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Someone Else's Garden
In the vein of Thrity Umrigar’s The Space Between Us , Dipika Rai’s soulful debut novel is a moving multi-generational tale of mothers and daughters in rural India struggling to break free of the social traditions fencing them in. Standing out among works by Shobhan Bantwal, Chitra Divakaruni, and other emerging Indian writers, Rai’s Someone Else’s Garden offers a rare look at life in the Indian countryside, far from the more well-trafficked literary settings of New Delhi and Mumbai, in an evocative, atmospheric story of one woman’s soulful fight to take control of her life.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 14, 2011
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September 1, 2018
3.5 stars People are defined by what they love and what they hate. Lata Bai loves the sound of a cycle's bell. She loves the rain. She hates having another baby.
Author Dipika Rai takes readers into a small village in rural India concentrating on women-mothers and daughters of the rural poor. It is a compelling story that illustrates the hardships women endure from their fathers and husbands.
your father used to say that feeding her was like watering someone else's garden
TW: scenes of sexual assault are in many places in this book.
Author Dipika Rai takes readers into a small village in rural India concentrating on women-mothers and daughters of the rural poor. It is a compelling story that illustrates the hardships women endure from their fathers and husbands.
your father used to say that feeding her was like watering someone else's garden
TW: scenes of sexual assault are in many places in this book.
May 21, 2014
This interesting book was challenging to get into, but once there I found the story pulled me along. It's about 2 generations of both women and men, upper and lower castes, village and city life. The radical change in Mamta, the heroine, is wonderful to read, and her growing strength and understanding are inspiring. I found the story of the wedding in Chapter 3, where we see from the perspective of the bride who never looks up, especially vibrant:
"Brown sandals alight from the jeep. They are adorned with large decorative shiny brass buckles. The sandals are followed by oversized sturdy black leather shoes, with an air hole for the big toe to breathe. . . . Manta can see her father's blue rubber Hawaii slippers walk up to the brown sandals. The buckles flash decisively in the fading light. The buckled sandals make her nervous. She can see her father's feet fidget, just like a new bride, she thinks, and almost giggles." There is more like this from Mamta's eyes-lowered perspective, and we realize how much we can tell just from watching feet.
The drawback for me was that I could predict what was going to happen, and I was disappointed when my predictions came true. Nonetheless, it's a good read, and brings us deep into the brutal world of misogyny and the possibility of change.
"Brown sandals alight from the jeep. They are adorned with large decorative shiny brass buckles. The sandals are followed by oversized sturdy black leather shoes, with an air hole for the big toe to breathe. . . . Manta can see her father's blue rubber Hawaii slippers walk up to the brown sandals. The buckles flash decisively in the fading light. The buckled sandals make her nervous. She can see her father's feet fidget, just like a new bride, she thinks, and almost giggles." There is more like this from Mamta's eyes-lowered perspective, and we realize how much we can tell just from watching feet.
The drawback for me was that I could predict what was going to happen, and I was disappointed when my predictions came true. Nonetheless, it's a good read, and brings us deep into the brutal world of misogyny and the possibility of change.
October 2, 2011
I would have given this book a much higher rating, if it had not been mostly political/social commentary and if it had been more story. The lecturing seemed endless and I kept wanting to say "I get it! I get it!" The endless lecturing about the plight of the poor tenant farmers in India and the horrible treatment of women in general but wives in particular made the plot almost impossible to believe or accept. How could a woman go from being uneducated, a slave to her husband, an outcast in her village and family to being someone who helped at a medical clinic, married a man from an upper caste and responsible for helping to found a village of refuge for other women from similar situations? It just didn't work for me with so little attention to characters and plot. On the other hand, if you want to know that conditions in India are still pretty appalling for the lower castes and for women especially, then you should read this. I thought at first how great it was that these books are being written but then I noticed that the author divides her time between the island of Bali, where she lives, and India and that she has a husband, two children and "devoted" pets. So then I thought how sad it was that she didn't also sponsor a medical clinic or orphanage or school for girls as well.
July 15, 2012
Someone Else's Garden, being released today, is Mamta's story, but it is also the story of million other village girls, who are married off with a heavy dowry to some man, any man who will have her, even if he is an octogenarian. It is the story of mothers, who are impregnated at an alarming regularity in the hopes that many sons will fill the homes. For each son's birth that is celebrated as an immensely festive occasion, there are many other girls disappearing into the night - either as another statistic on the infant mortality graphs, or as one more exhibit in the red-light districts, or as a victim to some unnamed disease. This book is also the story of these forgotten girls and their yearnings for life and love.
