reader who could visually translate the words with the happenings and gets transported to the independence era.
At one end Devadasis were treated like servants of God who had sacrificed their life through their art form, women were made to believe they were pure and sanctised when they perform dance. However at the same time the sanctity was thrown into shreds by being mistress and being patronised by rich men.
Any suffering or unjust in terms of caste, creed, religion, clans, gender - the receiving end has been the women till date.
History has flown with the secrets for this clan, with all burdens and sufferings, for a very long time and even after their death it is not erased off
Now I could relate and understand the repurcursion and restrictions i had, when I wished for learning the art form.
Such a poignant writing kudos to the translator and it surely rippled me of how women were treated and submerged under many ways - names, customs, rituals etc.. till date.
I would surely wanted to read the original written by Vaasanthi, one day.
A few lines from the book
" In any society the destruction of arts was not a greater horror, than the erasure of honour"
" Scientists say that all human communties are in fact descended from the same primitive mother, yet we keep dividing people like idiots".
Both have the differences of opinion in the way of the life, hence they tear apart at one point of time, but at every situation gets reminded of each other.. When a tragedy strikes, Kasthuri does not have anyone other than Lakshmi to safeguard not only her but also her secrets.
What are the secrets and how does history chase Kasthuri future generations by provoking the past and succumb their fall, forms the crux of the story.
It was like being a reader who could visually translate the words with the happenings and gets transported to the independence era.
At one end Devadasis were treated like servants of God who had sacrificed their life through their art form, women were made to believe they were pure and sanctised when they perform dance. However at the same time the sanctity was thrown into shreds by being mistress and being patronised by rich men.
Any suffering or unjust in terms of caste, creed, religion, clans, gender - the receiving end has been the women till date.
History has flown with the secrets for this clan, with all burdens and sufferings, for a very long time and even after their death it is not erased off
Now I could relate and understand the repurcursion and restrictions i had, when I wished for learning the art form.
Such a poignant writing kudos to the translator and it surely rippled me of how women were treated and submerged under many ways - names, customs, rituals etc.. till date.
I would surely wanted to read the original written by Vaasanthi, one day.
A few lines from the book
" In any society the destruction of arts was not a greater horror, than the erasure of honour"
" Scientists say that all human communties are in fact descended from the same primitive mother, yet we keep dividing people like idiots".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
This was such an enjoyable read! The first chapter had me hooked. I was expecting a story set only in colonial India but the thread tying the present to the past was a surprise I looked forward to throughout the book as Vaasanthi's words, in Kalyan Raman's translation, swept me off my feet. It is the story of a narrator, a PhD scholar, who is on a journey to solve the mystery of her mother's passing in Kodaikanal. From there, we follow the daughter who begins digging deep into the history of her lineage, of belonging to generations of women from the Devdasi clan and the curious case of her mother's sudden departure. The prose, much like Kasturi's dance, rang on the ears and brushed the senses such that it could be inhaled like air. It takes you into the lives of not just one or two characters but a variety of them trying to make sense of life as time and space keep changing around them. I was absolutely in love with Kasturi's character sketch. She wasn't the depressed, helpless Devdasi girl/woman unlike her friend Lakshmi. She was a girl who embraced her existence as one who was meant to dance and sing for the Lord. What really warmed me to her was not her nubile innocence, or her excited spirit but her sharp intelligence despite not being as literate as her friend Lakshmi (who kept looking down on her from the pedestal of formal education etc). The author's attempt to shape Kasturi as a child, girl and woman using her agency to navigate the social shone beautifully when the topic of the consequences of abolishing Devdasi system puzzled even the very radical and educated, Lakshmi. I have to admit that I learnt a lot, A LOT about the Devdasi system from Vaasanthi's story. I shall always remain indebted to her for SHOWING what they system was like through her characters' lives. However, at some points, I did feel she engaged in a lot of TELLING too, which caused a little discomfort in between the story but I'd like to ignore it and appreciate the complexity it tried to tackle and unfold. My only question would be to her was: why did she use Gandhi as the symbol of nationalist struggle and for the characters in the novel to draw inspiration from? Why not a woman? I think this question is also unnecessary but it was something that kept bugging me throughout the prose. I strongly recommend this book! Thanks a ton to HarperCollinsIndia for the review copy.
January 8, 2023
Last post of 2022 and let's begin with an amazing fact!
Did you know that the graceful bharatnatyam dance has its origins in the despicable devadasi system?
*
Well, I was equally nescient till the time I had come across this book titled 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 by the Tamil author 𝙑𝙖𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙞.
Originally published 10 years ago in Tamil as Vittu Viduthalaiyagi, the novel has been translated into English by N. Kalyan Raman as Breaking Free. It is set in the erstwhile Madras presidency of pre-independence India and tells the story of two familes belonging to the devadasi clan.
This is a moving tale of the women fettered by the ignominious practices of the devadasi system which pushes young girls into prostitution in the name of
worship and service of a deity or a temple.
The writer has skillfully employed the literary technique of distance and involvement that induces sympathy from the readers. I could feel the pain of every character in the book on different levels.
This social novel is a perfect medley of drama, history, fiction, mystery, and romance where the desire of deliverance from the devadasi custom has been catered to concomitantly with the freedom struggle of the Indian peoples from the shackles of the British Raj.
The chapters switch back and forth in time and the perspective shifts across characters as well. All this can be confusing and a bit frustrating because of the constant digression from the beaten path of a single chronological storyline, but it becomes a rewarding journey once you get used to the rhythm.
I highly suggest that you go through the translator's note before beginning the story. Also, the glossary provided at the end certainly helps.
*
*
~ @the.magicofwords🪄
Did you know that the graceful bharatnatyam dance has its origins in the despicable devadasi system?
