The Shadow Bride

Rating:
Summary: empty-nest synderome
Review: The book by Roy Heath set in the British Guyana in the early 20th century called the Shadow Bride is a fiction story depicting the life of immigrant Indians in a multiracial and multicultural society. It was interesting to read the cultural and traditional struggles of immigrants from India in a different country. The story line revolves around a rich widow Mrs. Singh, who undergoes a metamorphosis after her husband's death. She emerges from his shadow as a whole new person with rebelliousness towards her previous image, by changing her dressing style, associations and relationships with people in order to gain power and control of a household. She cannot let go of her son Betta, a doctor, in pursuit of his goal to work as a medical officer amongst poor sugar plantation workers. The mother is suffering from an empty- nest syndrome and tries to fill her house with workers, their families and others to ward off her loneliness, which slowly engulfs her completely. The son, after breaking off his ties to the house and his mother gives up a life of comfort and security to work for poor and needy. He in turn has to struggle a great deal. He is a good doctor, but fails to see the mental suffering and loneliness of his mother, who always felt in exile in Guyana. A delicate web of interrelationships of various characters is woven with each other and with the society portraying how imminent and dependent they all are on each other for their very survival. The different cultures, languages, religions create an identity crisis amongst some of the Guyanaese Indians. The end leaves a powerful impression in the mind that haunts you for a long time after finishing the book. I found it impressive that the writer maintained my interest till the very last page, which I felt, was the climax of the story. Roy Heath has used a lyrical prose, nature pigdin English to make it sound very real. Despite its simple language, the writing is powerful, bold , vivid and mentally stimulating