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Being bi-cultural, author Kashmira Sheth is able to 'translate' situations to readers in a way that is fair and balanced, without defending nor attacking either point of view. While Sheth was born and raised in India, mostly in Mumbai -formerly Bombay- she later moved to Iowa to attend college at seventeen.
Kashmira Sheth portrays the coming of age of a young woman in India, at the same time that she presents the coming of age of a culture in transition -not wanting to completely let go of its traditions, nor to reject the flow of global modernization.
Dark Koyal, Mango Sweet is a close-up, intimate account of pre-arranged marriages -the anticipation, the set up, the screening, the offers, the risks, the negotiations, the decision, and the aftermath - all in detail, from the point of view of sixteen-year-old girl -Jeeta- who is third in-line, after her two older sisters. Through Jeeta, readers ponder on the new and the old processes of selecting both a mate and a lifestyle, while remaining loyal to family, frieds and oneself.
Jeeta Parekh is not exactly a rebel, more like a 'questioner' or someone whose honesty to herself will not allow her to disguise anything that does not make sense or that is fake. This particular trait adds depth to her character, as well as interesting situations, which question the established order and challenge tradition, without becoming a rebel without a cause.
Though the story is an insightful presentation of love from both points of view -the love that is created after the marriage and the love that leads to marriage- the story is mostly about young women choosing lifestyles and trying to make their choices work, without compromising their future.
Traditional roles for women are explored beside modern ones, including higher education and professional identities independent from family or marital ties. The dilemma presented by traditional concepts of beauty versus conceptualization of self as beautiful based on merit, personality, and personal assessment adds interesting insights.
Copyright © 2010, Maria Mederos, Examiner.com
Fiction
Publisher: Hyperion
Hardbound: 250 pages
ISBN-13: 9780786838578
ISBN: 0786838574
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