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hekate24 's review for:
Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance
by Nisha Sharma
Popsugar 2021 reading challenge: A book about art or an artist
So I had a couple non-fiction history books shortlisted for this challenge, but ultimately this book resonated so much I decided it fit this challenge in ways I hadn’t expected. It’s funny because kathak performance is a source of panic attacks for the main character. Meanwhile for me… so I was part of a kathak performance troupe for a year or two in high school. But for me dancing was what cooking is for Radha; something done for joy that has nothing to do with competition. I’d seen kathak performances before, thought it was the most beautiful dance style ever, and felt so delighted and honored I had a chance to learn it. I still sometimes do the standard foot stomping motion when I’m alone and need to relax.
However, my relationship to writing very much reminded me of how the main character felt about dancing. Art can be about self-expression and discipline and delight. But art can also hurt you. And last year I wrote and wrote and wrote in order to cope with the pandemic isolation. And in the process I burned myself out so much (both in terms of the craft and also wanting validation for it) that I’ve barely written this year. The desire to do it is seeping back, but … there are some art forms we do causally and some art forms that get inextricably linked with society and our self worth.
I bring all this up because Radha’s journey resonates with me. Not the specifics, but it definitely touched on things that can and do happen. So even if I wished this book was a bit longer and some characters were more developed… it was still such a great reading experience that touched on basic truths.
So I had a couple non-fiction history books shortlisted for this challenge, but ultimately this book resonated so much I decided it fit this challenge in ways I hadn’t expected. It’s funny because kathak performance is a source of panic attacks for the main character. Meanwhile for me… so I was part of a kathak performance troupe for a year or two in high school. But for me dancing was what cooking is for Radha; something done for joy that has nothing to do with competition. I’d seen kathak performances before, thought it was the most beautiful dance style ever, and felt so delighted and honored I had a chance to learn it. I still sometimes do the standard foot stomping motion when I’m alone and need to relax.
However, my relationship to writing very much reminded me of how the main character felt about dancing. Art can be about self-expression and discipline and delight. But art can also hurt you. And last year I wrote and wrote and wrote in order to cope with the pandemic isolation. And in the process I burned myself out so much (both in terms of the craft and also wanting validation for it) that I’ve barely written this year. The desire to do it is seeping back, but … there are some art forms we do causally and some art forms that get inextricably linked with society and our self worth.
I bring all this up because Radha’s journey resonates with me. Not the specifics, but it definitely touched on things that can and do happen. So even if I wished this book was a bit longer and some characters were more developed… it was still such a great reading experience that touched on basic truths.