Mamta is the eldest of seven children born to her mother, Lata Bai. Her younger sister has already been married off, and at twenty, Mamta is considered old. Her father routinely complains that he doesn't want to bother with feeding any of his daughters because why water someone else' gardens? That is precisely how he (and much of the backward society) views women, as someone else's eventual possessions. With her head submerged in dreams, Mamta is married to a man, who brought about his first wife's death, and now beats Mamta quite often and blames her for his downfall. When he commits a very cruel act on her, she escapes to the city. Along with Mamta, we also follow another villager, Lokend, who only wants to do good to others and see good in even the most hardcore dacoits. His brother has his eye on their father's property and assuages his hurt at not being loved enough by verbally taunting his paralyzed father. At some point, everyone's destinies cross, but before we reach there, there is plenty of pain, torture, cruelty, and tears.
Dipika Rai writes in a beautiful artistic style that vividly brings the whole village to life. I could almost taste the food, smell the hay, see the lush greens, and feel the pouring rains. There is a whole array of characters, and the author takes her time through them - revealing their petty characteristics and giving us an insight into their natures. The descriptive narration however turned out to be too meandering to me. I love it when authors share something about every character in a book - not too much that it becomes a character study, not too less that every one seems a stranger. I appreciated those character-revelations here, but I felt most of the sketch too long that I kept slipping off the main thread of the story.
The pacing of the first half of the book is real slow. It took me a while to get to know the characters well enough to want to revisit them. A while as in more than a third of the book. The last 100 pages however whiz by. It could be because I got used to the characters enough to be able to read faster. The book starts strongly, with vibrant descriptions and well-sketched characters, but it ends poorly in my opinion. A lot of books fall into the trap of fixing every single broken artifact or cleanly solving every mystery. I feel this book could have been shorter, by avoiding a drawn-out ending.
The contents of the book however are very powerful - there is so much gasp-inducing stuff in here, almost all of it to deal with the cruelty against the women gender. Lata Bai's husband is irritated when she delivers yet another baby girl. He doesn't even notice that she has delivered. He considers his daughters "someone else's gardens" (Oh, the disgusting images this phrase conjured up in my mind!) Wives and daughters are regularly beaten. If a daughter is old enough and has still not received any marriage offers, the father plans to sell her to a brothel. A married woman who runs away, if ever caught, is abused and raped publicly. Worse than that - the other women approve of this "punishment". Dipika Rai doesn't mince any word as she chalks out this story - there is a lot of graphic descriptions of mundane stuff - stuff we overlook or never bother to describe. I felt grossed out a lot. In the same vein, I could have done with a little less repetition of such parts. I appreciate that none of the harsh matter is glossed over, but too much of it only grosses the reader out.
The narration is punctuated many times with several philosophies and spiritual beliefs, either expressed as the thoughts or words of a character, or as a standalone thought supporting the context. I'm not big into either, so there were sections I skimmed past, but that's just me. I initially thought that this book will be hard to follow by someone not familiar with Indian phrases or customs. But after I turned the last page, I noticed that there is a glossary section. I didn't have any trouble reading this book, but potential readers may want to refer to the glossary. Overall, I thought this book was well-written and with a very realistic plot, but the latter half slackened considerably, as the focus fell more in connecting the dots than letting them connect on their own.
Mamta is the eldest of seven children born to her mother, Lata Bai. Her younger sister has already been married off, and at twenty, Mamta is considered old. Her father routinely complains that he doesn't want to bother with feeding any of his daughters because why water someone else' gardens? That is precisely how he (and much of the backward society) views women, as someone else's eventual possessions. With her head submerged in dreams, Mamta is married to a man, who brought about his first wife's death, and now beats Mamta quite often and blames her for his downfall. When he commits a very cruel act on her, she escapes to the city. Along with Mamta, we also follow another villager, Lokend, who only wants to do good to others and see good in even the most hardcore dacoits. His brother has his eye on their father's property and assuages his hurt at not being loved enough by verbally taunting his paralyzed father. At some point, everyone's destinies cross, but before we reach there, there is plenty of pain, torture, cruelty, and tears.
