Darjeeling: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: intriguing introduction to Bharti Kirchner....
Review: Bharti Kirchner, a locally-based writer in my hometown of Seattle, has written several novels where food and culture go hand in hand. I first was introduced to Ms. Kirchner and her writing at a multicultural literary exposition. She read a passage from "Pastries," another novel where food is an important part of the relationship between people and also a metaphor for their interactions.

I happened to spot "Darjeeling" on the book shelf at the library and was intrigued by the tea business in India and how it connects and divides a prosperous family involved in the cultivation of tea and the upkeep of the land from which it is produced. The patriarch, Mr. Gupta, has two daughters. The eldest daughter, Aloka, is beautiful, vivacious and seemingly has all of the breaks. The younger daughter, Sujata, is plainer, less social and the black sheep of the family. A twist of fate divides the two sisters when a young man, Pranab, comes between them. The arrogant and hard-headed young man wants to overthrow the power weilded by their father over the numerous workers he presides over. Pranab feels Mr. Gupta is exploiting them and not adequetly taking care of their basic living needs (healthcare, fair wage, etc). While Pranab is in love with Sujata and charmed by her brilliant mind, he is expected to be married to Aloka, the older, more well-respected daughter. Still, he embarks on a love affair with Sujata during their engagement. This is a scandal that divides and alienates the women from each other as Aloka agrees to go along with the marriage in spite of Pranab's poor character.

At first it was hard for me to grow accustomed to Kirchner's systematic writing style. At times, I felt I was reading an instruction manual. (Kirchner was a computer engineer for many years, prior to becoming a writer.) The second half of the book grew on me as I, as the reader, observed a transformation in both women who must rise above the patriarchical and misogynistic culture they have been raised in. Aloka was raised as the "good Hindu wife." This meant she wasn't to question her husband regarding any of his extra-marital affairs or his coldness. Sujata also undergoes a tremendous transformation and gains great self worth through great adversity and self discovery through life's hardships.

Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: Fast paced, good descriptions of scenery, tea business, manhattan immigrant life and food, food..food. I like Kirschner's writing more for food descriptions than anything else and this is no exception. In general the storyline is more like a hindi movie - two women for one man and a benevolent 'thakur ma' and an angry dad and so on. But credit should be given to the author for portraying women - particularly immigrant women's dilemmas with clarity and respect. The ending also speaks for the same thing, both women doing what they believe in and letting the men know and get what they deserve!

Rating:
Summary: Darjeeling
Review: It was a good read. Learned a lot about tea. Liked the book but there were a couple of places where it felt that the author either overlooked the culture or didn't do enough research. Here are some inconsistencies that bothered me:

It puzzled me that the Bengali father knew that his eldest daughter's finance was sleeping with his youngest daughter but he stayed calm. Once his mother let's him know that she too is aware of the affair he does react in a more traditional way by hiring thugs to kill the guy.

Also, Grandma Nina keeps referring to the tea plantation as something belonging to her ancestors but it didn't belong to her ancestors; she came into the family as a young bride.

Anyway, overall it is a good read. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: This is a thoroughly captivating and insightful book that takes the reader to the beautiful mountain town of Darjeeling and to an intriguing family that owns a tea plantation. There are issues of love, displacement,and self-renewal all told through a lyrical voice. The story and the characters stay with you. This is Kirchner's best work by far.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating Darjeeling
Review: Wonderful and powerful book. Even if you had never been to Darjeeling, or to India, for that matter, it gives you an unexplained sensation of melancholy, as if the place belonged to your ancestry. It even made me run for the Internet to know more about Darjeeling and the tea business. A real lesson in geography and tea-tasting!

Apart from the obvious mastery of the language in descriptions, the story is an ode to self-growth and sufficiency, both for men and women. As in reality, love is not a bed of roses. Instead, real love is the ability to love oneself first, then the other. This can be seen when Aloka simulates being Parveen; she fell in love with her first, then discovered that she loved Jahar just as well.

It is a book I greatly recommend for all those who enjoy an intricate story without the classical happy ending.