Truth is stranger than fiction

 Thanks to some recommendations from my professors, I managed to read some great books in the month of February. Here is a summary of the titles. The Awakening is a daring portrayal of a woman named Edna who indulges in an extra marital affair. Set in New Orleans, this book entails the struggles of a woman caught between her own desires and the prevailing societal attitudes.  The Girl with the Louding Voice captures the plight of women in Nigeria and their battle against a patriarchal society. It tells the story of Adunni who is forced into a abusive marriage to a much older man with two wives and children. When she escapes her village, she lands up in Lagos as a domestic worker for a wealthy household. It chronicles her journey of finding her voice and standing up for her individuality.  No One Writes to the Colonel is a realistic portrayal of a retired Colonel and his wife on the brink of poverty. He is perennially waiting his pension letter which never arrives. The st...

  During my childhood, I'd have a rough day at school where my grades wouldn't be up to the mark or I would have gotten a math problem wrong. Being this studious nerd, all it would take was a bad grade to upset me. At that time, I'd resort to two things-ice cream or watching Tom and Jerry cartoon. The cat and mouse battle and their antics had always managed to cheer me up.  Several years later in 2021, I had a grueling week at University. I am at the brink of 40, juggling multiple things like my workouts, domestic chores, a full time Masters program at University that includes, seminars, workshops, interviews for the newsletter, reading and writing. But it wasn't a bad grade this time. Since I was studying Gender and trauma this semester, it tends to get exhausting mentally. All I wanted to do over the weekend was to unwind by watching something that induces a feel good factor.   It was a blessing in disguise to see the Tom and Jerry movie being aired on HBO. Curling up...

Book Review   Title: Island of Blue Dolphins Author: Scott O Dell Genre: Historical Fiction   Island of Blue Dolphins is based on a true story of a Nicoleo Native girl who was stranded alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island until she was rescued by a few hunters. The island is located 70 miles from the California coast of Santa Barbara. When she was brought to the Santa Barbara mission, she was christened as Juana. Since no one spoke her language, the author, based on a few facts, has attempted to recreate this girl’s story, introducing the readers to a whole new world.    We have the protagonist-12-year-old girl named Karana. She lives with her family in a village called Ghalas-at where the tribe survive on fishing. One day when a group of Aleut people try to swindle their island by hunting sea otters without any payment in return, a war breaks out, resulting in the death of Karana’s father and many other village folks. When another white ship comes to rescue the ...

  Book Review   Title: Blanche on the Lam Author: Barbara Neely Genre: Crime Fiction   Blanche on the Lam is the first book in the series by Barbara Neely. It tells the story of a street smart African-American domestic worker named Blanche who works for the rich in North Carolina. When her checks bounce, she escapes custody and is on the run.  She manages to hide in a wealthy family’s summer home in the country side. This Southern mansion comprises of a dysfunctional family who are battling their own idiosyncrasies. Her plan goes awry with the occurrence of a couple of murders which makes Blanche the prime suspect. Using the gossip grapevine of her domestic workers’ network, Blanche manages to discover the truth and gets to the bottom of the mystery.    The writing seamlessly flows throughout the book and is interjected with a certain amount of quirkiness. The characterization is one of the stronger points in the novel. The detailed descriptions of the...

Drishyam 2 seemed to be the favorite amongst my friend's to-see list last weekend. As I scrolled down Facebook, there were at least a few posts about this Malayalam film. Curious to see if it lived up to its hype, I logged on to Netflix. While searching for this particular title, I came across News of the World starring Tom Hanks. The synopsis piqued my interest and going by the past record, movies starring Tom Hanks were bound to be good. I particularly loved some of his earlier works- particularly Forrest Gump, Cast Away and The Terminal.  I decided to watch this one and shelved Drishyam 2 for another day.  News of the World chronicles the story of a war veteran Captain Kidd who travels from one place to another to read news to audiences who paid for it. During his tenure, he crosses path with a ten year old girl taken by the Kiowa people and decides to take her back to her family. Together, they embark on a tumultuous journey, braving the harsh landscapes of Texas. They end...

