Just finished The Toss of a lemon by Padma Viswanathan. And I haven't enjoyed a book and been touched by it so much in a long, long while. Last time I felt this way it was 2005 and I'd just read Salman Rushdie's Shame. But this book affected me differently...I could relate to it in so many tiny, little, different ways that I found myself nodding vigorously, or laughing or shaking my head in resignation as I read. In case I haven't made myself clear, a bond was forged, we connected, the book and I.
This book brought back so many memories. Of childhood summers in Mayavaram. Of daily visits to the local temple, a small little cubby hole of a temple it was, served by a small little man I only knew as kurukkal. Of helping my Tatha pluck flowers for his daily pooja from the garden. Of sitting by my Tatha as he did his daily pooja and waiting for the naivediyam, so I could eat! Of the sweet, sweet smell of Jasmine that grew on the terrace, where I lingered on sultry evenings to escape the heat of the power cuts that ravaged us. Of afternoon story time with Tatha (he told wonderful stories and took pains to vary them and read up new ones for me) and coconut trees in the backyard, and cycle rickshaw trips to town. Because the author has captured the essence of a small village in Tamil Nadu, and a Brahmin household so beautifully that I can't help but remember.
Mostly though, the protagonist in this book, Sivakami, reminds me of my Lakshmi paati. My maternal grandmother. She wears madisar, follows madi-aacharam, yechal-pathu, and until recently didn't eat food cooked by anyone but herself. She also brought up five kids, and one grandchild. She followed all the rules associated with being "out of the house" 3 days a month..something I resented as a 13 year old. She never forgets birthdays or anniversaries. And she has the quiet inner strength that Sivakami has. She's made of something more than I will ever be. She has courage, resilience, tenacity, and a generous, loving heart occupied in equal portions by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And she believes in feeding people well...one of Sivakami's most enduring qualities!
Oh, this book brought back so many memories of days long gone and reminded me of the people I love the most, and don't call often enough! It has been a rare and most enjoyable treat.
This book brought back so many memories. Of childhood summers in Mayavaram. Of daily visits to the local temple, a small little cubby hole of a temple it was, served by a small little man I only knew as kurukkal. Of helping my Tatha pluck flowers for his daily pooja from the garden. Of sitting by my Tatha as he did his daily pooja and waiting for the naivediyam, so I could eat! Of the sweet, sweet smell of Jasmine that grew on the terrace, where I lingered on sultry evenings to escape the heat of the power cuts that ravaged us. Of afternoon story time with Tatha (he told wonderful stories and took pains to vary them and read up new ones for me) and coconut trees in the backyard, and cycle rickshaw trips to town. Because the author has captured the essence of a small village in Tamil Nadu, and a Brahmin household so beautifully that I can't help but remember.
Mostly though, the protagonist in this book, Sivakami, reminds me of my Lakshmi paati. My maternal grandmother. She wears madisar, follows madi-aacharam, yechal-pathu, and until recently didn't eat food cooked by anyone but herself. She also brought up five kids, and one grandchild. She followed all the rules associated with being "out of the house" 3 days a month..something I resented as a 13 year old. She never forgets birthdays or anniversaries. And she has the quiet inner strength that Sivakami has. She's made of something more than I will ever be. She has courage, resilience, tenacity, and a generous, loving heart occupied in equal portions by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And she believes in feeding people well...one of Sivakami's most enduring qualities!
Oh, this book brought back so many memories of days long gone and reminded me of the people I love the most, and don't call often enough! It has been a rare and most enjoyable treat.
