Everything Was Good-Bye
By Gurjinder Basran
This novel takes place in the lower mainland, including Surrey, Delta, and Vancouver, so a familiar setting. It's the story of a young Punjabi woman and how she negotiates her identity, living between tradition and western culture. She falls in love with a white man, but she ends up following tradition and accepting an arranged marriage. Her marriage is loveless, her husband selfish and abusive, and he is infertile so the couple cannot have children.
Meena ends up having an affair with her former white lover and she gets pregnant. She finally leaves her husband, has the baby, and eventually reunites with her lover. In an unfortunate twist of fate, her ex and her lover meet at a wedding, and her lover falls to his death after being pushed over a balcony by her ex.
Well written, but tragic.
Rating: 4/5
Recommendation: An interesting look at negotiating Punjabi culture in contemporary Vancouver, and how tradition still dictates the lives of women, often to their detriment.
No comments:
Post a Comment