  Book Review   Title: Girl A Author: Abigail Dean Genre: Thriller/Psychological Fiction   Girl A explores the psychological consequences of trauma on children and how it effects their lives.    Lex Gracie aka Girl A is the one who manages to escape the house of horrors. The same house where she and her siblings were chained, tortured and starved by their parents. Her father never made it out of that house and her mother was sentenced to prison. Years later, when her mother dies and leaves the family home for her children, Lex is forced to return to come to terms with her painful past. In the process, she must return to that house and also meet her siblings who are now placed in different foster homes.     Written in first person from the point of view of Lex, this immersive psychological tale explores the several dynamics of the sibling relationships that includes shifting loyalties and betrayals. From the very first line, you are drawn into the ...

Book Review Title: The Bluest Eye Author: Toni Morrison Genre: Fiction This debut novel by Toni Morrison is an unrelenting portrayal of societal prejudices on appearances and its psychological implications on individuals.  In The Bluest Eye, we have our protagonist-a girl named Pecola who suffers from an inferiority complex  because she is considered ugly. She longs for blue eyes which she believes will make her beautiful and will eventually free her from the unforgiving blackness that her community hates her for. However the book is much more than that. It delves into a series of flashbacks, unveiling the complex lives of Pecola's parents -Cholly and Pauline and portrays their struggles against a White community. It goes on to reveal how the obsession for beauty eventually results in insanity, making the readers wonder about its importance.  Set around the time of the great depression, the story is narrated from multiple points of view. Sometimes...

  Title: On earth We're Briefly gorgeous Author: Ocean Vuong Genre: Fiction This debut novel by Ocean Vuong is a semi autobiographical work of fiction and a moving portrait of a family, identity and survival.  This is a letter written by a character named Little Dog to his illiterate mother. In this letter, our protagonist brings out some of the most traumatic issues. This includes the history of Vietnam, the war and secrets about his family. He writes about his childhood where he was bullied, recollects memories of his mother and grandmother and how they fled vietnam during the war. He narrates about his life of a boy  trying to find his identity in a new place and hours spent in the nail salon where his mother worked. A large part of the narrative focuses on Little Dog's sexuality and his intimate relationship with another boy named Trevor.  The writing is eloquent and flows like poetry. His words come to life and his style can be described as aching...

 Inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. Its remarkable how you draw lessons from various sources. They could be people, nature and in this case even a magpie.  I stumbled upon this movie on Netflix which is apparently based on a real life incident and is adapted from a book. Set in Australia, Penguin Bloom tells the story of a family and how a mishap on a vacation changes their lives forever. We have Samantha aka Sam played by Naomi Watts-happily married to a lovable husband and is blessed with three sons. She loves the ocean and the outdoors. An unexpected fall from the roof on a holiday results in Sam being paralyzed from chest down. Understandably, Sam is depressed. A year later when her son brings home an injured Magpie, she befriends it gradually and learns to embrace life again.  The story is told from the perspective of her oldest son Noah. Sam's listlessness evokes empathy, considering how she had been independent prior to her accident. She prefers to ...

Book review   Title: My Sister the Serial Killer Author: Oyinkan Braithwaite Genre: Fiction   The provocative title is bound to pique your curiosity.    Set in Lagos, Nigeria, My Sister The Serial Killer tells the story of Korede who is the older and more responsible sister of Ayoola-the serial killer. When Korede gets a call one night from Ayoola, she braces herself for yet another clean up. This is the third boyfriend Ayoola has murdered. Korede sticks up to her nevertheless, just as families always do. However, when Ayoola begins to start dating Tade-the handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works as a nurse, the latter’s world comes tumbling down. Korede loves Tade secretly and is caught in a snare. It remains to be seen if Korede would make a choice to save Tade or protect her sister once again.    While it is revealed that the sister is the serial killer at the beginning, this book is not necessarily all about the killings or Ayoola getting cau...

