Published : 2021 || Format : print || Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the story of her family through the other protagonist, El
Title: Climbing the StairsAuthor: Padma Venkatraman
First Published: May 2008
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: Library | Thank you Susan for recommending me this book! | I read this book for the Women Unbound Challenge.
247 pages
I really loved this book so much that I couldn't stop myself from writing a slightly long review. But then I've rated this WOW, so that's justification enough.
I think...
"Amma," I said tentatively. "I don't want to get married."
"What, Vidya kanna?" Amma said anxiously.
"I mean, I don't want to get married until I finish school," I said nervously.
Amma's expression cleared a little. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure we can wait a little longer. After all, girls are getting married much later these days. Even seventeen is not considered too old anymore."
In a few minutes, Vidya's life is transformed. Just moments ago, her father promised her proudly that he would send her to college. Bliss was rapidly followed by shock and tragedy, as Vidya witnessed her father's assault. Venkat was reduced to a severely mentally ill person, with no control of his mental faculties.
He became what the others derogatorily called "idiot".
Padma Venkatraman has woven a masterful novel, with very vivid characters, realistic actions and believable situations. The first quarter of the book reveals Vidya's life in Bombay with her parents, her brother, Kitta and her dog, Raja. She has a typical teenager's life, although she occasionally worried about the World War 2 and the protests within her own country. The setting is truly Indian, with many common customs lacing their everyday lives. In India, there is usually one religious festival each month. Traditional homes duly gear up for the festivities every month, and once that month's celebrations were over, they start preparing for the next festival.
After Venkat is disabled, Vidya's family returns to Madras, to stay with Venkat's family.
Vidya faces some of her biggest challenges at Madras, as she tries to battle the age-old beliefs that her family had managed to liberate itself from but were still prevalent back home. Her relatives do not fail to mask their disgust at Venkat's disability. Vidya does not like the school she attends, where she is almost vilified because her father is sick. We come across a mindset that evaluates a family according to the father's occupation. Occasionally, though, I found it unbelievable that someone would ridicule a child because her father is ill. There are rude people, but most of them know to keep their condemning remarks to themselves. Vidya's cousin, Malathi, who attends the same school, doesn't bother to support Vidya, but instead laughs with the others. Malathi is the epitome of a girl who wants to get married and brags about it saying she was "chosen" (by the groom). Soon as her marriage is fixed, she wants to stop going to school, and her parents are even proud of her for that.
"My place is with my husband's family," amma said flatly. "A married woman must stay at her husband's home."
The second half of Climbing the Stairs is a poignant description of life in a traditional Indian household. The women folk sleep downstairs while the men folk sleep upstairs. They usually get to meet only during mealtimes. There is only one other bedroom in the house, which the couples take turns to use. When food is served, the men have their fill first. The women eat second.*
*I hate to say that this custom still persists. I have had long arguments on how useless this particular custom is. I can't say I managed to change anyone, but I made sure I always ate first, even with the men if need be, deliberately oblivious to any angry glances I ever got my way. I'm sure that's the wrong way to do it, since it smacks of disrespect, in others' eyes. But of course, people are more accepting nowadays, so they just attribute it to a "child"'s arrogance and ignorance.
When Vidya realizes that she has no avenue for learning in the house, because of the tons of chores that are cast her way, she asks her grandfather for permission to use the upstairs library, where no woman has set foot before. She breaks an unwritten rule in the process but she gets what she asks for. The simple journey to the library, reached by "climbing the stairs", sets in motion an incredible saga that transforms Vidya in so many ways. Vidya is an amazing character. She has oodles of dreams and doesn't want to be dependent on any one. She manages to break free of the conservative mold that envelopes every other woman in her household and does not fail to ask for what she wants. I loved her!
It's been almost a week since I read this book, and I still can't stop raving enough about it. There is so much more that I want to say, but then I would have to write another post. What I appreciated the most about the book is that it is truly Indian. I had previously read mostly books about Indian immigrants, whose life is as different as possible from a resident Indian. I have read reviews where the readers were bothered by the verbal cruelty between the characters. Believe me, been there, done that. I have had a family friend, of all people, who pinched my cheeks real bad because her daughter would pick an argument with me. I can safely say that the customs and behaviors described are quite accurate, to the best of my knowledge.
But I have to warn that there are plenty of references to Indian customs and festivals, without giving much information about them. So if you are not very familiar with the Indian culture, you can get a bit lost. If you don't mind looking up references once in a while, which is how we sometimes read books set in a country we are not familiar with, then I strongly suggest that you try this. Climbing the Stairs is geared towards the YA audience, but can be enjoyed by anyone, since the themes addressed are universal.
What did you think?
Have you read this book? I'd like to know what you thought about it. Please leave your review link in the comments, or a brief opinion, if you hadn't reviewed it.
Did you love it or were you bothered by anything in or about the book?
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Comments
And even when we go to family parties now in the US, the kids eat first, and then the men, and then the women. Now in India, it seems guests eat with the men, but I still wish everyone could just get food at the same time! Well, that is if there is enough space for everyone to eat.
Nadia, really, isn't that custom ridiculous? I wish the menfolk would once, just once, tell the women to sit down first and eat, and then only they would eat. I am glad though that the current generation doesn't bother with this silly practice.
Kathy, do let me know how you find it once you read it! :)
Care, you are welcome!
Helen, this will just be the book then! It's a breeze read that you can't put down at all!
Juju, thanks!
Aarti, I hadn't heard of this book either until a few weeks ago. I am glad that it came to my attention! When I see the women hosts stand and serve food to those eating first (usually the men), it makes me feel so miserable! Which era are we in now? Even with no slavery anymore, certain practices have subtly remained!
Diane, you should Diane! Can't wait to see what you think!
Emidy, I'm sure you will too!
Stephanie, I would suggest The Namesake for an idea about Indian-American life, especially for the first generation immigrants. As for books based in India, I haven't read many (I'm embarrassed to admit that), but some that I would suggest based on other recommendations are A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi, The God of Small things by Arundhati Roy, Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth.
Ash, Lisa, you should try this one! It's amazing!
It is sad that some customs are still being taught and enforced. At one family gathering last year I and some female relatives were asked to serve the food to the (mostly male) guests. There weren't enough of us to do this so they had me go and get a couple of younger female cousins. The girls were hanging out watching TV with the boys in the basement but the boys got to stay down there and do nothing while the girls had to come help. What kind of message does that send to those girls? That it is their duty to serve men. Ugh. The guys should have been helping to carry around the heavy trays of food!
Good for you that you eat at the same time as the men!
Martha, I was all WOW during the whole time I was reading it!