Poignant and beautifully written
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Amulya Malladi has a nice relaxed style, and her books are SO easy to read. This one tells us the story of Anjali, who is caught up in the Bhopal gas disaster of 1984. Many years later, she has divorced her first husband (at a time when divorce was very unusual in India and for the woman to divorce the man absolutely unheard of!), remarried and has an invalid child.
When her first husband comes to live in the same town a hornets nest of unresolved emotion is stirred up. Malladi sensitively explores the relationships and feelings of all the people involved - Anjali herself, her new husband (who is a very nice, but not particularly successful professor in a small town university, and who worries that he cannot provide enough for his family), her first husband (who is now a highly successful figure in the army but cannot get over the shame of being divorced by his wife) and his second wife, Anjali's parents (who take her first husband's side and blame Anjali for the divorce), and other minor characters.
The characters are real - they jump off the page at you - and the descriptions of Indian culture (especially the role of women) are an eye-opener. This is a lovely book - very sad and thoughtful.
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A Terrific Read!
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This is without a doubt one of the best books I have read in a long time. In fact, I couldn't put it down! The story is about an Indian woman, Anjali, who survives the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. After the gas tragedy, she divorces her husband who was cheating on her and marries another man, a kind professor. They have a child, but the child has birth defects caused by Anjali's exposure to the toxic gas. The story starts with entry of Anjali's first husband into her life after fifteen years and how they all deal with what happened the night of the tragedy and its consequences. This is one of those books that stays with you long after you have finished reading it, but in a good way, not in a sad one. It also made me laugh, strange as that may sound. All the characters are very real, and you care what happens to each one of them. I am very impressed with Amulya Malladi's storytelling, and I look forward to reading anything else she may write. Don't wait for this book in paperback, it is worth every penny for the hardcover.
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An Amazing Read!
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This is without a doubt one of the best books I have read in a long time. In fact, I couldn't put it down! The story is about an Indian woman, Anjali, who survives the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. After the gas tragedy, she divorces her husband who was cheating on her and marries another man, a kind professor. They have a child, but the child has birth defects caused by Anjali's exposure to the toxic gas. The story starts with entry of Anjali's first husband into her life after fifteen years and how they all deal with what happened the night of the tragedy and its consequences. This is one of those books that stays with you long after you have finished reading it, but in a good way, not in a sad one. It also made me laugh, strange as that may sound. All the characters are very real, and you care what happens to each one of them. I am very impressed with Amulya Malladi's storytelling, and I look forward to reading anything else she may write.
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A really good debut!
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Amulya Malladi has written a poignant and wonderful book. A Breath of Fresh Air resonates with the power of love and the strength of the human spirit. The story begins in the railway station of Bhopal, India on the night of December 3, 1984. Anjali, a young bride is forgotten at the railway station by her philandering, army officer husband, Prakash, on the fateful night of the Bhopal gas tragedy when deadly gas leaked out of a Union Carbide plant killing and maiming thousands in the city of Bhopal. Anjali survives, but her marriage does not. Years later, happily married, Anjali is haunted by the aftermath of the gas tragedy as she and her new husband, Sandeep, watch their son, Amar, struggle for his life. Amar is born with birth defects resulting from the Anjali's exposure to the deadly poison. When fifteen years later, Prakash reenters Anjali's life, she finds that she must now confront her unresolved feelings surrounding her prior marriage and scandalous divorce. Unwillingly, Prakash is also forced to acknowledge his part in the failure of his marriage and Amar's failing health. This is a wonderful debut novel. A sad story told in the voices of Anjali, Prakash and Sandeep. It has been a long time since a book made me cry and by the end of this one, I was sobbing. A must read for fans of fiction from India and those who love a good story from anywhere.
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