*
Well, I was equally nescient till the time I had come across this book titled 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 by the Tamil author 𝙑𝙖𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙞.
Originally published 10 years ago in Tamil as Vittu Viduthalaiyagi, the novel has been translated into English by N. Kalyan Raman as Breaking Free. It is set in the erstwhile Madras presidency of pre-independence India and tells the story of two familes belonging to the devadasi clan.
This is a moving tale of the women fettered by the ignominious practices of the devadasi system which pushes young girls into prostitution in the name of
worship and service of a deity or a temple.
The writer has skillfully employed the literary technique of distance and involvement that induces sympathy from the readers. I could feel the pain of every character in the book on different levels.
This social novel is a perfect medley of drama, history, fiction, mystery, and romance where the desire of deliverance from the devadasi custom has been catered to concomitantly with the freedom struggle of the Indian peoples from the shackles of the British Raj.
The chapters switch back and forth in time and the perspective shifts across characters as well. All this can be confusing and a bit frustrating because of the constant digression from the beaten path of a single chronological storyline, but it becomes a rewarding journey once you get used to the rhythm.
I highly suggest that you go through the translator's note before beginning the story. Also, the glossary provided at the end certainly helps.
*
*
~ @the.magicofwords🪄
June 12, 2023
3.75
It was an interesting book. Probably my first Tamil-translated book. Being an Indian classical dancer (Kuchipudi), I do have some understanding of the Devadasis.
This book looks at the intergenerational aspects of Devadasis, and how society looked at them and treated them and others by focusing on Lakshmia and Kasturi's stories. It is written in third person narrative but every chapter was based on a different character – mainly four different characters and also different timelines. So, you kept going to the past and coming to the present and coming to an understanding of what was going on looking at the two.
I did feel that some parts were repetitive and some parts over-described the surrounding places.
SPOILER
All along I thought Lakshmi was the mother Dharini but it turns it was Kasturi who was so. So, this turn at the end was unexpected to me.
It was an interesting book. Probably my first Tamil-translated book. Being an Indian classical dancer (Kuchipudi), I do have some understanding of the Devadasis.
This book looks at the intergenerational aspects of Devadasis, and how society looked at them and treated them and others by focusing on Lakshmia and Kasturi's stories. It is written in third person narrative but every chapter was based on a different character – mainly four different characters and also different timelines. So, you kept going to the past and coming to the present and coming to an understanding of what was going on looking at the two.
I did feel that some parts were repetitive and some parts over-described the surrounding places.
SPOILER
All along I thought Lakshmi was the mother Dharini but it turns it was Kasturi who was so. So, this turn at the end was unexpected to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2025
I had high expectations for this book, after reading some of Vaasanthi's previous short stories. However, this book fell flat in quite a few ways.
The prose was meandering and a touch florid. The plot was way too focused on the first half of the novel's storyline. As a result, the latter part of the story felt rushed and half-baked. There was no proper explanation given for the mystery that was the central focus of this novel. It ended abruptly, leaving more questions than answers.
Some of the characters that were presented, had their stories cut short or left out, like Suppuni. The story also had flashbacks that went back and forth, which can be confusing.
This would have been a great book on devadasis and their culture in the past. Unfortunately, it plodded along too much on high emotions rather than tight writing. It just didn't make the mark for me.
The prose was meandering and a touch florid. The plot was way too focused on the first half of the novel's storyline. As a result, the latter part of the story felt rushed and half-baked. There was no proper explanation given for the mystery that was the central focus of this novel. It ended abruptly, leaving more questions than answers.
Some of the characters that were presented, had their stories cut short or left out, like Suppuni. The story also had flashbacks that went back and forth, which can be confusing.
This would have been a great book on devadasis and their culture in the past. Unfortunately, it plodded along too much on high emotions rather than tight writing. It just didn't make the mark for me.
December 20, 2022
This was a good read. What I mean by that it's not often that you read about the devdasi system and this book did such a good job explaining about it.
This book wasn't just about kasturi and lakshmi but also about the freedom movement and how it affected us as Indians,how gandhi struggled to make change.
I thought lakshmi's story was truly inspiring from her bending the rules and going out to becoming a doctor to abolishing the devadasi system.
Kasturi's story was beautiful yet tragic. How she surrendered herself to God and yet was always put in this box.
It was a very different read and I liked it.
This book wasn't just about kasturi and lakshmi but also about the freedom movement and how it affected us as Indians,how gandhi struggled to make change.
I thought lakshmi's story was truly inspiring from her bending the rules and going out to becoming a doctor to abolishing the devadasi system.
Kasturi's story was beautiful yet tragic. How she surrendered herself to God and yet was always put in this box.
It was a very different read and I liked it.
September 6, 2022
An intricately woven tale that brings out the complexities that surrounded the Devadasi Clan and the effect the cruelties trusted upon them for generations. This also touches upon the topics such as women's empowerment, the struggle for Indian independence, the caste system that is still prevalent in India etc.
April 13, 2023
I waa a little skeptical to pick this book which has been quite long on my shelf. However, once i read couple of pages - i regretted instantly ! The first few pages itself will bind you with the story of Devdasi Clan in South India. Story was being told with a few POV of character from different generations and everything was bind and unfold beautifully. Definitely a 5 star read!
November 2, 2022
History meets imagination in a nice way. Pranams to Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy
December 11, 2022
Twists and curves
March 22, 2023
Such a thought provoking read about what's right and what's wrong and all the fine lines in between. Very educating too. I'm glad I picked it up during my travels in India.
July 23, 2025
Learned so much about the devadasi clan by reading this. I thought the characters were really well developed and interesting. A very sad story about generational trauma, casteism, and gender. The language wasn’t super nuanced, maybe because it’s translated
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