A review by rishitha
The Queen of Jasmine Country by Sharanya Manivannan

3.0

The mysterious Tamil poet Andal is said to have lived in the 8th century CE. Sharanya Manivannan reimagines this story of a young girl Kodhai, and how she becomes the revered Andal. The writing in this novel mimics the writing styles of the sangam literature - imagery of nature, fruits, flowers, animals, and a sense of longing. The most moving aspect of the novel is Kodhai's arduous penance to please Lord Vishnu and convince him to marry her. Kodhai performs testing rituals with grit and doubt. What will happen of her life when she is married off to an intangible being, God himself, when she has to continue to live among the living? In these sections, Kodhai's ache is visceral. However, the novel suffers from grandiose language and a lack of depth. How does Kodhai come to believe that she has to marry Lord Vishnu? What does it take for a young girl to become singularly focused on such an untrodden path? These are questions that are left half-baked. I would have also liked for Manivannan to explore more deeply the idea of scholarly persuit for women of the century, considering Andal was said to have been the only female Alvar.