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namakurhea's review
3.0
Picked this up for Q2 reading of @southasianbookclub 🥸📖 This is probably my first book ever that focuses on Nepali people and Nepali diaspora. The author himself, Prajwal Parajuly, has an Indian father and a Nepalese mother.
My reading if this was more … exploratory, if that makes sense? My knowledge about Nepal is unfortunately very limited (Everest, Annapurna Base Camp) and that one time I ate momo while in Strasbourg (of all places!!!). I didn’t know that there are a lot of layers wrt diplomatic and cultural relations between Nepal, Bhutan, and the Northeastern region of India. I always thought this side of the peninsula was always more ‘chill’ compared to the northwestern side. So it was definitely new for me!
Another thing I like about the book was how it captures the lived experience of Nepali disapora. A lot of reflections on one’s identity and family. It is something that anyone who’s been uprooted from their home can relate to.
Quite enjoyed the writing. The pacing was OK. There are depths to it. I especially liked “Passing Fancy” the most which was about a parent dealing with empty-nest after all the kids have migrated out of the country. The one that I disliked the most was the last one though (“The Immigrants”). It is just so cliche and I saw the ending from miles away lol like really, come on.
Definitely an enjoyable read! I would be open to read his other works. And would definitely want to start exploring other literary works by writers from Nepal, and Bhutan.
My reading if this was more … exploratory, if that makes sense? My knowledge about Nepal is unfortunately very limited (Everest, Annapurna Base Camp) and that one time I ate momo while in Strasbourg (of all places!!!). I didn’t know that there are a lot of layers wrt diplomatic and cultural relations between Nepal, Bhutan, and the Northeastern region of India. I always thought this side of the peninsula was always more ‘chill’ compared to the northwestern side. So it was definitely new for me!
Another thing I like about the book was how it captures the lived experience of Nepali disapora. A lot of reflections on one’s identity and family. It is something that anyone who’s been uprooted from their home can relate to.
Quite enjoyed the writing. The pacing was OK. There are depths to it. I especially liked “Passing Fancy” the most which was about a parent dealing with empty-nest after all the kids have migrated out of the country. The one that I disliked the most was the last one though (“The Immigrants”). It is just so cliche and I saw the ending from miles away lol like really, come on.
Definitely an enjoyable read! I would be open to read his other works. And would definitely want to start exploring other literary works by writers from Nepal, and Bhutan.
vani_in_wonderland_'s review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
An underwhelming collection of stories with one or two standing out. Maybe I wasn't the right audience for it.
zainub_reads's review against another edition
4.0
A very insightful & intriguing collection of eight short stories based in, around and about Nepal/Nepalis.
At first these stories feel like nothing more than little anecdotes from the lives of the characters but on further introspection many colorful & varied layers of deeper meanings are revealed.
.The hidden messages in the stories are so subtly conveyed that a surface level reading may totally miss it.
At first these stories feel like nothing more than little anecdotes from the lives of the characters but on further introspection many colorful & varied layers of deeper meanings are revealed.
.The hidden messages in the stories are so subtly conveyed that a surface level reading may totally miss it.
rockpools's review
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
serendipitysbooks's review
4.0
The Gurkha’s Daughter is a collection of eight short stories focusing on the experiences of Nepalese people inside and outside of Nepal. In terms of plot there is a lot of variety - two Nepalese immigrants in New York have differences in terms of wealth and education but end up being able to help each; a family of Nepali Bhutanese refugees try to smooth over disagreements and present as the model family in the hope of gaining admission to the US; a Nepali maid with a facial deformity plans to flee her abusive employer for the promise of stardom in India; a recently retired woman is attracted to another man; through their play two young girls reveal much about the status and resentments of their Gurkha fathers; a recent graduate is torn between caring for his ailing grandmother and putting his degree to use, while feeling pressured to provide hospitality to family members which he can ill-afford to do. Yet look past the differences in plot and setting and some commonalities start to appear. Issues such as class, tradition, caste, ethnicity and religion appear often, cause division, are used to justify ill-treatment, and are at the root of much suffering. The writing was straight-forward and matter of fact and several of these stories packed quite a punch as a result. Surprisingly for me I liked all of the stories. Admittedly some more than others. The fact that this is a small collection may be one reason - no room for fillers or stories of lesser quality?
pearlkhurana's review
4.0
Ahhhh!!! The last story just had me!
I mean... It was so beautifully written!
My rating for the book: 8.4/10
The extra .6 for the last story to be honest.
Overall it's a beautiful book really. Yes that's the one word I'm repeating and that's the one can use for these anecdotes as well as the simple emotion they create in you. For someone who's lived in the North East, I can only imagine how close to home the reader must've felt while reading the book.
It's really a short one and the writing style is almost melodious, with the words being sung by the winds of the hills with the rhythm of these simple human characters.
I mean... It was so beautifully written!
My rating for the book: 8.4/10
The extra .6 for the last story to be honest.
Overall it's a beautiful book really. Yes that's the one word I'm repeating and that's the one can use for these anecdotes as well as the simple emotion they create in you. For someone who's lived in the North East, I can only imagine how close to home the reader must've felt while reading the book.
It's really a short one and the writing style is almost melodious, with the words being sung by the winds of the hills with the rhythm of these simple human characters.
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