Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahari

It has been a while since I read this book, but somehow I was not able to bring myself to write about it.  Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is a collection of 9 short stories each distictly different from each other yet they collective serve as a mirror that shows various shades of our society. These stories are about Indian people in India or about Indians who have immigrated to United States. Some stories deal with personal lives of people, a few touches some social and poltical issues while others dwells on how Indian immigrants adjusts to the life in a foreign land.

Very often short stories fail to hold my attention for long, or they don't intrigue as much as I would like them to, but that is not the case with this book. Each and every story kept me absorbed, some made me sad, some made me wonder but each touched me in profound way. The book started with the story - A Temporary Matter, a poignant tale of a failing and disintegrating realtionship. Taking advantage of a temporary electrical outage, the couple shared their most intimate secrets in the shelter of darkness. As their story unfolded you couldn't help but empathize with the characters and shed a tear or two at their predicament.

The next story, 'When Mr Pirzada came to dine' brought to the horrors and aftermaths of war through the perspective of a young girl. The title story of the novel, Interpretar of Maladies dwells upon the power of interpretation. Lahiri has the ability to spin a yarn out of the seemingly most ordinary things. One can't help but marvel at her deep observation. Real Durwan, Sexy, Mrs Sen, Treatment of Bibi Haldar, The Blessed House each have a different story to tell. Each of them is thoughtful and intense in their own way. It was make you sit back and ponder of it. They are mostly sad, yet they have a charisma of their own.

The book ends with a relatively positive story, The Third and The Final Continent, where the protagonist takes the changes in good strides and slowly adapts with the life in America. These short stories are not so much about the plot, but about the characters, their lifes, aspirations and dreams.

I will end this post with a quote that I find very profound, it reflects the author's ability to make ordinary things seem extra ordinary

"Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination."

A Small Island in a Big Ocean

 Ireland - A Small Island in a Big Ocean (Video)

There are times when I tell people that I live in Dublin, I am met with the question - where is that? I tell them it is the capital of Ireland. I get the answer, OK...and where is that?

 Image Courtesy- Wiki 

Yes, it's true and it has happened to me quite a few times. People from this part of the world might feel it a weird question or blame it to lack of general knowledge, but let me tell you many in India hadn't heard of this country until recently. You might ask why until recently? It's all because of Cricket.

Sometimes back, my husband showed me an article on Times of India which said that when Kevin O'Brien made the world record to scoring the fastest century, people in India went about locating Ireland on the world map. Team Ireland astounded the world by beating the veteran England team in a game during the Cricket world cup 2011.

 When I recounted my experience to him, even he asked me, what I knew of this country before coming here.. Well, my general knowledge is not very good and geography has never been my favorite subject, but I did know of a few famous Irish names.

  Jonathan Swift

 I am sure most of us have read Gulliver's Travel and have been fascinated by the little Lilliputs and the giant Gulliver's story. It was a part of our school curriculum and all thanks to that, I knew Jonathan Swift was an Irish man and was born in Dublin.

  George Bernard Shaw  

 The Bernard Shaw cafe/pub near my house.

Another famous Irish man I knew because of my school curriculum. I remember having read an essay as a part of my studies (I can't remember the name). Today, the place where this great man was born is just walking distance from my home.

James Joyce
I am sure most of us have heard about Ulysses. Again thanks to my English lessons, I remember having read a story named Ulysses and the Cyclops. I was very fascinated by the tale of Ulysses and the giant one eyed Cyclops. I knew then that Ulysses is the novel by the Irish author, James Joyce.

May be I could not have located Ireland in the world map then, but I did know something about this country. I had read about the great famine and I knew Dracula had its origin here. Long back when I had seen the video below, I was amazed and proud to know of the significant contribution this little country had made to the world. Do check out the video below.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Shyam Savera ~ Spinach and Cheese Balls in a Tomato Gravy

If you are bored of the usual paneer curries, then this curry - Shyam Savera can be a welcome change. The name literally translates to night and day as it offers. as is evident from the picture two contrast colours. Simply put, it is 'Spinach dumplings with a creamy cheese centre in a rich tomato gravy'. It is one of the favorite special curries in my household. Since, it require some time consuming preparations, it is reserved for special occasions.

I have learned preparing this dish from my MIL. However, I have tweaked the gravy recipe a bit to make a bit more spicier and creamier. If you want to try this dish please make sure you read it first fully. It will make it easier to follow the steps. Here is how I make it:

Ingredients:

200gm Spinach
1 litre whole milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
2-3 tbsp corn flour
Oil for deep frying

3 large tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 green chili, slit
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 green cardamom pounded
1 small piece of cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp tomato paste, optional
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 -1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
2-3 tbsp oil
2-3 tbsp cream
2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Process:

1. Heat the milk in a deep pan and bring it to boil. When it comes to boil, add the lemon juice and stir. Remove it from it and let it sit for 2 minutes. The cheese will separate from the whey. Pour the mixture through a muslin clothe lined sieve. Squeeze out all the water out of the paneer (cheese) and let it cool to room temperature.

