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ayatichoudhary's review
5.0
I don't know how to start this review because this book has left me speechless. I know that's not a good line to start a review but that's what I feel. This was my first book by Jahnavi Barua and I can't tell you how much beautiful yet poignant this story was.
Rebirth is the story of Kaberi, who hails from Assam but lives in Bengaluru after her marriage with Ranjit. The narration moves back and forth in time as Kaberi narrates it all to the unborn child in her womb. Hers was a simple arranged marriage; her husband never loved her and used to hit her. After years of trying to conceive a child, her husband starts to have an affair with another woman. It is only after her husband leaves her did she realise that she's pregnant. She talks about her childhood in Guwahati, her best friend Joya, her relationship with her parents, the Assam Agitation and the Assam Insurgency.
This book started off seemingly normal but as the story progressed, different layers unraveled. The writing is poised and beautiful. Jahnavi lovingly writes about the Brahmaputra river and the Kaziranga National Park. The characters are sketched finely. I can just say that I absolutely loved this book! It made me cry. Never have I ever connected with a character so deeply as Kaberi. And there was an open ending! I was left yearning for more. My review isn't that grand but please do read this book because it's so beautifully written. My review didn't did justice to the beauty of this book; even after days of finishing it, I still can't talk about it without giving away spoilers. I'll just tell you to please read this book. Jahnavi Barua is an excellent writer and she deserves to be read by every reader out there!
Recommended to everybody!
Here's a letter that I wrote to Kaberi...
Dear Kaberi,
Firstly, I should congratulate you for your debut book. It must have been a really tiring yet exciting journey to publish it. I hope your book find readers who will enjoy reading it. I don't know if I understood your story completely, but my heart found it really easy to connect with you. It was a matter of pages before I was another spectator to your story and was rooting for you. It was really poignant to read about your marriage with Ron. I believe that he never truly loved you, he was there just for the family's sake. I still don't know if you'll divorce him or live with him for your child's sake, but I wish that you find comfort in whatever decision you make. I loved to see how Sonia changed after that night. I always thought from the beginning that your relationship with Sonia was going to be one of formality and the unwillingness to see each other, but the way it changed was extremely nice. You found a sister in her! Joya was your best friend and her death must have shook you to the core. It must have been really hard for you to cope up with it, living with all those beautiful memories of the past, knowing that Joya has left you forever. After you, I found your mother to be another enigmatic character in the story. How heartbroken she was after your father's death, even after what he did to her. I didn't understood her completely as well, but my heart goes out to her. The poignancy in your story was maybe the thing that touched my heart. I'm all for happy stories, but still your story found a place in my heart. I finished reading your story before going to bed and I kept thinking about a possible ending to your story the whole time before I fell asleep. I don't know what happens after because your writer left the story upto the reader's imagination. But then, some stories are better left unfinished.
From another reader who's heart was touched by your story,
Ayati.
{ I've never felt as connected to a character as I've felt with Kaberi. Her story just touched my heart in a way I can't describe. Ever since I finished the book, I wanted to talk to Kaberi but that's not possible because she's fictional. So I just wrote out this letter to her. I hope you liked reading it. }
Rebirth is the story of Kaberi, who hails from Assam but lives in Bengaluru after her marriage with Ranjit. The narration moves back and forth in time as Kaberi narrates it all to the unborn child in her womb. Hers was a simple arranged marriage; her husband never loved her and used to hit her. After years of trying to conceive a child, her husband starts to have an affair with another woman. It is only after her husband leaves her did she realise that she's pregnant. She talks about her childhood in Guwahati, her best friend Joya, her relationship with her parents, the Assam Agitation and the Assam Insurgency.
This book started off seemingly normal but as the story progressed, different layers unraveled. The writing is poised and beautiful. Jahnavi lovingly writes about the Brahmaputra river and the Kaziranga National Park. The characters are sketched finely. I can just say that I absolutely loved this book! It made me cry. Never have I ever connected with a character so deeply as Kaberi. And there was an open ending! I was left yearning for more. My review isn't that grand but please do read this book because it's so beautifully written. My review didn't did justice to the beauty of this book; even after days of finishing it, I still can't talk about it without giving away spoilers. I'll just tell you to please read this book. Jahnavi Barua is an excellent writer and she deserves to be read by every reader out there!
