The recipe (photo below)…I am not sure what magazine I found this recipe in but it has been used for years. We love this soup. It isn’t entirely Indian; however, there is a part in the book where they ate lentil soup and naan. Now, I think I have made naan before but chose to buy in a store we came across. I took my oldest daughter and a friend to some new milk tea place. Beside this place was an Indian grocery store where I bought the naan and lentils (and a few other things). I drive by this area all the time and had no clue that store was there.
For the book…
A few weeks ago, I decided to try out Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited free trial since it seemed I was purchasing more and more Kindle books. I just happened to come across this book while perusing the vast selection. I had never heard of this book but chose to read it since I had never read one about India during British colonial rule. What an amazing book! So many thoughts…
First…one of the reasons I love The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is because it reminds me of what I always say – everyone has a story that can be told (and written as a novel)! After I read this book, I came across a blog post the author (Sejal Badani) wrote – How I Found My Mother Through My Writing (link). I think she beautifully writes how her life- her history- inspired her novels. I don’t want to say much as to not give spoilers but you will understand once you read the book.
Second…I think we all have a little of this “family history mystery” in our lives. If you have read my previous posts, you know that my grandmother did not talk much about her childhood (actually, none to me). I am just now learning tidbits here and there. The more I read novels similar to this, it helps me understand why so many people choose not to talk about their childhoods (for whatever reason).
Third… I taught Advanced World Geography earlier in my teaching career. One of the first units we taught was about cultures and culture conflicts. I got this idea for this unit (the conflict part) from reading a news article about an acid attack that happened in India. After further research, I read about “honor” killings as a way for families to “reclaim” honor they perceived lost through a daughter’s decision (usually to not marry a man arranged for her to marry). To build on this concept, we watched Fiddler on the Roof (one of my favorite musicals) to study acculturation, political conflict, and consequences when traditions are broken. Saying all this, this book encompasses all of this and more. I was able to read about the different Indian traditions, culture, and life during the British imperial time in India. Through this novel, you empathize with the women who were forced into a marriage (arranged), very similar to Fiddler on the Roof. I can’t imagine this…which leads to my last point…
I normally do not read books if they create a story that makes you WANT the person to have an affair on his/her spouse. I don’t watch those movies. I don’t read those books. So warning…this is sort of like that BUT different to me. I wasn’t wanting it to happen but I sort of “understood” (or empathized) with the character. As humans, we value worth and love – to be wanted, to be valued, to be heard. I can’t imagine being married to a person who does not give you any of the emotional support/love you need. Although the husband did not physically abandon his wife, he emotionally did. Now, hear me out…I do not condone what she did. Adultery is always wrong. However, I am not going to sit here and pass judgment when I am blessed and thankful to not be in that situation. The novel didn’t glorify adultery but presented a scenario that digs deeper into the issue of arranged marriages and the possible generational consequences that may arise.
Would I let my 14-year old read this book? Probably not right now due to the issue of adultery. I do think it is a great book to read and encourage you to read it. I think although our lives may not be “presented” exactly how life is portrayed in the novel, I think everyone will be able to relate to one aspect in the book. So…Happy Reading!
