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A review by starryeyedenigma
The Queen of Jasmine Country by Sharanya Manivannan
4.0
I have to start this review with a heartfelt thanks to a lost friend, who had presented this book to me, after a lot of thought clearly, for my birthday. We used to have long conversations about sexuality, accepting desires, the relevance of monogamy or the traditional institute of marriage, poetry, feminism, history, among many things. So I can imagine why he picked this book for me to read, since this fictional retelling of the life of the south Indian devotional poet Andal, touches upon many of these subjects.
I really enjoyed reading this book. If you’re a fan of books with prose that sound like poetry, then this might be one for you. It is also a short book of just 156 pages, and I was able to finish it in a single sitting.
All the description about Kodhai’s desires, or the rituals she partakes in to find her life partner, or her love for words and poetry were simply breath taking. I could picture myself in that age, in that setting of the jungle, where people lived simply and loved deeply.
I’d like to read more of Sharanya’s books now – she has a collection of poems and a collection of short stories, and the description of both sound very interesting. Glad to have read an Indian author whose work I enjoyed after such a long time :)
I really enjoyed reading this book. If you’re a fan of books with prose that sound like poetry, then this might be one for you. It is also a short book of just 156 pages, and I was able to finish it in a single sitting.
All the description about Kodhai’s desires, or the rituals she partakes in to find her life partner, or her love for words and poetry were simply breath taking. I could picture myself in that age, in that setting of the jungle, where people lived simply and loved deeply.
I’d like to read more of Sharanya’s books now – she has a collection of poems and a collection of short stories, and the description of both sound very interesting. Glad to have read an Indian author whose work I enjoyed after such a long time :)