This was a lovely book about two cousins, both forced to put aside their dreams and enter into arranged marriages. And it was the story of family secrets. While reading you can imagine the spices in the food, the scent of the flowers and the warmth of the Indian climate. ( )

Divakaruni er af indisk afstemning, men hun bor og arbejder i USA. Dette dobbeltperspektiv mærkes tydeligt i denne roman, hvor den vestlige læser føres dybt ind i indisk kultur og samfundsliv, men samtidigt tages så meget ved hånden, at hun ikke føler sig helt fortabt. Ja, jeg skriver hun, for romanen udspiller sig fortrinsvis i et kvindeunivers, hvor mænd kun spiller en sekundær rolle.

Kusinerne Anju og Sudha vokser op med tre mødre og ingen fædre i Calcutta. De er født på samme dag, som også er den dag, hvor deres fædre omkom på en fortvivlet ekspedition ud i junglen på jagt efter en hemmelig rubinhule. Til gengæld har husstanden en ekstra mor, fordi Anjus faster er vendt hjem til familien i en ganske ung alder efter hendes mands død.

De to piger er altid sammen, selvom deres ønsker går i meget forskellig retning. Sudha er romantisk og drømmer om en dag at blive centrum i en lykkelig familie, mens Anju læser litteratur og drømmer om universitetet og om at besøge fjerne steder. Da pigerne nærmer sig voksenalderen sætter alvoren imidlertid ind, for i det traditionelle samfund er målet entydigt at få dem gift, og det er ikke en sag, der kan overlades til dem selv. Ægteskaberne arrangeres af forældrene, hvorefter kvinden forlader sin egen familie for at indgå i mandens. Oftest er problemet ikke så meget manden som denne familie. Den har sine egne krav til svigerdatteren, og når de nygifte flytter ind hos hans forældre, er de ikke nemme at komme uden om.

Romanen er kritisk over for disse undertrykkende traditioner. Sudha har det værst, for hun bliver i Indien hos en svigermor, der er desperat efter børnebørn, mens Anju trods alt bliver bedre stillet ved at følge sin mand tilbage til USA. Det kan godt være, at han ikke accepterer hende som ligeværdig, men hans familie er på afstand, og han er så moderne, at hun får lov til at studere og i øvrigt leve et selvstændigt liv.

Bogens kapitler fortælles skiftevis af Anju og Sudha. Det skiftende perspektiv fungerer godt som indgang til de to forskellige søstre, og det er især værdifuldt, da de som unge begynder at vokse fra hinanden, og sporene fra deres fædres død mange år tidligere for alvor begynder at kaste skygger over dem. Historien er noget kulørt uden dog at forfalde til eventyrlig romantik – nå ja, måske alligevel lidt til sidst – og jeg følte mig både godt underholdt og lidt klogere efter at den sidste side var vendt. ( )

Engaging story about two sisters/cousins being raised by their mothers and an aunt. Lots of interesting Indian culture. ( )

This is the story of two distant cousins, Basudha & Anjli referred to as Sudha & Anju in the novel. They stay with their widow Mom’s and a bua. Sudha & Anju have lost their respective fathers who had gone in search of rubies…how they actually died is a mystery for everyone but yes this news send their mothers into premature labor and the girls are born. The girls are inseparable and they form a bond which no one can understand or match. Sudha is the beautiful one and the Anju the headstrong. Sudha & her mother are the ones who are dependent on Anju’s family. Then there is Singhji their loyal & unpaid chauffeur. Sudha is concerned with the histories of their families. She ponders the misadventure that claimed the lives of their fathers Sudha forces her bua to tell the real story of the escapade of her father & uncle the truth she learns is the backbone of the story. Throughout the story, there is the sense that the choices these fathers made will always affect the fate of their daughters, and that the daughters’ own choices will always bring unforeseen consequences.Sudha falls in love but what she choses ultimately  bound by the guilt factor...their marriages take the sisters apart while Sudha moves to a small town as a dutiful housewife Anju moves to US of A with dreams that she is going with her dream man who loves her as she loves him.From this point onwards the book deals with the respective lives of the two sisters. The choices they are forced to make. I won’t go into the details herein because it will kill the suspense of the book. The best part about the book is the bond between the sisters…the way the author has depicted their closeness, their dependency and hold on each other is not only touching but to some extent very real…the way both of them are each others support system…they are ready to forego their dreams for each other so that the other can be happy…Sudha leaves India with her baby leaving behind her mother and Ashok the only man she has ever loved in her life …she leaves because she has promised Anju that she will be there with her.. And when you think that the novel is about to end the author gives a blow to you….She discloses the secret and when the passage starts you’ll be dumbfounded….that’s the beauty of this novel…it leaves you dumbstruck for sometime… Read this book for the beautiful writing…there are some short stories which are the staple diets of these sisters, the stories which used to just story for them but become their source of inspiration in times of needs....The author has a way with words her writing is to some extent lyrical but very real...sometimes we might feel its drem like...but may be thats the reason its called fiction :-) ( )

To peek into the world of arranged marriages gives me a good perspective of what it may be like to be married to someone you don't really know and perhaps don't really like.

I wonder if I could be as strong as some of the women Ms Davakaruni writes about if I were in their situation. ( )