It's Hard To Run In A Sari

The story is set in Kerala of 1950s. Lakshmi is raised in an ultraconservative household. She was devoted to her family inspite of them denying her education in a good college. All it took was a letter from Hanif for her family to discontinue her education and get her married off hastily (after stockpiling dowry, of course). Hanif soon moves to the Gulf countries in search of a job.
Lakshmi's married life (or the lack of it), the trials and tribulations she faces as a woman with an ominous astrological report, Hanif's struggles in the foreign land form the rest of the story. Will they ever find their happily ever after, in a country where a woman can't even study by her will, let alone marry outside her religion is for you to read.

The way the story flows is perfect leaving no reason to pause. The author delves into how women are reduced to mere objects and marriage system has hitherto been unfair towards them.

Each female character in the story is uniquely crafted with so much care be it Lakshmi, her mother Nalini, her Ammamma (grandmother) or her teacher Shailaja.

The english in the book is not too complex. The author uses a lot of Malayalam in the book and rightly so for getting the emotions. Nevertheless, the english translation is right there.

The book has all the South-Indian flavor, be it the food, rituals, attires or festivals.

The book is engaging till the absolutely last word. I would recommend it to everyone.

I received this book copy from the author and I'm posting a review voluntarily.

It took me a long time to get into the writing in this book and the authors wriritng style, although some of that may have been lost in translation maybe. However i was completely won over by the atory that was so heartwarming and really enjoyable.

An interesting take on the culture and customs in Kerala, India and the love of two people from different faiths. I particularly welcomed the translations from Hindi to English which provided useful detail for expressions and the dishes served in India. The style of writing is relaxed and it’s easy to become immersed in the plight of Lakshmi as she enters maturity and fights against prejudice and ostracism during the years following India’s Independence. Fortunately to some degree, modern society has become more tolerant to marriages of mixed faith and races, but to a degree among the ‘old school’ this has not been totally eradicated. Only by taking a stand, bitter determination and guts, did Lakshmi and Hanif Mohamed finally get their reward for a happy life together.

My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read and submit a review for this novel.

This book was an okay read.. I was pumped up to read this one owing to its origina in the Indian mainland. Unfortunately, that also became my main cause of disassociation with the book.

My main concern lies with the writing style and character portrayal. The book uses words from local language (Malayalam) too frequently. What ends up happening is that there is a substantial pause in reading when you try and put the meaning of the word into the context of what's being said.

Additionally, while I am happy with women being at the centre of the story, I again felt disassociated because it's focuses too much on the concept of women and their state in the society rather than the story.

All in all, a happy one time read

Thanks for the copy Netgalley.

This story takes place in Kerala, India in the 1950's. A Muslim boy and a Hindu girl that were both raised in traditional, conservative families were in the same class at school. They had a mutual attraction to each other but the only communication that they were allowed to have to say a few words in passing in the hall or outside as they left school. They did not tell anyone of their attraction. Her best friend would say negative things about him, and she did not tell of her attraction. Occasionally he would hide in a wooded area on her way home from school and they could chat for a few minutes. The Indian economy at that time was in shambles. Faced with the hardships, people withdrew into tight cocoons with people of their same religious and social status. Even inter caste Hindu marriages were unacceptable. At that time, there were very strict rules about the parents making marriage alliances with the girls having little say in the matter. One day the boy bravely gave her a love letter which she hid under her pillow. He younger brother found the letter and gave it to their parents. This changed the lives of both the boy and girl. She was forced into an unhappy marriage with a Hindu boy and he left the country to make money in a more prosperous nation. This is a good book that I recommend.

I became fully invested in Lakshmi's story in "It's Hard to Run in a Sari". Just when nothing seems to be going right for Lakshmi in 1950s Kerala with her conservative family, there is a truly heartwarming ending. I really enjoyed the exploration of food, language and customs of the time, and appreciated the sneak peek into the building of Dubai into the cosmopolitan centre it is, off the backs of immigrant labourers.

As I was reading this book, I had to keep telling myself, that I grew up in the west, so I had to change my thoughts and perspectives when reading. This was such an emotional read that I did not want to put down. Lakshmi's story is one of heartbreak, tragedy and eventually triumph. I really enjoyed this story and especially loved reading about the culture.

I received a copy of the book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.