2. Once it it cooled down completed add the salt and pepper powder and mix thoroughly to get smooth texture to the paneer. Make 12-15 same size smooth paneer balls by rolling them in your palm. Set aside.
3. Blanch the spinach leaves by pouring very hot water over it. Drain and squeeze out any excess water. This step is very important. Then chop the blanched leaves finely. Add them in a large bowl and add salt and corn flour. Divide the spinach evenly to cover each paneer ball with it.

4. Heat oil and deep fry them. Set aside.

5. To make the gravy heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cumin seeds and let it cook for a few seconds. Add garlic, green chili and onions. Saute them on medium heat until onions are slightly brown, stirring every couple of minutes.

6. Blanch tomatoes by adding them to very hot water and peel off the skin. Chop them into pieces. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and add all the spices except  garam masala and continue cooking on medium heat onions and tomatoes mixture start leaving the sides of the pan leaving oil on the sides.

7. Now take the gravy off heat and churn it in a blender into a smooth paste. Take out all the whole spices before grinding. Put it back to the pan. Add water to get the desired consistency and cook for another couple of minutes.

8. Now add  the garam masala and stir. Cook for a few minutes and then add cream and stir. Add handful of coriander. 

9. Just before serving slit the Spinach Paneer Balls in half and place them over hot tomato gravy. Serve hot with naan, chapati or paratha. Enjoy!

Ninepins by Rosy Thornton

Deep in the Cambridgeshire fens is an old house by the name of Ninepins where lives Laura  with her 12 years old asthmatic daughter, Beth. Laura rents out the pump house, once a fen drainage station to students every year to earn a little extra income. But this year she lets it to a girl named Willow on the recommendation of her social worker, Vince. Willow has a dubious past. Her childhood has been particularly disturbed as her mother, a hippy, had since been suffering from some bi polar disorder. On top of it, Beth who is entering her teens, is falling in the company of wrong girls and has been facing problems at school. She asserts that she is old enough to make her own decisions and seeks no interference in her matters from her mother. The once peaceful life of Laura is crumbling down and she does all she call to keep it intact.

How will Willow and her past influence Laura and Beth's life? How will Laura handle her daughter's demand for independence? There is also some sprinkling of romance in the story but that is always in the sidelines. The story revolves mostly around the 3 female characters as they try to straighten out their lives from a tangle of problems caused by emotions, surroundings and company.

This is the second book I have read of the author and I have realized that characters and landscape play a very important role in her novels. In her previous novel, The Tapestry of Love she brought the French country side vivid in your mind and in this novel you could get a picture of the atmosphere in the Cambridgeshire fens. The beauty of her novels also lies in the well sketched and entirely believable characters. As you read the story you can connect with each characters and empathize with them. I loved Laura's character and could understand her desire to protect her child as she is going a difficult period of age. I could empathize with Willow for all the problems she had faced as a child. All the emotions are heightened by the intricate details of the landscape the story is set in. Above all the author is very meticulous about the treatment of all the relationship portrayed in the story. The tone of the book is gentle yet assertive. But the best part is that the narration is entirely non judgmental. It doesn't judge things and situations as right or wrong, but shows how life takes unexpected turns much to our discomfort. There is even an element of suspense and mystery that makes it an even more compelling and enjoyable read. In a nutshell, Rosy Thornton latest novel, Ninepins explores the dynamics of relationship between a mother and a teenage daughter, complicated by the arrival of a stranger with a troubled past.

Overall, a very good read. A story about love and relationships. It asserts the belief that love alone goes a long way in mending relationship, keeping them intact and bringing harmony in life.

Highly recommended.

I received a review copy from the author.

A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir

Synopsis:

A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir tells the story of two heroines, separated by time, but intriguingly linked by history's most famous murder mystery.

Lady Katherine Grey has already suffered more than her fair share of tragedy. Eight years ago, her older sister, Lady Jane Grey was beheaded for unlawfully accepting a crown that was not hers. Now, in risking all for love, Katherine incurs the worth of her formidable cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, ho sees her as a rival for her insecure throne.

Interlaced with Katherine's story is that of her distant kinswoman, Kate Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of Richard III. Kate loves her father but all is not well in the court, and before long she hears rumors that threaten all she holds dear. Like Katherine Grey, she falls in love with a man forbidden to her. Then she embarks on what will prove to be a dangerous quest, covertly seeking the truth about he fate of her cousins, the Princes in the Tower.

But time is not on Kate's side - or on Katherine's either...

Alison Weir's new novel skillfully mixes fact and fiction, telling a page turning story within the frame work of historical authenticity..

This is the first historical fiction book set in Britain that I have read and I found it really fascinating. Two stories run simultaneously in the novel, with each heroine trying to find the truth about the fate of the Princes in Tower. Kate is interested in their fate to clear her doubts about her father whereas Katherine chances upon some letters by Kate where she writes about her doubts and fears, and becomes intrigued and hence interested in the knowing the fate of the Princes.

Only draw back of the way the novel is written to me was the fact that both heroines were similarly named. It needed my constant effort to keep them separate in my mind. Once it was clear in my head, there was no looking back. The story kept me hooked till the end. I am definitely going to pick up more books by the author.

If you are interested in historical fiction, this is surely a book you should pick.

I received a review copy from the publishers, Random House.

To know more about the author and her works please visit http://alisonweir.org.uk/