Dipika Rai writes in a beautiful artistic style that vividly brings the whole village to life. I could almost taste the food, smell the hay, see the lush greens, and feel the pouring rains. There is a whole array of characters, and the author takes her time through them - revealing their petty characteristics and giving us an insight into their natures. The descriptive narration however turned out to be too meandering to me. I love it when authors share something about every character in a book - not too much that it becomes a character study, not too less that every one seems a stranger. I appreciated those character-revelations here, but I felt most of the sketch too long that I kept slipping off the main thread of the story.
The pacing of the first half of the book is real slow. It took me a while to get to know the characters well enough to want to revisit them. A while as in more than a third of the book. The last 100 pages however whiz by. It could be because I got used to the characters enough to be able to read faster. The book starts strongly, with vibrant descriptions and well-sketched characters, but it ends poorly in my opinion. A lot of books fall into the trap of fixing every single broken artifact or cleanly solving every mystery. I feel this book could have been shorter, by avoiding a drawn-out ending.
The contents of the book however are very powerful - there is so much gasp-inducing stuff in here, almost all of it to deal with the cruelty against the women gender. Lata Bai's husband is irritated when she delivers yet another baby girl. He doesn't even notice that she has delivered. He considers his daughters "someone else's gardens" (Oh, the disgusting images this phrase conjured up in my mind!) Wives and daughters are regularly beaten. If a daughter is old enough and has still not received any marriage offers, the father plans to sell her to a brothel. A married woman who runs away, if ever caught, is abused and raped publicly. Worse than that - the other women approve of this "punishment". Dipika Rai doesn't mince any word as she chalks out this story - there is a lot of graphic descriptions of mundane stuff - stuff we overlook or never bother to describe. I felt grossed out a lot. In the same vein, I could have done with a little less repetition of such parts. I appreciate that none of the harsh matter is glossed over, but too much of it only grosses the reader out.
The narration is punctuated many times with several philosophies and spiritual beliefs, either expressed as the thoughts or words of a character, or as a standalone thought supporting the context. I'm not big into either, so there were sections I skimmed past, but that's just me. I initially thought that this book will be hard to follow by someone not familiar with Indian phrases or customs. But after I turned the last page, I noticed that there is a glossary section. I didn't have any trouble reading this book, but potential readers may want to refer to the glossary. Overall, I thought this book was well-written and with a very realistic plot, but the latter half slackened considerably, as the focus fell more in connecting the dots than letting them connect on their own.
Read
October 26, 2010I didn't know if I would like this book. It seemed depressing (the title refers to a father calling his daughter "someone else's garden" because she will eventually be married and not wanting to feed her) and not in the way i usually enjoy. But I got very wrapped up in the story of the family at the center of this book, and I did feel like I learned something about life in a small indian village.
March 7, 2011
Someone Else's Garden is the story of Mamta, the eldest daughter of seven children. The setting is rural India in a small village that is governed by the rules and customs of the townspeople. Her father, a cruel, self involved man, arranges her marriage and considers all daughters burdens. After her husband turns abusive, Mamta realizes she must flee to the city in order to save herself and have a life worth living. Returning back to her home is not an option since Mamta now belongs to her husband, no matter how cruel he is. A runaway wife is one of the most shameful acts a daughter can do to her self and family. Yet Mamta is so desperate she feels there is no other option. What follows is her story of finding hope, friends, love and forgiveness.
When I finished this story I had to wipe away tears. What a great book. It started off slow, lots of characters were introduced and it was hard to remember who was who. There was not a lot of action. Those of my only critiques. But by the middle of the book, I was attached to the characters and anxious to continue reading about Mamta. I was also expecting this book to be mostly about Mamta, but there is also several other characters that have huge parts in this story. The writing was beautiful and I loved the descriptions of India. There is cruelty and bleakness in this book, but this should not deter one from reading this story. I think the author is trying to remind us that life is often a struggle, but there is beauty in hope and perseverance. Thank you goodreads giveaway program for this book!
When I finished this story I had to wipe away tears. What a great book. It started off slow, lots of characters were introduced and it was hard to remember who was who. There was not a lot of action. Those of my only critiques. But by the middle of the book, I was attached to the characters and anxious to continue reading about Mamta. I was also expecting this book to be mostly about Mamta, but there is also several other characters that have huge parts in this story. The writing was beautiful and I loved the descriptions of India. There is cruelty and bleakness in this book, but this should not deter one from reading this story. I think the author is trying to remind us that life is often a struggle, but there is beauty in hope and perseverance. Thank you goodreads giveaway program for this book!
