Charming story: part narrative, part cultural lesson, and entirely enjoyable.
4.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: India Was One (Kindle Edition)
India Was One is at its core a love story, but once you read it you'll find that it is much more than just that. It is also story about transitioning to 'adulthood' (maybe better stated as the transition to the 'real world' after graduating college), and a story about friendships, and a story about Indians in general, and a story about India the country. In some ways, the first section of this book fits in the milieu of Madhur Jaffrey's Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India. The descriptions, in India Was One, of family life, the role of food (and the food itself!), and celebrations will feel comfortably familiar to people who've also read Jaffrey's book. It is also quite relatable for someone who *isn't* Indian, as the themes of family and friends translate well outside of the story's immediate context.
The book does have a second theme besides the love story of Jai and Kaahi, as one might guess from the title and reading the first chapter, and this theme permeates the story in some interesting ways. One of my favorite parts of the book was the chapter on cricket, which included a brief comment by one of the characters about why Indians love cricket so much, and it was because the game transcends language, religion, caste, geography, etc. It's clear the author had a point to get across in this book, a statement about India and Indians themselves, and though this undertone is there it is not forced upon the story. Incidentally, for a more thorough commentary about this theme, there is an 'epilogue' chapter at the end about what it means to be an Indian. It's perspective on the book, but doesn't have to be read to enjoy the actual story.
The authors love for his home country definitely comes out in the story. The characters are likable and generally multi-dimensional. All in all, this was an enjoyable, easy read. It added to my knowledge and appreciation of the multicultural country my Indian friends call home. (and I wish I could buy samosas from a street vendor here!)
This review is from: India Was One (Kindle Edition)
India Was One is at its core a love story, but once you read it you'll find that it is much more than just that. It is also story about transitioning to 'adulthood' (maybe better stated as the transition to the 'real world' after graduating college), and a story about friendships, and a story about Indians in general, and a story about India the country. In some ways, the first section of this book fits in the milieu of Madhur Jaffrey's Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India. The descriptions, in India Was One, of family life, the role of food (and the food itself!), and celebrations will feel comfortably familiar to people who've also read Jaffrey's book. It is also quite relatable for someone who *isn't* Indian, as the themes of family and friends translate well outside of the story's immediate context.
The book does have a second theme besides the love story of Jai and Kaahi, as one might guess from the title and reading the first chapter, and this theme permeates the story in some interesting ways. One of my favorite parts of the book was the chapter on cricket, which included a brief comment by one of the characters about why Indians love cricket so much, and it was because the game transcends language, religion, caste, geography, etc. It's clear the author had a point to get across in this book, a statement about India and Indians themselves, and though this undertone is there it is not forced upon the story. Incidentally, for a more thorough commentary about this theme, there is an 'epilogue' chapter at the end about what it means to be an Indian. It's perspective on the book, but doesn't have to be read to enjoy the actual story.
The authors love for his home country definitely comes out in the story. The characters are likable and generally multi-dimensional. All in all, this was an enjoyable, easy read. It added to my knowledge and appreciation of the multicultural country my Indian friends call home. (and I wish I could buy samosas from a street vendor here!)
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