Book 32 - Sunjeev Sahota "China Room"
Jun. 4th, 2023 05:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzy_daveSunjeev Sahota "China Room" (Vintage)
This novel consists of 2 alternating storylines, one set in 1920's India and one in contemporaneous times. In 1929, 15 year old Mehar has been married into a family with a domineering mother-in-law, Mai, 3 sons/brothers, and 2 sister brides. None of the 3 brides know which son she is married to, as each sees her husband only on alternating nights in a darkened room. During the day, Mehar and her fellow brides perform their domestic duties and speculate on which son belongs to which bride.
In the contemporary story, Mehar's great grandson has come to India from England to spend the summer with his uncle (and to kick his heroin addiction). He lives at the abandoned farmhouse where the events in Mehar's story took place.
The stories were apparently inspired by true events in the author's family.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it is competently written.Howver, it is one that I would not read again.
This novel consists of 2 alternating storylines, one set in 1920's India and one in contemporaneous times. In 1929, 15 year old Mehar has been married into a family with a domineering mother-in-law, Mai, 3 sons/brothers, and 2 sister brides. None of the 3 brides know which son she is married to, as each sees her husband only on alternating nights in a darkened room. During the day, Mehar and her fellow brides perform their domestic duties and speculate on which son belongs to which bride.
In the contemporary story, Mehar's great grandson has come to India from England to spend the summer with his uncle (and to kick his heroin addiction). He lives at the abandoned farmhouse where the events in Mehar's story took place.
The stories were apparently inspired by true events in the author's family.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it is competently written.Howver, it is one that I would not read again.
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