committedtomemory

The Namesake

Juhmpa Lihari.

This was a very interesting tale of a woman who marries a student not quite knowing what she has gotten into and then lives the best life she can given the material she has been given. The story then seems to contrast against that of her son, born into a different time and a different country with more options, but maybe less happiness.

Ashira, a young girl from India is feeling pressure from her parents to choose a suitor. When she meets the exotic Indian born MIT student, she sees a possibility of excitement in her life. She is attracted to his clothes and mannerisms which are so different from so many of the men in her own country. Yet he is Indian and therefore safe and blessed by her parents.

While she sees her life in America as temporary, he sees his as permanent. They never seem to work this out either before or after marriage.

But after her son is born, she realizes that living for this dream will only make her unhappy and she must pull herself together and muddle through the life she has been given.

You see both characters muddle through their lives holding a strong tie to India and tradition, knowing they are so far away from the people they know and love, forging weak friendships with other Indians and never building a connection with the Americans they are surrounded by.

Ashoke has the easier time, surrounded by Academia and its tolerance of differences as long as there is a strong mind. Ashira has a tougher time. Outside of Academia, there is less tolerance for differences and more expectation of fitting into an American norm.

Lihari weaves a beautiful tale of a simple immigrant family into a rich tapestry of family stories and images of places and people and smells and foods. Never did I regret giving my time to a passage or page.

definitely, the perfect summer read.

posted by dsimom @ 6:08 AM