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A review by smallicedmocha
The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani
3.0
This is another one of those books that has a story from the past and a parallel/related story in the present, except it's with Indian main characters. I haven't read an inordinate amount of Indian-American fiction, but based on what I have read, the cultural accuracy didn't feel quite right. The fact that Ravi is an untouchable could have in and of itself been a long, unsolvable issue in the novel, but it seemed like he was accepted fairly quickly in a way that felt impossible if you've ever read "The God of Small Things." My gut told me Roy's novel is more accurate in its portrayal than this novel, because, well, you don't call them "untouchable" for a reason.
Not only that, but the mindset and struggles that Amisha has is far too modern for her time. The approach taken in this book seemed in stark contrast to a book like "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," where the female characters are shown to still show pride and ownership in their roles, even though it's one rife with subjugation and suffering, which seems to be more realistic and reflective of people actually living in that time period. Amisha felt like a woman who was born in modern times and then thrown back a couple of decades, but with our current-day mindset and values. I felt there could have been more subtle ways of showing a character that was born in a time that felt trapped, but was not so "out there" the way Amisha was portrayed.
So in the end, is it a fairly good story? Yes, it was engaging enough, and I have to admit that Jaya, the "today" character, is at least more likeable than some of the other ones I've encountered because you do see some growth. As a glimpse into life in India during that historic time period, however, I would not recommend.
Not only that, but the mindset and struggles that Amisha has is far too modern for her time. The approach taken in this book seemed in stark contrast to a book like "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan," where the female characters are shown to still show pride and ownership in their roles, even though it's one rife with subjugation and suffering, which seems to be more realistic and reflective of people actually living in that time period. Amisha felt like a woman who was born in modern times and then thrown back a couple of decades, but with our current-day mindset and values. I felt there could have been more subtle ways of showing a character that was born in a time that felt trapped, but was not so "out there" the way Amisha was portrayed.
So in the end, is it a fairly good story? Yes, it was engaging enough, and I have to admit that Jaya, the "today" character, is at least more likeable than some of the other ones I've encountered because you do see some growth. As a glimpse into life in India during that historic time period, however, I would not recommend.