January 16, 2013
The story of a woman in rural India with caste and traditions clinging to her, has she to simply accept her role as a woman or to strike out against oppression and still strife for acceptance in her community?
The story unfolds slowly and iniiitially the dynamics of the characters in The Big House are not apparent... but halfway thru the pieces come together more completely...
Am taken up with this part:
Life tolerates no excuses,it only recognises finality, an exact computation. And in her life of fixed paths she has dreamed up many final reckonings. But reality is not an intuition, it isnt a thought or even a fruition of the past, it is a wilful creature aimless in its wondering. Acceptance is the only defence, the only sanctuary left to her
The story unfolds slowly and iniiitially the dynamics of the characters in The Big House are not apparent... but halfway thru the pieces come together more completely...
Am taken up with this part:
Life tolerates no excuses,it only recognises finality, an exact computation. And in her life of fixed paths she has dreamed up many final reckonings. But reality is not an intuition, it isnt a thought or even a fruition of the past, it is a wilful creature aimless in its wondering. Acceptance is the only defence, the only sanctuary left to her
March 16, 2014
I loved this book and cried a few times while reading it. I read it on the heels of a thousand splendid suns so i was already in the genre of bad, abusive marriage and exploited women.... This one was more lyrical and enjoyable to read. Though i knew very little about the men who were the abusive husbands, i understood them better in their cultural context here... The husband in hosseini's book was also a product of his culture, but as a reader i just disliked him as a person and judged him as a person more. I also really appreciated the philosophical elements in the character of lokend.
August 29, 2024
This book started slow. I almost gave up on reading it, but it was a slow burn that reveals the tragedy and beauty of life. Having visited Nepal I glimpsed the caste system. This book helped me understand it more. At first I thought it was a book about long ago then so realized it was a modern representative. The main character Mamta is brave in so many ways.
November 13, 2024
Ok ok only
May 12, 2011
Lati Bai is on her 7th pregnancy and will this time give her baby to her youngest daughter, Sneha. Lati Bai’s oldest daughter, Mamta should by rights, be the receiver of this baby, but she is soon to be married and according to Lati Bai: “her mind should be on other things.” Mumta is 20-years-old and a constant reminder to her father what a failure he is. Lati Bai had her first child at the tender age of 15 and has become accustomed to her body, how it works, and how long it will take to birth each baby. Mamta is more excited about her upcoming wedding but helps her mother don her oldest sari, the one she can cut into rags: “...for the forty-day bleeds.”
The majority of women in the village hire the expensive midwife, the widow Kamla, but not Lati Bai for she has birthed all of her babies on her own and this one will be no different! Clutching her roll of brown paper Lati Bai heads to her mustard field to her lucky patch of ground and prays to “Devi”, the goddess of her clan to give her a boy. This patch of ground is where she found her beautiful golden bangle bracelet. Ahh, she feels it now, the warmth of the baby’s liquid running down her thighs and knows that it won’t be long now. Birthing pain after birthing pain, Lati Bai finally feels the baby’s head. She pulls gently and out pops a beautiful black-haired baby girl! She takes out her husband’s hunting knife and cuts the cord.
Lati Bai can see her city from the distance, the City of Gopalpur, India and thinks about the swirling winds churling up around her and how each family must re-build or re-patch their homes each time a storm blows their way. The villagers pack dung and reeds together to patch holes and cracks. The most permanent material the villagers have is wood but they save that for the ploughs.
Lati Bai has been walking for a long time now, the shame of birthing a female has propelled her in the wrong direction. She realizes a severe storm is coming and must get home before it starts. She turns, lowers her head, faces into the wind and begins to plod toward Gopalpur. She reaches home but does not see her family: her father, her husband and 4 children. She lifts the flap and enters, disappointed to find that her daughters are not home. Her husband, Seeta Ram, is demanding dinner and she busies herself making daal and chapattis. He does not acknowledge Lati Bai’s pain or the baby, so she only says: “Shanti, let’s call her Shanti!” Now Seeta Ram is unhappy: “Not another girl”, he says. Lati Bai responds: “We must accept what God gave us.”
