A Place Called Home
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Published by Harper Collins India
MRP: Rs. 250/-
Genre: Fiction
No of Pages: 324
Thank you @harpercollinsin for a media copy of the book.
In the book, Alka and her single mother, who dedicated her entire life to working as a maid for Shetty, grew up in a cramped room without a window in the Shetty mansion. There is always a hidden objective when Mrs. Shetty pays for Alka's education from elementary school through college and ensures that she receives an outstanding education. Alka's life was not simple; she endured humiliation due to social class inequalities and was tormented at school. She was annoyed and disgusted by the treatment, so she made the decision to work hard to improve the lives of both her and her mother. She exclusively concentrated on her studies, excelled at them, and was accepted into a reputable university. In college, she made friends, Mansi and Krish, and from here starts the journey of Alka's series of decisions that messed up her life and finally brought her to a place called home.
The narrative jumps back and forth in time and is similar to Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style. Alka is currently troubled by gloomy thoughts. The man she once loved has returned, and Alka is unsure of his intentions. To make matters worse or better, her spouse is aware of her secret. Her struggle against her haunting past will determine if she is able to survive.
As for my thoughts on the book? I honestly don’t know if I have any. I generally do not read books of this genre much from contemporary authors, and if I have to put it in a sentence I’d say it’s a breath of fresh air from what I generally read. I do disagree with the author in some places , like Subbu is shown as a religious patriarchal fanatic, who is “villainized” in a way, and while I do agree that such people do exist, this creates a narrative that all religious/indigenous people are very patriarchal.
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