Recommended to everybody!
Here's a letter that I wrote to Kaberi...
Dear Kaberi,
Firstly, I should congratulate you for your debut book. It must have been a really tiring yet exciting journey to publish it. I hope your book find readers who will enjoy reading it. I don't know if I understood your story completely, but my heart found it really easy to connect with you. It was a matter of pages before I was another spectator to your story and was rooting for you. It was really poignant to read about your marriage with Ron. I believe that he never truly loved you, he was there just for the family's sake. I still don't know if you'll divorce him or live with him for your child's sake, but I wish that you find comfort in whatever decision you make. I loved to see how Sonia changed after that night. I always thought from the beginning that your relationship with Sonia was going to be one of formality and the unwillingness to see each other, but the way it changed was extremely nice. You found a sister in her! Joya was your best friend and her death must have shook you to the core. It must have been really hard for you to cope up with it, living with all those beautiful memories of the past, knowing that Joya has left you forever. After you, I found your mother to be another enigmatic character in the story. How heartbroken she was after your father's death, even after what he did to her. I didn't understood her completely as well, but my heart goes out to her. The poignancy in your story was maybe the thing that touched my heart. I'm all for happy stories, but still your story found a place in my heart. I finished reading your story before going to bed and I kept thinking about a possible ending to your story the whole time before I fell asleep. I don't know what happens after because your writer left the story upto the reader's imagination. But then, some stories are better left unfinished.
From another reader who's heart was touched by your story,
Ayati.
{ I've never felt as connected to a character as I've felt with Kaberi. Her story just touched my heart in a way I can't describe. Ever since I finished the book, I wanted to talk to Kaberi but that's not possible because she's fictional. So I just wrote out this letter to her. I hope you liked reading it. }
whatshruyireads's review
4.0
This gem of a book is the author's debut novel and only sad that I didn't pick it up sooner. (minor spoilers)
The story of an expectant mother Kaberi who converses with her unborn child about her childhood, her best friend back in Assam, her marriage to the most annoyingly unfaithful man and how she's looking forward to this child being born. How her whole life is coming down to this one beautiful moment and she has a lot of hopes for herself and her child.
The story moves back and forth between Assam and Bangalore. The air of melancholy in Kaberi's house is so well described and put that I could sense it. The emotions of an expectant mother in turmoil is heartbreaking at points but she oscillates between moments of hope and despair. You see how she carves her way out for a better tomorrow as she shuts the door and goes towards the hospital for her own delivery.
It is a book worth going back to on a day where you'd definitely want to find the light at the end of your despair tunnel. I absolutely love Jahnavi Barua's writing and look forward to more books from her in the future.
The story of an expectant mother Kaberi who converses with her unborn child about her childhood, her best friend back in Assam, her marriage to the most annoyingly unfaithful man and how she's looking forward to this child being born. How her whole life is coming down to this one beautiful moment and she has a lot of hopes for herself and her child.
The story moves back and forth between Assam and Bangalore. The air of melancholy in Kaberi's house is so well described and put that I could sense it. The emotions of an expectant mother in turmoil is heartbreaking at points but she oscillates between moments of hope and despair. You see how she carves her way out for a better tomorrow as she shuts the door and goes towards the hospital for her own delivery.
It is a book worth going back to on a day where you'd definitely want to find the light at the end of your despair tunnel. I absolutely love Jahnavi Barua's writing and look forward to more books from her in the future.
_askthebookbug's review
4.0
~ r e v i e w ~
•
Shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize and Commonwealth Book Prize, Rebirth is a hauntingly beautiful novel by Jahnavi Barua. This book came to my attention when I read Divya's (@divyashankar553 ) review of Rebirth few weeks ago and seconds later I decided that I had to read it. There are certain books that flourish from the very first line, giving the readers a hint about what's to come next. And then there are other books that start seemingly normal but elevate themselves as they reach the end. Rebirth falls under the second category and I was left with a sense of calmness after finishing it.
