June 19, 2014

Time 11 a.m. to 12.15 p.m.

Residence of:             Ila Kaji

  When the Lotus Blooms 

by Kanchana Krishnan Ayyar

This novel follows the lives of two child brides, of two Brahmin families, in 1930s British Colonial India. Rajam, who battles with the inability to conceive, and Dharmu, who struggles with the strain of adapting to her westernized husband’s lifestyle. The blooming of the lotus has a special significance to both families.

From East Bengal to Tamil Nadu, Kanchana covers the rich landscape and diversity of India, while highlighting the universal circumstances of women and their struggle to seek happiness in a patriarchal world.

Book for July: The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez

Maya Merchant                                                         Elizabeth Milne

Vidya Srinivas                                                            Elizabeth Milne