Oleander Girl: A Novel

The loveliest book I've ever read .... Really good print .... Book came out well... Beautifully written...my most favorite book in the world

J'adore les romans de Divakaruni. J'aime ce "choc des cultures" entre Inde traditionnelle et USA. Et encore une fois , j'ai été "happée" par cette histoire de secret de famille à travers 2 continents.

Korobi has never known her mother who named her after the beautiful but poisonous oleander. She often wonders what this mix of the enticing and the deadly had prompted her mother to name her. After all, many people avoid this plant for fear of a child chewing on it causing great tragedy. Raised by traditional grandparents, she is engaged to a man from a modern, progressive family. Even within the warmth of her love, Korobi is insecure. Early in the novel, a secret is revealed, propelling her to travel to America to find answers. I don't want to spoil the plot. Divakaruni handles great emotion with understated, calm language. At first, the juxtaposition put me off, but I came to find this style enhancing of the cultural story. Certainly times of deep crisis are portrayed; crises deepened by the family's deep sense of tradition. The main characters are well portrayed in phrases that allow us access to their private and public selves. A deep sense of privacy on the part of Korubi's grandparents inform an important part of the plot. However I admit that my favorite character is Pia, Rajat's younger sister and future sister in law to Korobi. She spirited and naive in the way that the loving can be. Her more relaxed view of the world allows her to celebrate the union with great joy. The culture of India that has shaped these characters, has become in itself a character in this book. I quite enjoyed the levels of society revealed in this novel. The same world surrounds us all, but ways of our minds decide how the world is admitted to ourselves. This book is a wonderful route to understanding one way of being a person. And we come to know why Korobi is named for the beautiful but deadly oleander.

le produit est conforme à la description et en bon état. effectivement les coins sont abimés mais rien de choquant.

This manages to be a real page-turner and raises deeper issues too about modern India and its past. Thoroughly enjoyable .