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A review by slightlyliterary
Nimita's Place by Akshita Nanda
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
One of my last Singlit reads of 2020, Nimita's Place is an inter-generational story that follows the narratives of two people: Nimita Khosla in 1940s India, who wishes to attend university and become an engineer, and Nimita Sachdev (Nimita K.'s granddaughter) in 2010s Singapore, who wants to settle down in Singapore with Permanent Residency (PR).
This is an ambitious dual narrative that not only highlights the issues of contemporary Singapore with regards to its immigrants, but also explores the historical background and culture of India, as well as the effects of the Partition (separation of British India into modern-day India and Pakistan) on its citizens. Additionally, it also covers the theme of gender roles and how they've changed over time.
While all these sound like a lot to pack into one book, Nanda executes these themes and issues quite well and manages to give us insight into the day-to-day lives and current issues of both Nimitas. Personally, I found the 1940s narrative to be much more cohesive and compelling; I really liked how the growing tension present within society and the uncertainty of the characters was weaved in so seamlessly and as a whole, it felt a lot more emotionally-gripping. On the other hand, I found that the prose of the contemporary narrative felt a little forced at some parts (e.g. detailing SG50 celebrations, the death of Lee Kuan Yew etc.). And while I appreciated a lot of the descriptions of Singapore and its little aspects of daily life and settings, I disliked how the writing came across as more telling rather than showing sometimes.
One thing I found a little confusing, though, was the sudden addition of mental illness (specifically, paranoia personality disorder) as a theme much later into the contemporary narrative. I liked that it explored the psychological distress and mental strain of caring for a loved one while seeing the changes that affect their personality and the way they treat you. However, as a whole, it felt like nothing more than a cursory glance into the topic of mental illness, given that the whole thematic scope of this story doesn't seem to have much to do with this topic.
Overall though, this was an enjoyable read with a wide-ranging spectrum of issues, with the historical narrative being written so beautifully. I'm curious to see what the author has planned for her future works.
This is an ambitious dual narrative that not only highlights the issues of contemporary Singapore with regards to its immigrants, but also explores the historical background and culture of India, as well as the effects of the Partition (separation of British India into modern-day India and Pakistan) on its citizens. Additionally, it also covers the theme of gender roles and how they've changed over time.
While all these sound like a lot to pack into one book, Nanda executes these themes and issues quite well and manages to give us insight into the day-to-day lives and current issues of both Nimitas. Personally, I found the 1940s narrative to be much more cohesive and compelling; I really liked how the growing tension present within society and the uncertainty of the characters was weaved in so seamlessly and as a whole, it felt a lot more emotionally-gripping. On the other hand, I found that the prose of the contemporary narrative felt a little forced at some parts (e.g. detailing SG50 celebrations, the death of Lee Kuan Yew etc.). And while I appreciated a lot of the descriptions of Singapore and its little aspects of daily life and settings, I disliked how the writing came across as more telling rather than showing sometimes.
One thing I found a little confusing, though, was the sudden addition of mental illness (specifically, paranoia personality disorder) as a theme much later into the contemporary narrative. I liked that it explored the psychological distress and mental strain of caring for a loved one while seeing the changes that affect their personality and the way they treat you. However, as a whole, it felt like nothing more than a cursory glance into the topic of mental illness, given that the whole thematic scope of this story doesn't seem to have much to do with this topic.
Overall though, this was an enjoyable read with a wide-ranging spectrum of issues, with the historical narrative being written so beautifully. I'm curious to see what the author has planned for her future works.
Content Warnings
Minor: Hate crime, Religious bigotry, and Violence