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A review by simranpradhan
The Blind Matriarch by Namita Gokhale
4.0
Matangi-Ma, the blind matriach of a dysfunctional yet dynamic family, hovers over the lives and consciousness of all her family members who reside below her. As the COVID-19 pandemic forces all of them together in a standstill, past secrets and inner reflections force out aspects of themselves they didn't know they will encounter- including Matangi-Ma herself. The novel is a deep, soulful insight on the workings of Indian joint families, their hierarchies and complexities by making a strong female character the focal point of and ever evolving yet stunned world of the pandemic.
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The most attractive aspect of the book is Namita Gokhale's soft-spoken narration with equally strong tenors that echo Matangi-Ma's compound personality and sundry life experiences. She is a woman who knows she has been wronged in her life, and she is also a woman who has learnt from her experiences and applies the knowledge in her parenting as well- a trait so uncommon in so many Indian female characters I have read & watched, especially those old. Her family members are equally varied and complex: an adopted grandson, a single daughter striving to eradicate social disparity, a son & daughter in law both selfish from one view but understandable in the other among other interesting & engaging characters. Her keen interest in daily soap operas subtly reflects the story's drama too: yet, hardly in any soap opera do we get to see and understand the other side of a supposedly antagonist character. But one of the key things that got me hooked is that the plot began without even informing the readers that it had begun. It wasn't until a few chapters later, when I was still feeling like I was just getting into the story and was getting to know the characters that I realised actually, the real tale had already developed- indicating a master storytelling, for the ultimate goal is to hook the reader to a point where they don't know they are actually reading. The Blind Matriarch is for anyone looking to get into a perfect contemporary piece of art & fiction, and those with strong Indian females as lead are always my favourite.
.
The most attractive aspect of the book is Namita Gokhale's soft-spoken narration with equally strong tenors that echo Matangi-Ma's compound personality and sundry life experiences. She is a woman who knows she has been wronged in her life, and she is also a woman who has learnt from her experiences and applies the knowledge in her parenting as well- a trait so uncommon in so many Indian female characters I have read & watched, especially those old. Her family members are equally varied and complex: an adopted grandson, a single daughter striving to eradicate social disparity, a son & daughter in law both selfish from one view but understandable in the other among other interesting & engaging characters. Her keen interest in daily soap operas subtly reflects the story's drama too: yet, hardly in any soap opera do we get to see and understand the other side of a supposedly antagonist character. But one of the key things that got me hooked is that the plot began without even informing the readers that it had begun. It wasn't until a few chapters later, when I was still feeling like I was just getting into the story and was getting to know the characters that I realised actually, the real tale had already developed- indicating a master storytelling, for the ultimate goal is to hook the reader to a point where they don't know they are actually reading. The Blind Matriarch is for anyone looking to get into a perfect contemporary piece of art & fiction, and those with strong Indian females as lead are always my favourite.