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A review by ayatichoudhary
Rebirth by Jahnavi Barua
5.0
I don't know how to start this review because this book has left me speechless. I know that's not a good line to start a review but that's what I feel. This was my first book by Jahnavi Barua and I can't tell you how much beautiful yet poignant this story was.
Rebirth is the story of Kaberi, who hails from Assam but lives in Bengaluru after her marriage with Ranjit. The narration moves back and forth in time as Kaberi narrates it all to the unborn child in her womb. Hers was a simple arranged marriage; her husband never loved her and used to hit her. After years of trying to conceive a child, her husband starts to have an affair with another woman. It is only after her husband leaves her did she realise that she's pregnant. She talks about her childhood in Guwahati, her best friend Joya, her relationship with her parents, the Assam Agitation and the Assam Insurgency.
This book started off seemingly normal but as the story progressed, different layers unraveled. The writing is poised and beautiful. Jahnavi lovingly writes about the Brahmaputra river and the Kaziranga National Park. The characters are sketched finely. I can just say that I absolutely loved this book! It made me cry. Never have I ever connected with a character so deeply as Kaberi. And there was an open ending! I was left yearning for more. My review isn't that grand but please do read this book because it's so beautifully written. My review didn't did justice to the beauty of this book; even after days of finishing it, I still can't talk about it without giving away spoilers. I'll just tell you to please read this book. Jahnavi Barua is an excellent writer and she deserves to be read by every reader out there!
Recommended to everybody!
Here's a letter that I wrote to Kaberi...
Dear Kaberi,
Firstly, I should congratulate you for your debut book. It must have been a really tiring yet exciting journey to publish it. I hope your book find readers who will enjoy reading it. I don't know if I understood your story completely, but my heart found it really easy to connect with you. It was a matter of pages before I was another spectator to your story and was rooting for you. It was really poignant to read about your marriage with Ron. I believe that he never truly loved you, he was there just for the family's sake. I still don't know if you'll divorce him or live with him for your child's sake, but I wish that you find comfort in whatever decision you make. I loved to see how Sonia changed after that night. I always thought from the beginning that your relationship with Sonia was going to be one of formality and the unwillingness to see each other, but the way it changed was extremely nice. You found a sister in her! Joya was your best friend and her death must have shook you to the core. It must have been really hard for you to cope up with it, living with all those beautiful memories of the past, knowing that Joya has left you forever. After you, I found your mother to be another enigmatic character in the story. How heartbroken she was after your father's death, even after what he did to her. I didn't understood her completely as well, but my heart goes out to her. The poignancy in your story was maybe the thing that touched my heart. I'm all for happy stories, but still your story found a place in my heart. I finished reading your story before going to bed and I kept thinking about a possible ending to your story the whole time before I fell asleep. I don't know what happens after because your writer left the story upto the reader's imagination. But then, some stories are better left unfinished.
From another reader who's heart was touched by your story,
Ayati.
{ I've never felt as connected to a character as I've felt with Kaberi. Her story just touched my heart in a way I can't describe. Ever since I finished the book, I wanted to talk to Kaberi but that's not possible because she's fictional. So I just wrote out this letter to her. I hope you liked reading it. }
Rebirth is the story of Kaberi, who hails from Assam but lives in Bengaluru after her marriage with Ranjit. The narration moves back and forth in time as Kaberi narrates it all to the unborn child in her womb. Hers was a simple arranged marriage; her husband never loved her and used to hit her. After years of trying to conceive a child, her husband starts to have an affair with another woman. It is only after her husband leaves her did she realise that she's pregnant. She talks about her childhood in Guwahati, her best friend Joya, her relationship with her parents, the Assam Agitation and the Assam Insurgency.
This book started off seemingly normal but as the story progressed, different layers unraveled. The writing is poised and beautiful. Jahnavi lovingly writes about the Brahmaputra river and the Kaziranga National Park. The characters are sketched finely. I can just say that I absolutely loved this book! It made me cry. Never have I ever connected with a character so deeply as Kaberi. And there was an open ending! I was left yearning for more. My review isn't that grand but please do read this book because it's so beautifully written. My review didn't did justice to the beauty of this book; even after days of finishing it, I still can't talk about it without giving away spoilers. I'll just tell you to please read this book. Jahnavi Barua is an excellent writer and she deserves to be read by every reader out there!
Recommended to everybody!
Here's a letter that I wrote to Kaberi...
Dear Kaberi,
Firstly, I should congratulate you for your debut book. It must have been a really tiring yet exciting journey to publish it. I hope your book find readers who will enjoy reading it. I don't know if I understood your story completely, but my heart found it really easy to connect with you. It was a matter of pages before I was another spectator to your story and was rooting for you. It was really poignant to read about your marriage with Ron. I believe that he never truly loved you, he was there just for the family's sake. I still don't know if you'll divorce him or live with him for your child's sake, but I wish that you find comfort in whatever decision you make. I loved to see how Sonia changed after that night. I always thought from the beginning that your relationship with Sonia was going to be one of formality and the unwillingness to see each other, but the way it changed was extremely nice. You found a sister in her! Joya was your best friend and her death must have shook you to the core. It must have been really hard for you to cope up with it, living with all those beautiful memories of the past, knowing that Joya has left you forever. After you, I found your mother to be another enigmatic character in the story. How heartbroken she was after your father's death, even after what he did to her. I didn't understood her completely as well, but my heart goes out to her. The poignancy in your story was maybe the thing that touched my heart. I'm all for happy stories, but still your story found a place in my heart. I finished reading your story before going to bed and I kept thinking about a possible ending to your story the whole time before I fell asleep. I don't know what happens after because your writer left the story upto the reader's imagination. But then, some stories are better left unfinished.
From another reader who's heart was touched by your story,
Ayati.
{ I've never felt as connected to a character as I've felt with Kaberi. Her story just touched my heart in a way I can't describe. Ever since I finished the book, I wanted to talk to Kaberi but that's not possible because she's fictional. So I just wrote out this letter to her. I hope you liked reading it. }