Do you Remember Kunan Poshpora - Essar et.al

Non-Fiction
Verdict: Read it

I couldn't remember why I chose this book when I picked it up recently from my to-read pile. I know, I know, you must be thinking this silly woman doesn't remember why she picks ANY book. You are partly right. The problem is that it's been a very very long time since I went to buy books at my favorite store and my to-read pile is epic. I promise you, I am very selective in what I read, and I do not chose books at random.

I thought perhaps Kunan Poshpora was a person, hence the book was a biography, when I picked up this book to read it. Unfortunately that was incorrect. Kunan and Poshpora are small villages in Kashmir that went through an atrocity when the army came in and beat the men and gang raped quite a few women. This tragedy occurred in 1991. The authors of this book are a group of women who have come together to lodge a public complaint against the army and the judiciary for non action on their behalf over what happened.

As with other books on atrocities that have happened, this is a difficult read. The words are simple to understand, but the cruelty of the act and inaction afterwards really stick with you. I personally feel it is important to read about terrible things that have happened, if for no other reason than validating that they did happen and should not happen again.

Rape is a horrendous crime no matter what the circumstances are. The authors' assertion that the Indian army uses rape as a tool to subjugate and demoralize Kashmir is truly disturbing, especially when you consider that Kashmir is a very unstable, unhappy place due to many other factors.

I also was very unsettled reading about how the army has the ASPA act protecting them from ever being held accountable for acts such as these. This is unacceptable; there is never a case where rape is sanctioned as a tool of the armed forces for any reason. As with other countries, the army in India enjoys a massive amount of support, and very little accountability. The army's snide answers to the accusations and efforts to delay the case and stonewall justice were disheartening when holding the culprits accountable could have prevented this from happening again. People, even army men, learn quickly what they can get away with.

I was also horrified by the uninterested response of the police and government. I live in India and I understand how things work here, but a judge being on vacation when many court hearings were supposed to take place just made me angry. The sheer lack of interest in anyone but the victims made me lean toward justice squads, rather than this farce of a court system.

Overall it's a tough read, especially because the reader knows that this won't be resolved any time soon and could very easily happen again. Changing India is like changing the direction of a continent rolling down a hill. It very often feels impossible.

~Becky~

Left from the Nameless Shop - Adithi Rao

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

Left from the nameless shop is a novel that has short stories from a village woven together. Reminiscent of R.K. Narayan's Malgudi days, these stories are easy to read and make you feel nice. I've often said that authors from different places have their own particular flavor (Indians, Bengalis, Europeans, etc) and while every author has his or her own style, Adithi Rao definitely is reminiscent of the other Kannadiga writers I have had the pleasure of reading. 

While I didn't grow up in a small Indian village, I did grow up in a small town in the US. Some of the stories that the author included were very identifiable for me and reminded me of some of my own experiences growing up. Lacking the pathos of other Indian authors, you feel happy reading these and trust the author that even if things don't work out perfectly, the sky won't fall. 

The only complaint that I have for this book is that there are quite a few Kannada phrases included that aren't followed by translation. While I can guess through context what they mean, as a reluctant non Kannada speaker, this was frustrating for me as language adds depth to writing. Phrases can also be learned this way.

This is not a long or difficult novel to read and a great way to spend a weekend camped out on the couch in quarantine. 

Read it!

~Becky~

Three Merchants of Bombay - Lakshmi Subramanian

NonFiction
Verdict: It depends

I picked this book up from my favorite bookstore long before we all came under house arrest for Covid.  These were supposed to be short stories, and I love short stories that  are about people. Set in the British Colonial times in India, the book follows three prominent money lenders and merchants during that time. 

I started reading. The intro was a very heavy, in depth account of the situation and situation at the time. Cool. I love extra information that helps me understand the context. Only it went on, and on.  I really had a hard time separating the intro from the actual start of the "stories."  When the author did get going, the focus of the book was more on the British than the actual merchants that the book was about! 

This is definitely an academic piece, and the scope that the author is trying to cover is quite large. Unfortunately, I couldn't ever identify with or understand the characters she is trying to explain. And eventually I got bored of the repetitive sentences about the British. 

I guess If I would have had a better idea about what the book was about then perhaps my expectations would have been different. So whether or not you read it depends on if this is something that interests you. It didn't hold mine and I didn't finish it. 

~Becky~

You Beneath Your Skin - Dayamanti Biswas

Fiction
Verdict: Read it.

This novel was my elder daughter's choice. I tend to read things she picks up so long as it's not teen fiction. I'm glad she passed this along, as it was a very interesting book.

