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A review by ayatichoudhary
Mahashweta by Sudha Murty
5.0
Have you heard of Vitiligo, or more commonly known as Leukoderma? There are more than 1 million cases of Leukoderma in India every year, yet our society stigmatise those women who have this condition. The women with Leukoderma, are often prey to prejudice in the society and are considered as ‘bad omen’.
This novel was first written in Kannada and later, translated into English.
Mahashweta is about Anupama, a well-educated and beautiful girl, but from a poor background. She has lived her life mostly in poverty and has completed her schooling, college studies, solely on scholarships. Her mother left the world while she was just one year old. Her stepmother and two stepsisters never failed to taunt her, but unlike Cindrella, she has a father, who's poor and submissive to his wife. She's a brilliant girl, well versed in drama, literature and history. She's a brilliant actress too, who often performs in college plays, and it was in one such play, Mahashweta, that Anand saw her and fell in love with her. Anand was a guy who was pampered by his mother, rich and immature, who has never seen any hardships and failures in life. Anupama too fell in love with him, and they happily got married, inspite of the difference in status between them. Sounds like a fairytale, right? But here comes the twist! Soon after marriage, Anupama developed Leukoderma and her fairytale marriage falls apart. Her uncaring in-laws, orthodox mother-in-law and immature husband abandons her. She's forced to go back to her father's home in the village, being a financial burden on him. Everywhere, she hears gossips about her and the insensitive society sympathizes with her husband, thinking that he has been decieved into marrying her. Anupama thinks about committing suicide, but that's when her life changes.
What I really liked about this book was it's writing style. The story flowed fluidly like a river, narrating the hardships of Anupama effortlessly. It brilliantly showcases the prejudices that women, who suffer from Leukoderma, have to face in our society. I really loved Anupama's character, who goes ahead with her life, facing many hardships in her way. I admired her strength, her resilience, her self-worth! I fell in love with this book, right from the title and the cover page, and afterwards with the story. I loved how Anupama described herself as a real-life Mahashweta, meaning the white one. I'm in awe of the book after reading the postscript. In the postscript, Sudha Murthy describes how this book changed the perspective of a groom, who was about to break an alliance after his bride developed Leukoderma soon after their engagement. What Sudha Murthy narrated in the postscript is a real-life story, that's the power of a book! This book of merely 150 pages takes you through a tale of strength and inner beauty.
A highly recommended book!
This novel was first written in Kannada and later, translated into English.
Mahashweta is about Anupama, a well-educated and beautiful girl, but from a poor background. She has lived her life mostly in poverty and has completed her schooling, college studies, solely on scholarships. Her mother left the world while she was just one year old. Her stepmother and two stepsisters never failed to taunt her, but unlike Cindrella, she has a father, who's poor and submissive to his wife. She's a brilliant girl, well versed in drama, literature and history. She's a brilliant actress too, who often performs in college plays, and it was in one such play, Mahashweta, that Anand saw her and fell in love with her. Anand was a guy who was pampered by his mother, rich and immature, who has never seen any hardships and failures in life. Anupama too fell in love with him, and they happily got married, inspite of the difference in status between them. Sounds like a fairytale, right? But here comes the twist! Soon after marriage, Anupama developed Leukoderma and her fairytale marriage falls apart. Her uncaring in-laws, orthodox mother-in-law and immature husband abandons her. She's forced to go back to her father's home in the village, being a financial burden on him. Everywhere, she hears gossips about her and the insensitive society sympathizes with her husband, thinking that he has been decieved into marrying her. Anupama thinks about committing suicide, but that's when her life changes.
What I really liked about this book was it's writing style. The story flowed fluidly like a river, narrating the hardships of Anupama effortlessly. It brilliantly showcases the prejudices that women, who suffer from Leukoderma, have to face in our society. I really loved Anupama's character, who goes ahead with her life, facing many hardships in her way. I admired her strength, her resilience, her self-worth! I fell in love with this book, right from the title and the cover page, and afterwards with the story. I loved how Anupama described herself as a real-life Mahashweta, meaning the white one. I'm in awe of the book after reading the postscript. In the postscript, Sudha Murthy describes how this book changed the perspective of a groom, who was about to break an alliance after his bride developed Leukoderma soon after their engagement. What Sudha Murthy narrated in the postscript is a real-life story, that's the power of a book! This book of merely 150 pages takes you through a tale of strength and inner beauty.
A highly recommended book!