The Swing by Isha Merchant
E book
Genre Fictional emotional story based on true events
Rating- 5/5 The first novel gets some liberal encouragement! Deservedly so!
A simple bed time story told by the much loved matriarch of the family turns into a page turner which starts simply enough but gets on to a serious theme soon!
Just like the song Sultans of Swing, the Swing though a part of the story comes only much later and then gets left behind only to form an integral part of the story by its absence!
The story is of a young girl in the pre independence era of half education and early marriage! The free spirited girl is whisked away from her house and married to another which she makes it her own and how!
The standard mother in law (in this case sister in law!) treatment and support from the guys of the household!
All this is happening when the country is undergoing the turmoil of partition and a new country is being formed. Luckily the author just scathes the surface of the partition horror which has been confessed by the her in the end.
Being on the other side of the country is not easy since the choice is literally between the devil and the deep sea!
The challenges faced by the young girl who later on becomes a young woman and finally the elderly respected lady of the house has been told with an emotional touch.
In simple language reminiscent of R K Narayan and with the added advantage of having heard the stories first hand, the author spins a tale of emotions! The pages move effortlessly without much complications or confusion. This is not a soap, just a straightforward retelling of stories heard by the author based on true events.
The best thing about the novel is its universal appeal that anyone of any age group can read and still relate to the events in the novel.
As she says in the end, Padma and her family was lucky.
For a first time author this is a great attempt and deserves a read. Go for it!
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