Mamta is the eldest of the seven children born into a low-caste family and is female which is a disgrace in and of itself. Shunned and unloved by her father she is hoping her upcoming marriage will bring positive change to her life. Her mother, Lati Bai has always loved her and says the best day of her married life was when she became pregnant with Mamta. Lati Bai tells Mamta that the first few months of married life are the best and to enjoy them. She told her to lay a good foundation with her husband and for her children, to work hard, even harder than she does at home. But the birthmark that dangles above Mamta’s eyebrow, like a sign of: “disapproval from God”, lends to her feelings of inadequacy. Lati Bai assures her that in another six days she will be married and that won’t matter anymore. But in her father’s eyes, Mamta has no right to exist at all, but deep down she hopes the day she is married will be the one and only time her father will be proud of her.
Once married Mamta starts her new life as a wife with hope, but that hope is soon ripped away from her as she is forced to leave her village and the terrible nightmare of her arranged marriage. In her new city Mamta struggles to find a state of acceptance and to make peace with her past but will this come without hardship?
This was a truly powerful and engaging story!
The majority of women in the village hire the expensive midwife, the widow Kamla, but not Lati Bai for she has birthed all of her babies on her own and this one will be no different! Clutching her roll of brown paper Lati Bai heads to her mustard field to her lucky patch of ground and prays to “Devi”, the goddess of her clan to give her a boy. This patch of ground is where she found her beautiful golden bangle bracelet. Ahh, she feels it now, the warmth of the baby’s liquid running down her thighs and knows that it won’t be long now. Birthing pain after birthing pain, Lati Bai finally feels the baby’s head. She pulls gently and out pops a beautiful black-haired baby girl! She takes out her husband’s hunting knife and cuts the cord.
Lati Bai can see her city from the distance, the City of Gopalpur, India and thinks about the swirling winds churling up around her and how each family must re-build or re-patch their homes each time a storm blows their way. The villagers pack dung and reeds together to patch holes and cracks. The most permanent material the villagers have is wood but they save that for the ploughs.
Lati Bai has been walking for a long time now, the shame of birthing a female has propelled her in the wrong direction. She realizes a severe storm is coming and must get home before it starts. She turns, lowers her head, faces into the wind and begins to plod toward Gopalpur. She reaches home but does not see her family: her father, her husband and 4 children. She lifts the flap and enters, disappointed to find that her daughters are not home. Her husband, Seeta Ram, is demanding dinner and she busies herself making daal and chapattis. He does not acknowledge Lati Bai’s pain or the baby, so she only says: “Shanti, let’s call her Shanti!” Now Seeta Ram is unhappy: “Not another girl”, he says. Lati Bai responds: “We must accept what God gave us.”
Mamta is the eldest of the seven children born into a low-caste family and is female which is a disgrace in and of itself. Shunned and unloved by her father she is hoping her upcoming marriage will bring positive change to her life. Her mother, Lati Bai has always loved her and says the best day of her married life was when she became pregnant with Mamta. Lati Bai tells Mamta that the first few months of married life are the best and to enjoy them. She told her to lay a good foundation with her husband and for her children, to work hard, even harder than she does at home. But the birthmark that dangles above Mamta’s eyebrow, like a sign of: “disapproval from God”, lends to her feelings of inadequacy. Lati Bai assures her that in another six days she will be married and that won’t matter anymore. But in her father’s eyes, Mamta has no right to exist at all, but deep down she hopes the day she is married will be the one and only time her father will be proud of her.
Once married Mamta starts her new life as a wife with hope, but that hope is soon ripped away from her as she is forced to leave her village and the terrible nightmare of her arranged marriage. In her new city Mamta struggles to find a state of acceptance and to make peace with her past but will this come without hardship?
This was a truly powerful and engaging story!
January 9, 2012
Beautifully written book following the various experiences of women and the caste system in India and how it impacts on their life experience and relationships. I particularly liked the conflict it showed between the mother and daughter characters and the expectations they had of each other - that pull between wanting the best for your daughter and the harsh reality of what life was like.... It was essentially a love story between people from two castes in Mamta and Lokend which ran through the book - I loved Mamta's character but felt that I didn't know enough about Lokend. It was a lovely story and although harrowing at times made you really think about how life was at that time and I suppose still is now. However, I felt it was unfinished I would have liked to have known more about Lokend throughout the story and other characters like Rani (stepdaughter) and Lucky Sister were relatively unexplored
April 23, 2013
This is a challenging book to read. The horrible treatment of women embedded in the caste system of rural India is thoroughly explored in a heart-wrenching story about Mamta and her family. Ms. Rai chooses a time in Indian history when change was afoot in the cities but ancient caste ways were still the law of life and death in rural backward towns. This is a time when females had no rights and were considered a waste of resources because it was like tending "someone else's garden" to care for a girl baby. Girls were married off before they were 10 if possible. Repression of females still exists today in India and other countries so the story is timeless in some ways. The truth makes for hard reading but better prepares us for the contrast of the last third of the book which takes place largely in the city. I could smell, taste and see India through Ms. Rai's writing. The story is a bit Bollywood towards the end, but I welcomed it with open arms.