The book is about a single mom struggling to raise an autistic son. The plot is loosely centered around her family, as well as a serial rapist/murder suspense plot that runs parallel. The author addresses many many social issues in this book that are usually ignored. Autism/mental health, acid attacks, entitlement, affairs, mixed race relationships and divorce are just some of the issues the author includes in this novel. Most of these issues could take a novel each, but the author does a decent job of weaving them together in a realistic enough manner and showcasing how one family can have many problems across levels.

Unfortunately, tackling so many heavy issues in one book leads to none of them being looked at in more than a general sense. It also leads to a semi-unrealistic situation; this is a lot of issues for one family alone to be dealing with.  The book does drag a little in a few places,

Overall a good time pass and it's good that these issues are addressed. Read it!

Rani - Jaishree Misra

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

When I added this book to my reading list, I don't think I realized it was about Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. As with many of the books I read, I can't quite remember how I picked this one. Anyhow, it was a fun surprise.

For those who aren't aware, Lakshmibai was the queen of a small state called Jhansi during the times of the British colonialization of India. She fought against British forces and was Martyred. 

I have a soft spot for historical epochs that bring characters to life and give us a peek into what they may have been like as people. This book does a nice job of that, even considering that it was fiction and much may have been the author's creative license. The story follows the Rani from her simple but privileged childhood, through her teenaged marriage to a king, to her ultimate demise at the hands of the British army. Even before reading this novel, I found her to be an inspiring figure. 

In the interest of honesty, the novel drags in some places, and it's a lengthy sized book. I also was very curious about the quasi romance that the Rani had with a British officer. I'm curious about how much that was embellished simply to have a romantic angle in the novel. 

Overall a good time pass and a pleasant way for someone like me to get a better understanding of a historical figure. Read it!

~Becky~

Mrs. Ali's Road to Happiness - Farahad Zama

Fiction
Verdict: Good time pass

With the enforced lockdown of Bangalore, I find myself with much more time to read these days. As Justbooks showed up unexpectedly at my doorstep the day before the lockdown began, I found myself with 2 new books to read. Not that I wouldn't have had plenty anyhow next to my bed, ha!

Anyhow, I started on Farahad Zama's novel. Set in Vizag, one of my favorite cities, the novel takes us through some hot button topics. The novel centers around an older couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ali. They are average, ordinary, middle class and middle road Indian Muslims. No surprise, the novel is about that segment of society here. The author is obviously writing for an international audience, as many of the community specific words uses are immediately explained after. This is both helpful and a bit irritating.  I also kept waiting for the Telugu influence to creep into this book as they are all Telugus, but this never made an appearance.

The author had me thinking about adoption in India as well as community sentiments. I had not thought on this before and it was an interesting window into the difficulties some people face with adoption, and how strongly others feel they have a right to enforce their culture and beliefs on others.  Even the police are not interested in legal papers when an election is coming and someone has used their influence to get into someone's business. 

The adopted boys mother was not able to change her circumstances in the end other than moving to Mumbai (where people would hopefully mind their own concerns), but she still was refreshingly outspoken and did not allow herself to be walked over or controlled. The gathering of family behind her in support also was a very heartening thing to read. 

The novel ended up with everything ending well and neatly wrapped up, leaving me with a very unsettled feeling as this is not something Indian authors do often, nor was it particularly realistic in the context of the issues of this novel. 

There's nothing earth shattering in this book, but it does make one think on certain issues and how they could possibly affect us one day. It attempts to make Islam and Muslims accessible to those who aren't familiar, and does it in a lovely non-preaching or moralizing manner. All in all, a good way to pass an afternoon.

~Becky~

The Age of Kali - William Dalrymple

Non-Fiction
Verdict: Read It


I wasn't quite sure how I would like this book when I picked it up. British writers make me hesitate for some reason, especially when they write about India. Left over colonialist thoughts and such. William Dalrymple has made me change my mind - at least in terms of his writing. 

This is a collection of stories about things that he's seen - most of them not good things. The book is a bit older - 90's and such, so it's a bit out of date, but most of the issues that he highlights are still sore spots for India. 

The interesting part of this is that Dalrymple is a journalist. And he's a good one. He brings a beautiful impartiality when he tells stories. You know that some of the things he explains are not good, but he lets you decide why.  I'm not sure how, but he has somehow gotten a very intimate view of the subjects he's discussing as well. Not easy for a foreigner to understand the culture and underlying issues well enough to grasp the whole situation. It's refreshing and I feel still relevant even though it was written around 20 years ago. 

India has made huge strides and at the same time stood still. This book highlights that.

Do read it.

Becky