One Woman, Two Lives: Part -1

by Ajay Nair

One Woman, Two Lives is an Award Winning multigenerational saga set in late 18th Century Southern India. It follows the struggles of the women in one family as they fight to deal with the oppression of the caste system imposed on them, both by society at large as well as from within their own family. When a tragic betrayal results in the death of her sister, suicide of her mother and financial ruin of her father, young Bhavani will have to rise above the expectations and traditional role imposed upon her in order to take revenge and restore honor to her family’s name. Nalinavilasom Bhavaniamma, Ajay’s great-grandmother, inspired the creation of Bhavani in One Woman, Two Lives. Growing up hearing stories from Nalinavilasom Bhavaniamma about the “untouchable era” days sparked empathy in Ajay toward what earlier generations had experienced, as well as opened his eyes to what women were still fighting. Ajay, himself, witnessed many times where low-caste women and men were treated differently and he never understood why. The weight of Nalinavilasom Bhavaniamma’s stories stayed with him as he grew older, and he knew he needed to share this story. Everything from Bhavani’s fighting instinct to her deep love for family was inspired by Nalinavilasom Bhavaniamma.

121 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2021

About the author

Ajay Nair is the author of novel "The Woman with Two Shadows". A promising nail biter, edge of your seat journey, soon to be published by Tridev Publishers. His other works include children's book like Cutie Fox stories and Cutie Fox wen to Fiji. He is also an established poet. He earned a Silver Literary Titan Award for his creativity. He is born and raised in a middle class South Indian family. He over came societal pressures to pursue his passion for creating beautiful women empowering stories. Now living in Canada for the past two decades with his family. He continue to try and inspire readers.

Reviews

[Archana Devdas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impactful family saga

Set in Eighteenth century Kerala, this story accurately portrays the horribly caste-driven society of the time, particularly throwing light on the many atrocities faced by the lower castes, especially the plight of women among them who were always most affected. It describes how the lower-caste women, subjected to exploitation and abuse without even the basic freedom to cover their upper body, were forced to live their lives in constant fear of being preyed upon by the lecherous males from the upper castes.

The story begins with Kelu, an upper-caste man from an affluent family who happens to see Lakshmi, a beautiful low-caste girl, who he is instantly attracted to, and it doesn't take him too long to decide that he would go to any length to marry her. It must be noted here as well that although his intentions were noble, his actions were driven by the typical upper-caste thinking of the time, that he would get away with anything on the strength of his power, status and financial superiority; his will would override the wishes of so many to get what he wanted. The book is divided into five parts and the first four parts are dominated by Kelu, with all the other characters as pawns in his grand scheme. However, part four sees the tables turning against him and he is compelled to accede control to Bhavani, his younger daughter, to set things right once again.

What I understood from the author's note at the end of the book is that Bhavani is meant to be the main character in this story, the iron lady who epitomises strength in a woman and is meant to be an inspiration for those women who get crushed by society and are never able to rise up. I completely agree with the author in the characterization and portrayal of Bhavani, but do feel that she gets very little space in the book. Compared to Kelu, Bhavani's part is quite small albeit impactful. I would've loved to read more about her; how she gets to be what she is.

All things said, it is a great story and I enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to more books from this author.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very soap opera

[Manasa HR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally, I must agree after i read a few pages, I thought this is just like any other family story. But as the story progressed, I way proved wrong.
I liked how the characters grew & built their own worlds just like any layman would do. You can easily relate to it.
I did not once feel its boring or story being dragged. In-fact, I was dragged by the story and could not sleep until completed.
Now coming to the most notorious part "The PLOT TWISTS". Hands down, awesome and creative. All my assumptions were proved wrong. I could hardly guess one right.
Overall, this is a great and worthy for anyone who is looking for a quick and satisfying read at the same time. Filled with twists, passion, classic betrayal, anguish, Love...
What are you waiting for? JUST READ IT!!!

I wanted something more from the ending, This completed very quickly and that too with not much action. I wish ending could have extended for at-least another page or adding any grand twists. It was way too simple.

[Lakshmi Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casteism is the root of all evil that kept our society down for years. Although it is slowly being eradicated, we still have a long way to go. One woman, two lives portrays the horror that lower caste people were subjected to in earlier times. My favourite character is 'Lakshmi' - The woman who breaks from the shackles of being born in a lower class. Although it was a lucky chance that was blessed to her to break free, she did not just stop with her. She had the grit to uplift many others from her class to lead a decent life. Caste - A deep subject to touch upon and Ajay has done it in style. My congratulations and hope to see more books from him.

[Sandhya Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book had an interesting plot idea. The basic kernel of the story was entertaining enough. A reader would enjoy the book if he/she is looking for something light and easy which does not require too much intellectual or emotional investment.

Overall, the story idea had great potential, but the execution required more polish. Perhaps what this book needed was the hand of an experienced developmental editor and copy editor.

This writer definitely has the talent and creativity to weave engaging tales, he just needs to work on pacing, vocabulary choice and character development.

[Aarthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One woman two lives is a multigenerational, dramatic book that's inspired by the real life stories told by his own great grandmother. The South Indian lifestyle depicted and the way women clumsily fit into this crappy caste system is potrayed realistically. Despite generations of reforms, the remains of casteism and sexism is still very much visible in our society. Hence, such a strong yet struggling Bhavani is breath of fresh air! If drama is your go-to genre and want to know experience an intense South Indian experience, this is the book to choose! Trust me, this is a page-turner!

[Helen Trepelkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating and educational page-turner set in 18th century Southern India where peoples’ lives and destinies were largely determined by the oppressive caste system. The struggle of the main female character, Bhavani, to restore the family’s good name and fortune is inspiring and empowering to all women suffering from societal and family pressure in modern times.

The book is based on childhood stories the author heard from his great-grandmother, Nalinavilasom Bhavaniamma, and this vibrant personal touch and a keen sense of justice make this book truly unique.

[Sjl330 · Rating 1 out of 5]

no ending!!

I hate books that do this!! Terrible editing but a pretty good story. if it had an ending! Don’t recommend.