Tears of Mehndi

by Raminder Sidhu

A courageous and timely novel, Tears of Mehndi explores the rich, complex and often heartbreaking lives of a tight-knit community in Vancouver’s Little India. Through the perspectives of several women whose lives intertwine over a generation, Raminder Sidhu deftly exposes the shrouded violence within the Indo-Canadian community, a difficult and often dissembled subject. Sidhu’s characters are women caught between two cultures, struggling to understand the traditions they are obliged to follow while still embracing and often welcoming the fundamentally different values of the West.

Genres: Book Club, Fiction

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Raminder Sidhu was born and raised in Mackenzie, BC, and now resides in Surrey, BC. She holds a B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia and a BBA from the University of the Fraser Valley. Tears of Mehndi is her debut novel

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really excited to read a book by a Mackenzie, BC author.

I enjoyed this book and respect Raminder Sidhu's courage for speaking out about her culture in her debut novel. My recommendation to future readers is to take notes because there are so many characters that it's hard to keep up with the "gossip". A chart would be helpful!

[Jas Deol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down. I felt like I could relate with some of the characters. This book definitely explores the lines between culture and Western Values. It reminded me what it feels like to be an East Indian woman living in Canada.

[Ayesha]

What do you all think of raminder's choice in cover design?

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good reflection on the Indian culture and the injustices of being a women. Thankfully it has evolved in the last decade.
A lot of characters to keep mental notes on

Overall a very good read

[Ewan Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tears of Mehndi was an amazing book. It was about little India here in Vancouver, which I didn't even know existed. It starts in the 1900s and goes up until 2012. The book has stories from Indian Women who are usually married away and how the culture is very against them. The chapters alternate between a story from the point of view of one of the characters' sister or mother, then a diary entry or letters written to/from the the character, and finally a meeting at the gurdwara or someones house were the older women gossip. This format is very interesting and works very well with the story. I like how the perspective of character B is shown first to show the effect on immediate family, then what actually happened from the perspective of character A, then finally the gossip that is spread around the community shows how wrong some stories are and how right they can be. The family rejoices when a male baby is born, but no one hears when a female is born. The boys go to school, get their education and can do no wrong, the girls are just raised to be married away. This is what is told to the children, and it is what everyone belives, although some disagree and are disowned by the family. There is a lot of bias among the community about who is an option for marriage. They have to be Indian, but also must follow the exact same religion, if they don't they are lower class. This book is very enlightening as I had no idea of how degrading some cultures can be before reading this. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about race and religion, while being entertaind by an amazing story as well.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and picked it up again during the never ending lock down! I loved it even more the second time around! Being a South Asian woman growing up in Canada and Hong Kong, I found these characters' experiences very relatable! The author is a great story teller! It is very well written and stirs up every emotion! I recommend as a must read for women of every minority culture!

[JG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't recommend this novel enough! The author does an amazing job of telling the same story from three different perspectives and gives such a detailed look into the South Asian culture in Canada. Loved the unique and creative format! I couldn't put it down during lockdown.

[Jasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, start to finish! Very well written and thought provoking!

[Rizwana · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tears of Mehndi"is a great book. I was able to relate to some situations and some characters very easily. What happens in Southeast Asian community in Canada doesn't' differ from communities of Southeast Asians living in different countries. The situations, the complexities of the relationships, intrigue, gossip, the pressure to be a "good Indian girl" is everywhere. All the problems affecting Indian women were explored in this book be it the pressure of being a good obedient wife,delivering a male heir, having a fair skin (yes, physical appearance are so important)and of course trying to fit in accordingly into the mainstream Canadian society. It is a great book for persons wanting to learn about the problems affecting Southeast Asian women. The accounts are a little bit exaggerated but they do happen. Nevertheless is a good read!

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gained some insights into Indian culture, which I had been almost completely ignorant about. I had some difficulty following the novel at times, especially figuring out who the narrator was for this or that chapter and keeping track of all the Indian names.
I found it interesting to read about Indian culture's behaviors & attitudes exhibiting androcentrism. I felt sorry for the female characters.
Overall, I found the novel a nice experience to learn about a culture I knew little about.

[Luaunna]

I enjoyed this book. Although at times I wanted the main character to be more independent, her actions are not out of the ordinary. Great twists and turns.

[Priya]

i love mehndi.

[Errin Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books set in India, but none set in Little India in Vancouver, as this one is. A very interesting look at south asian culture in BC and Canada - well worth the read.