Publication
Faber & Faber (2006), 272 pages
Collections
Genres
Subjects
Description
When their traditional business - selling saris - is increasingly sidelined by the new fashion for jeans and stitched salwar kameez, the Banwari Lal family must adapt. But instead of branching out, the sons remain apprenticed to the struggling shop and the daughters are confined to the family home. As envy and suspicion grip parents and children alike, the need for escape - whether through illicit love or in the making of pickles or the search for education - becomes ever stronger. Very human and hugely engaging, Home is a masterful novel of the acts of kindness, compromise and secrecy that lie at the heart of every family.
User reviews
LibraryThing member mariamreza
Kapur writes in a direct, lucid style with generous use of Indian English idioms to give an authentic feel to the dialogues. Her characters and the situations that confront them are grounded in reality.
Unfortunately though the plot development seems to reinforce rather than challenge the idea that
Spoiler alert:
There are also some passages about sexual encounters involving a minor which are uncomfortably long.
Unfortunately though the plot development seems to reinforce rather than challenge the idea that
Show More
a woman's happiness depends on having a husband, children and a large extended family. Feminists will probably not enjoy this book.Spoiler alert:
There are also some passages about sexual encounters involving a minor which are uncomfortably long.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bookslifenmore
The book is about a large joint family in Delhi and the main focus is on Two sisters and their journey. The book traces the lives of the 2nd generation in their family but main focus being the female protagonist...Nisha (daughter of one of the sisters)....What makes this book worth reading is the
Show More
reality....reality of an average human being....however good we might be but there always is a bit of selfishness in each of us which lurkes in the background and comes on forefront with circumstances......The book very beautifully shows the closeness and destructive limitations of Indian family values. Its shows how much we might claim of being advanced but their are limitations in our thinking....Even Now having a son is considered better than having a daughter....the book also beautifully captures the differences which exist in our society as far as caste et all are concerned.....respect in society is more important than the happiness of our own family... The story also has instances with which u’ll relate to immediately but we never discuss them out in open.....The book is worth a read.....it made me buy another book of this author.....hoping that this will also be as interesting a read.... Show Less
LibraryThing member Cariola
Home tells the story of a middle class merchant family, the Banwari Lals, who specialize in the creation and sale of saris and and other traditional Indian garb. The story begins when Sona, the beautiful teenage daughter of another merchant family of somewhat lesser standing, enters the store with
The first half of [Home] focuses on Sona's adjustment to living with her in-laws and, later, the other sons' new wives and children. As the only childless wife, she is forced to "mother" Vicky, son of her husband's sister whose unhappy marriage ended when she burned to death in a suspicious "cooking accident." Sona dislikes the boy because he is dark-skinned and sullen, and Vicky isn't treated much better by the rest of the family. When Sona finally gives birth, Vicky is more or less left on his own. At this point, the book shifts attention to her daughter, Nisha, a beautiful child who (for reasons left unstated here) falls victim to violent nightmares and is sent to live with her aunt, Rupa, and her husband, who care for her as if she were her own child. As she reaches adulthood, Nisha's longing to be a modern woman clashes with her family's traditional values.
The book started out slowly slowly for me, and I had a hard time empathizing with Sona and her many complaints. Things got better when Nisha was the focus, but unfortunately, the ending was a real disappointment, one that I wasn't expecting and that knocked my rating down by a full point. On the positive side, Home provided some insight into traditional Indian families and their values and how both are being forced to adapt to social change.
Show More
her mother, and the eldest Banwari Lal son falls immediately in love with her. Reluctantly, his family agrees to arrange a marriage. Theirs is a love match, and the couple are happily married with one not-so-small problem: after 10 years, Sona has been unable to conceive. Her sister Rupa is in the same situation.The first half of [Home] focuses on Sona's adjustment to living with her in-laws and, later, the other sons' new wives and children. As the only childless wife, she is forced to "mother" Vicky, son of her husband's sister whose unhappy marriage ended when she burned to death in a suspicious "cooking accident." Sona dislikes the boy because he is dark-skinned and sullen, and Vicky isn't treated much better by the rest of the family. When Sona finally gives birth, Vicky is more or less left on his own. At this point, the book shifts attention to her daughter, Nisha, a beautiful child who (for reasons left unstated here) falls victim to violent nightmares and is sent to live with her aunt, Rupa, and her husband, who care for her as if she were her own child. As she reaches adulthood, Nisha's longing to be a modern woman clashes with her family's traditional values.
The book started out slowly slowly for me, and I had a hard time empathizing with Sona and her many complaints. Things got better when Nisha was the focus, but unfortunately, the ending was a real disappointment, one that I wasn't expecting and that knocked my rating down by a full point. On the positive side, Home provided some insight into traditional Indian families and their values and how both are being forced to adapt to social change.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0571228410 / 9780571228416
Physical description
272 p.; 5.31 inches
Pages
272