The Daughters of Madurai, by Rajasree Variyar (2023)
This novel is about a mother and daughter relationship, but mostly focuses on the mother’s life growing up poor in Madurai, India. The story takes place in the present (daughter’s story) and in the 1990s (mother’s life).
Janani, the mother was born into a poor family in a lower caste. After being married young in an arranged marriage, Janani was sent away from her family to live with her husband and his family. As a new wife, she was basically her new family’s servant. She lives in a culture that does not value girls. Her first baby is a girl, which Janani is “allowed” to keep, but her subsequent daughters are taken from her and killed. Janani struggles with her loss, as well as being trapped in a loveless marriage with a cruel mother-in-law. It sounds cliché, but as written, Janani’s life comes alive.
Jump to present day, and Janani is married and living in Australia with her husband and children, including Nila, her now-adult daughter. Janani has never shared her past with her children. When her father-in-law- is dying, Janani and the family return to India to see him. The trip sparks memories of the past, which slowly reveals itself.
I found this book somewhat difficult to read due to the names and nicknames of the characters.
Read: April 1, 2024
3 Stars