January 3, 2016
WOW, what an amazing beautifully written book. DR definetely has some knowledge of enlightenment, the souls plan etc, but unless you know this you would not know that this is what she is referring to. I loved all the characters, loved the way Mamta became a beautiful strong woman...what all women are meant to be...releasing her feminine goddess side and embracing it...like women should but we dont':( We women are truly amazing!!
The storyline was brilliant, and the characters capture you from the beginning, It would be interesting to know what Eyebrows name was:) More then once I shed a tear....I recommend to all...a beautiful read and a light to my soul....looking forward to more reads from this author. What a talent to write so beautifully, I ended sticking post it notes within the book just so I could reread some paragraphs which resonated with me...which I will write and put up near my alter in my house:)
The storyline was brilliant, and the characters capture you from the beginning, It would be interesting to know what Eyebrows name was:) More then once I shed a tear....I recommend to all...a beautiful read and a light to my soul....looking forward to more reads from this author. What a talent to write so beautifully, I ended sticking post it notes within the book just so I could reread some paragraphs which resonated with me...which I will write and put up near my alter in my house:)
April 2, 2020
Quite a good book. Addictive read; but not up there with the best, because it's a bit too much of a fairy tale -- everything is either black or white. It discusses the plight of poor women in rural India, and basically describes them as fodder for rapists and bullying husbands. The story's heroine, Mamta, is married off to a widower, who, unknown to her, reportedly killed his first wife. Once married, he treats her as chattel; and even secretly has her operated upon to sell her kidney. Now he has money, most of which he spends on a prostitute, he plans to have her operated upon again to maintain his new life style, even though he knows it will kill her. Mamta finds out, runs away, and eventually has a relationship with a man who respects her for who she is.
March 31, 2013
A book about the women of India, their culture and tradition, and the conflict that occurs when one daughter pushes against those traditional boundaries in an attempt to make a more meaningful life for herself. The characters were dynamic, and together wove a plot that was well written and had me fully invested until the conclusion.
"Life tolerates no excuses, it only recognizes finality, an exact computation. And in her life of fixed paths she has dreamed up many final reckonings. But reality is not an intuition, it isn't a thought or even a fruition of the past, it is a wilful creature aimless in its wondering. Acceptance is the only defence, the only sanctuary left to her."
The first novel from this author, and what a great read!
"Life tolerates no excuses, it only recognizes finality, an exact computation. And in her life of fixed paths she has dreamed up many final reckonings. But reality is not an intuition, it isn't a thought or even a fruition of the past, it is a wilful creature aimless in its wondering. Acceptance is the only defence, the only sanctuary left to her."
The first novel from this author, and what a great read!
August 22, 2011
Just got this book in the mail the other day as one of my goodreads win! Cant wait to read it!
I found this book to be very touching and moving. It made me thankful for the life style and culture that I have. It makes you really think about some of the bigger issues in life. You find yourself really hoping Mamta will rise above her situation and find happiness and peace. It was however depressing at times to read about rural India and the abuse that the women/girls endure, but it does open you eyes to the challenges that many women face.
I found this book to be very touching and moving. It made me thankful for the life style and culture that I have. It makes you really think about some of the bigger issues in life. You find yourself really hoping Mamta will rise above her situation and find happiness and peace. It was however depressing at times to read about rural India and the abuse that the women/girls endure, but it does open you eyes to the challenges that many women face.
February 13, 2014
Strong, feminist, liberating and heart wrenching.
I couldn't skip a day reading it since the very first word. The story of an ordinary Indian girl, Mamta, who was living the same life as the other Indian girls, force-married, abused and misunderstood. =(
But she decided to change her future and thus universe let her cross path with Lokend, a kind man-almost saint that was happened to be her destiny.
