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A review by brew_and_books
Rebirth by Jahnavi Barua
3.0
If at all there’s been a book that thrust me to feel for the protagonist so much, so much that I’d be borderline disturbed and disconcerted, it was this one. ‘Rebirth’ takes us on an emotionally swirling ride to get along and come to grips with the life and struggles of Kaberi. She comes upfront as she deals with her pregnancy amid her husband tolling away eight years of marriage for an affair.
The narrative flows beautifully as it encompasses with it a poignant and exquisite take on a woman's unwinding from a toxic, loveless, and abusive marriage. The theme, plot, storyline, development, flow are all well for their parts. I liked them, but what enamored me was the character development and portrayal of the main character, Kaberi. I was thrown into fits and was initially disconcerted by the way things unfolded for her, for the way she reacted to what life had to throw her way. Still, eventually, her resilience and determination to stand up for herself and her unborn child is what kind of stole the show for me. I absolutely loved how her character honed the qualities she wasn’t inherently born with (and something which is actually very difficult to have, let alone practice), mastered the situations, and did the best for her child’s well-being and nurturing.
Another thematic aspect that stood apart for me was the eloquence of the prose and the detailed, rich description of the landscape. I graduated this year with a B.Tech from IIT Guwahati, and I still maintain that four years aren’t sufficient to explore and take in the beauty and charm of the North East. Likewise, it isn’t easy to understand all the struggle and turmoil this part of the country has endured. I remotely witnessed the mayhem of the land and people during the CAA NRC turmoil, and it was an experience in itself. Suffice to say; I have my biases regarding stories and books based upon this land and people.
It was one total pleasure to read this book for its story, writing and experience the beauty of Guwahati (even one tiny bit and through words, all over again).
The narrative flows beautifully as it encompasses with it a poignant and exquisite take on a woman's unwinding from a toxic, loveless, and abusive marriage. The theme, plot, storyline, development, flow are all well for their parts. I liked them, but what enamored me was the character development and portrayal of the main character, Kaberi. I was thrown into fits and was initially disconcerted by the way things unfolded for her, for the way she reacted to what life had to throw her way. Still, eventually, her resilience and determination to stand up for herself and her unborn child is what kind of stole the show for me. I absolutely loved how her character honed the qualities she wasn’t inherently born with (and something which is actually very difficult to have, let alone practice), mastered the situations, and did the best for her child’s well-being and nurturing.
Another thematic aspect that stood apart for me was the eloquence of the prose and the detailed, rich description of the landscape. I graduated this year with a B.Tech from IIT Guwahati, and I still maintain that four years aren’t sufficient to explore and take in the beauty and charm of the North East. Likewise, it isn’t easy to understand all the struggle and turmoil this part of the country has endured. I remotely witnessed the mayhem of the land and people during the CAA NRC turmoil, and it was an experience in itself. Suffice to say; I have my biases regarding stories and books based upon this land and people.
It was one total pleasure to read this book for its story, writing and experience the beauty of Guwahati (even one tiny bit and through words, all over again).