•
The storyline is very simple; that of a mother talking to her unborn child growing inside her womb. But what makes this book lovely is the ease with which Jahnavi weaves sentences. Kaberi lives in Bengaluru with her husband Ranjit in a quiet locality, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Hailing from Assam, she often dreams of the green lands of Guwahati as she slips into reminiscing her childhood that she spent with her best friend Joya. Kaberi's was an arranged marriage and there was little love between the two to begin with. After trying for years to become pregnant, their relationship sees a deeper crack when Ranjit starts seeing another woman. To her pleasant surprise, Kaberi is finally able to conceive and she finds herself strong enough to withstand the separation.
•
There's no doubt that the protagonist carries an underlying sense of strength from the very beginning which she realises only as the days progress. She tells her child about her family both before and after she got married and peppers the story with references to the Assam Agitation that ultimately took her friend's life. Being married to a man who was indifferent to her, abandoning her and only choosing to come back because of her pregnancy - Kaberi highlights this all with a calm yet fervour filled voice. She draws strength from her womb and in more ways than one, she considers the opportunity of being reborn through her baby.
•
What I loved about this novel was the narration. Not only was it poignant but was also compassionate. There were other relationships that supported this storyline, be it friendships, family or just rekindled acquaintances. I enjoyed witnessing female friendships that were utterly unconditional, all the time acting as a soft cushion to protect Kaberi. I could hear the grass rustling, river gushing and Golapi Bai's fingers massaging my scalp in the same manner that Kaberi experienced. I believe that even the simplest of stories can do wonders to the readers if narrated in a wonderful way and this is what Rebirth is all about. A story of betrayal, love, friendships and above all, self worth; I enjoyed every word that this book had to offer. Contrary to popular opinion, I found the ending brilliant. Makes one think about this book hours after finishing it. I recommend this book.
•
Rating : 4.3/5.
•
Shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize and Commonwealth Book Prize, Rebirth is a hauntingly beautiful novel by Jahnavi Barua. This book came to my attention when I read Divya's (@divyashankar553 ) review of Rebirth few weeks ago and seconds later I decided that I had to read it. There are certain books that flourish from the very first line, giving the readers a hint about what's to come next. And then there are other books that start seemingly normal but elevate themselves as they reach the end. Rebirth falls under the second category and I was left with a sense of calmness after finishing it.
•
The storyline is very simple; that of a mother talking to her unborn child growing inside her womb. But what makes this book lovely is the ease with which Jahnavi weaves sentences. Kaberi lives in Bengaluru with her husband Ranjit in a quiet locality, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Hailing from Assam, she often dreams of the green lands of Guwahati as she slips into reminiscing her childhood that she spent with her best friend Joya. Kaberi's was an arranged marriage and there was little love between the two to begin with. After trying for years to become pregnant, their relationship sees a deeper crack when Ranjit starts seeing another woman. To her pleasant surprise, Kaberi is finally able to conceive and she finds herself strong enough to withstand the separation.
•
There's no doubt that the protagonist carries an underlying sense of strength from the very beginning which she realises only as the days progress. She tells her child about her family both before and after she got married and peppers the story with references to the Assam Agitation that ultimately took her friend's life. Being married to a man who was indifferent to her, abandoning her and only choosing to come back because of her pregnancy - Kaberi highlights this all with a calm yet fervour filled voice. She draws strength from her womb and in more ways than one, she considers the opportunity of being reborn through her baby.
•
What I loved about this novel was the narration. Not only was it poignant but was also compassionate. There were other relationships that supported this storyline, be it friendships, family or just rekindled acquaintances. I enjoyed witnessing female friendships that were utterly unconditional, all the time acting as a soft cushion to protect Kaberi. I could hear the grass rustling, river gushing and Golapi Bai's fingers massaging my scalp in the same manner that Kaberi experienced. I believe that even the simplest of stories can do wonders to the readers if narrated in a wonderful way and this is what Rebirth is all about. A story of betrayal, love, friendships and above all, self worth; I enjoyed every word that this book had to offer. Contrary to popular opinion, I found the ending brilliant. Makes one think about this book hours after finishing it. I recommend this book.
•
Rating : 4.3/5.
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