Ohhh this is a must read book! I learned the Indian culture that is so unfair to women from this book and it provoked me to find more truths.
Just read it, especially for all the women out there.
I couldn't skip a day reading it since the very first word. The story of an ordinary Indian girl, Mamta, who was living the same life as the other Indian girls, force-married, abused and misunderstood. =(
But she decided to change her future and thus universe let her cross path with Lokend, a kind man-almost saint that was happened to be her destiny.
Ohhh this is a must read book! I learned the Indian culture that is so unfair to women from this book and it provoked me to find more truths.
Just read it, especially for all the women out there.
February 5, 2011
Although written in beautiful prose, I found it difficult to get into this book. At the beginning it was depressing to read about conditions in rural India and the treatment of girls and women. After reading about 100-150 pages I wanted to continue as I got into the story. It ended on a note of hope and redemption as the main character used the conditions she encountered to grow and change. A book group would find many threads here leading to meaningful discussion.
February 8, 2011
From my book review blog Rundpinne...."Rai’s prose is so exquisite one can easily become lost in the beauty and flow of her words, descriptions, and characters. Rai’s novel brings up many deep and intricate questions about life and one’s purpose in life, making this an extraordinary book for any discussion group."....My full review may be read here.
July 16, 2011
An enlightening and insightful novel. It makes you feel you are in India with the characters THe attitudes toward women appal.We follow Mamta's difficult yet inspiring journey through life and almost will her to rise above adversity, prejudice and industrial scale abuse.It's one of those specil reads that make you reflect on larger issues than those which affect our own insulated and insular lives.
December 29, 2013
This is an interesting book. It brings to life the barriers imposed on Girls simply because they were born female. Parts of this book are very sad and as a reader we wonder how Mamta will ever manage to survive. The best part is that she is a quick learner and has a good heart. She is able to overcome the barriers that restrict her, Establish a new relationship with her mother and improve the life of the women that live in her native village.
May 14, 2014
I loved the characters: Strong women who did not realize they were strong; men who were mean and nasty (and typical of their time, country and caste)as well as men who could love and be loved. I think this book shows what life must truly be like for those born low in India. One only needs to read newspapers to see that women are treated in India and other developing and third world counties in the manner depicted in this novel. I highly recommend this book.
August 29, 2014
Very well written, excellent development of characters - what is hard to read is about the first 50%+ of the book which displays the grim, harsh reality of a village woman's life in poverty. At times, it is hard to continue reading. However, Mamta survives and emerges as a very compelling main character. Not exactly a vacation or beach read, but very good and worth staying with it if you are interested in Indian culture especially women.
January 8, 2015
After hearing the author speak at the Ubud Writer's Festival, I bought her book. This is a very powerful story set in India and is both very sad and uplifting. It is a very realistic approach to the strict Indian caste system and how females, in particular cope with it. The author's writing style is lyrically told and a pleasure to read. This book opened my eyes to rural Indian life and the constant struggle that women endure. It is also a tender love story. I highly recommend this novel .
December 31, 2011
In the end it's a redemptive love story. In the telling, tho, it's one of the bleakest, blackest stories I've ever read. I can't decide whether it was good to have read it or not. The Indian culture is one I have little or no experience with, and tho the book reads authentically, how horrific and unbelievable is the life described! And I thought Dickens was dark.
March 25, 2012
I loved this book. Not only does it contain all the elements of a well-written novel, believable and three-dimensional characters, a great plot, excellent descriptive passages, it also raises awareness for the tragic, poor women living village life in India. This is literary fiction at its best and I can't wait to read Dipika Rai's next book. I am privileged to count Dipika as one of my friends.
May 31, 2012
I enjoyed the first half of this book...it was very engaging. The author made me really care about the main character and her struggles. About mid-way through the book, however, the plot took a sudden unexpected turn. While on the one hand I was rooting for the success of the characters, the events in the last half of the book seemed pretty unrealistic.
April 7, 2014
I enjoyed this book, a lot and wish I had read it before my trip to India. A harrowing insight into life, especially women in rural India but also showed the strength and fortitude of the human spirit and even places like India can begin to change for the better. A slow complex read, to be savoured despite some of the disturbing descriptions.
March 27, 2011
A story of a low-caste woman in India. I found myself sometimes confused by segments of the story (too many names? not paying enough attention?). I normally LOVE these epic stories, but for some reason, I found this just OK.
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