By: Bharti Kirchner
The name drew me to the book, and the fact the author was a Seattle resident, prize winner author of Cookbooks, a immigrant Indian ( a Bengali no less) and in a previous life had been software consultant.
The book is a story of two sisters, Aloka and Sujata, stretched over a decade, and two continents.
It starts with Aloka's marriage disintegrating in New York and with flash backs and fast forwards entwines the story of the two sisters and a man both of them loved.
Other dramatis personae include Thakurma, the eighty one year old matriarch; Bir, the father; Pranab, the husband and the lover and Mreenal, the suitor. It is a feministic tale to some degree, the 'loyal and true' Aloka who after eight years with a man, learns that she can not only live, but flourish without him, and the ' dark rebellious' Sujata, who learns that the passion of the youth is not enough to satisfy the woman she had grown to become.
The story is engaging enough but --- How is that Aloka the perceptive 'Seva' never realizes that the man she is married to is unhappy pining away for someone else? The very black and white descriptions of the two sisters one a beauty and social success and the 'good' girl as opposed to the dark, defiant and difficult little sister are very hard to stomach, given the ‘liberal’ end of the story. The descriptions of New York are from a 'tourist' – clichés. Darjeeling seems closer -- Jahar, is a 'strange' character, strange name and absolutely no background--- which is at odds with the depths of description of the 'Bengali' characters – even Eva. Dale Chihuly reference is one of the few times she gives herself away as the narrator in the story--a very northwest touch, as is calling chickpea curry Gughni( a very Bengali touch).
This is a felt story-- the opinions and ideals and the depictions, including the death of the past experienced by the immigrants seem, to come from her heart.
As I read the book, I compared it to another book set in similar environs 'Inheritance of a Loss'. Though both stories contained somewhat eccentric characters, what made Kiran Desai's book a tight narrative-- no gratuitous references, no lengthy explanations of seemingly strange behavior and dialog, plague this book by Ms Kirchner. The details on tea and tea estates are a great education. Read it, however, if you are hungry for authentic Bangla references—and possibly some cooking tips , you won't be sorry.
The name drew me to the book, and the fact the author was a Seattle resident, prize winner author of Cookbooks, a immigrant Indian ( a Bengali no less) and in a previous life had been software consultant.
The book is a story of two sisters, Aloka and Sujata, stretched over a decade, and two continents.
It starts with Aloka's marriage disintegrating in New York and with flash backs and fast forwards entwines the story of the two sisters and a man both of them loved.
Other dramatis personae include Thakurma, the eighty one year old matriarch; Bir, the father; Pranab, the husband and the lover and Mreenal, the suitor. It is a feministic tale to some degree, the 'loyal and true' Aloka who after eight years with a man, learns that she can not only live, but flourish without him, and the ' dark rebellious' Sujata, who learns that the passion of the youth is not enough to satisfy the woman she had grown to become.
The story is engaging enough but --- How is that Aloka the perceptive 'Seva' never realizes that the man she is married to is unhappy pining away for someone else? The very black and white descriptions of the two sisters one a beauty and social success and the 'good' girl as opposed to the dark, defiant and difficult little sister are very hard to stomach, given the ‘liberal’ end of the story. The descriptions of New York are from a 'tourist' – clichés. Darjeeling seems closer -- Jahar, is a 'strange' character, strange name and absolutely no background--- which is at odds with the depths of description of the 'Bengali' characters – even Eva. Dale Chihuly reference is one of the few times she gives herself away as the narrator in the story--a very northwest touch, as is calling chickpea curry Gughni( a very Bengali touch).
This is a felt story-- the opinions and ideals and the depictions, including the death of the past experienced by the immigrants seem, to come from her heart.
As I read the book, I compared it to another book set in similar environs 'Inheritance of a Loss'. Though both stories contained somewhat eccentric characters, what made Kiran Desai's book a tight narrative-- no gratuitous references, no lengthy explanations of seemingly strange behavior and dialog, plague this book by Ms Kirchner. The details on tea and tea estates are a great education. Read it, however, if you are hungry for authentic Bangla references—and possibly some cooking tips , you won't be sorry.
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