 Book review Title: No one writes to the Colonel Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez Genre: Fiction No One writes to the Colonel tells the story of a Colonel and his wife who are in dire straits. They are selling off their possessions to make end meets and survive. In the meantime the Colonel makes a visit to the post office everyday in anticipation of receiving his pension letter, which never arrives. Yet he thrives on optimism and decides to keep waiting.  The story is set in Columbia around the dreary winter months between October to January. The sardonic tone lends to the understanding of the grim situation. Unlike his other works, there is no magical element here. Instead he solely focuses on portraying the harsh realities by tackling the themes of death, poverty, sacrifice and starvation. The changing seasons depicted in the story is in contrast to the lack of change in the Colonel’s grave situation. Amidst the drudgery of illness and hardships Inder martial rule is a metapho...

Book Review   Title: The Girl with the Louding Voice Author: Abi Dare Genre: Fiction   The Girl with the Louding Voice is an uplifting story of an adolescent girl from rural Nigeria who dreams of getting an education so that she can find her voice.    After the death of her mother, Adunni’s father forces her into an abusive marriage to a much older man with two wives and four children. The second wife befriends Adunni and makes an effort to ease her suffering. However, when an unexpected tragedy occurs, Adunni is forced to flee from her village and manages to escape to Lagos with the help of a friend. In the city, she ends up as a housemaid for a wealthy household where she is subjected to cruelty. Will Adunni remain a slave or will she manage to find a window to fulfil her dreams?   Readers experience the entire story from the point of view of Adunni, who takes us along her tumultuous journey. Her character evokes a range of emotions. There are tragic moments w...

 I wrote this for a word prompt. The word triggered a memory of a heart-rending incident that occurred last year, around this time. Its disheartening to see nature's fury destroy homes of a parallel community that exists along with mankind. Some of the images that I saw online, evoked a sense of helplessness and sadness. I can't imagine what those voiceless creatures would have gone through. This write up is all about finding a voice for my animal friends and how they would have felt seeing their homes wrecked by the flames of the forest.                                                                         Flame      It was expected to be just another day in my life. I was tucked in my mother’s pouch. It was a regular routine for her to hop across the lush green open grasslands in t...

Book Review Title: The Awakening Author: Kate Chopin Genre: Fiction/Classic The Awakening is a daring portrayal of a woman who indulges in an extra marital affair and seeks to find love outside the confines of her loveless marriage.  The book opens with a scene at a resort in Grand Isle where our protagonist Edna is holidaying with her husband Leonce and their two sons.  Leonce is caring but often preoccupied with business related matters. . It is during this vacation when Edna succumbs to the charms of Robert-the son of the resort's owner. Edna goes through a tumultuous time when Robert leaves for Mexico. The narrative entails Edna's shifting emotions, her moodiness and withdrawal symptoms as she tries to find meaning in her life.  This story is set around a time when women were expected to confine themselves to domesticity and  to cater to their family's needs. It was unheard of for a lady to voice her opinions in a forthright manner. Solitude is one of the major t...

 The year started on a great note. I managed to read some interesting titles belonging to varied genres. One of the resolutions for 2021 was to read fantasy genre, which I did this month. Running through my list of books for the month of January.  World of Wonders: A compilation of essays where the author has interspersed lessons that she learned from nature and blended it with her own life of a girl with brown skin and a mixed race. Poignant, powerful and heartwarming.  Snow Country : Set amidst the snowy mountains of Japan, this book explores the relationship between a man and a Geisha. It describes the complex dynamics and loneliness of the characters.  Twin Tales of Kutcch is an emotional tale of two women, separated by a generation gap and how their lives take similar turn. Its set in Colonial India and covers a wide range of themes.  Home Before Dark is a Gothic fiction about a girl who returns to a mansion twenty years after her family vacated the same...