In this beautifully written novel about two women whose lives are intimately entangled: one a wealthy woman of high caste who lives a life of privilege and the other her servant, an elderly woman of low caste who lives in the slums with her granddaughter, we see how they have transcended their race and culture to form a unique and enduring bond that has helped both of them weather tragedies and challenges together. But now there is a new challenge that threatens this bond and they each must face a difficult and heartbreaking choice.
Bhima, must rise early every morning to get water. If she does not get there early enough she must wait her turn in the long line and that makes her late for work. Until recently her granddaughter, Maya, who she raised after the tragic death of her parents, does this. But Maya is unmarried and pregnant and if any of the neighbors find out they will become the brunt of gossip and harassment, so Maya stays at home. Bhima who loves Maya with great ferocity and on whom she had placed so many hopes and dreams, is beside herself with anger and fear now that her granddaughter has crushed those dreams with her selfish and wanton behavior. Eventually, Bhima knows she must tell her employer, Sera but she hasn’t been able to find the words. For Sera has helped Bhima and Maya by giving Maya the funds to go to college, but now that Maya is pregnant all that is lost. It is this waste that overwhelms Bhima and prevents her from telling Sera what has happened.
Meanwhile, Sera is unaware of the chaos that has over taken the life of her servant. Instead Sera is experiencing a sense of freedom and joy that she has not experienced since childhood. Soon after marrying her husband she realized that she had made a grave mistake. It was Bhima who helped her through those difficult and trying years and gave her a way to endure and persevere. Now her husband has passed away and her mother in law is ill and incapacitated. Her daughter is married to a nice young man and they are expecting their first child. They all live together in Sera’s large home, and for Sera the home that seemed so often like a prison is now filled with love and happiness.
But soon Sera and Bhima will face a truth that will shake their bonds of friendship and love to the very core and they will have to make choices that will jeopardize not only their relationship but also their belief in themselves.
Written eloquently with well drawn and engaging characters Umrigar has portrayed the deep and complicated ties that bind women to each other. Her descriptions of life in Bombay are both powerful and evocative making you almost feel like you can smell the stench of sewage in the slums, the spices in the market,and the food they are preparing. This is a book to enjoy and savor and even better there is a second book that follows these same characters, The Secrets Between Us!
Brenda”s Rating: *****(5 out of 5 Stars)
Recommend this book to: Sharon, Marian, Lauren and Keith
Books Study worthy? YES! Maybe with some Indian take out?)
Read in ebook format
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