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A review by gargi
The Village by the Sea by Anita Desai
5.0
What would you do if you had a permanently bed-ridden mother and a drunkard for a father,with three siblings to look after.
Lila lives with her mother, father and three siblings – Hari, her brother, and Bela and Kamal, her sisters – in the fishing village of Thul, fourteen kilometres from the Metro city of Mumbai, or Bombay as it was called then. Hari, the only son, works everyday to pay off his father’s debts.
Disturbed and agitated by the conditions at his place, Hari runs away to Bombay, leaving behind Lila to take care of their parents and sisters.
Anita Desai beautifully, and in a very simple language, describes the events that follow.
The Village by the Sea is the story of evolution of Lila and Hari into ‘adults’ as they face their family’s predicament. The story has a gentle voice and is very impressive. Desai brilliantly portrays the issues in the village of Thul, doomed for destruction b the advance of industrialisation.
I would recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a simple story of how children become mature before age and take up their family’s responsibilities. It beautifully shows the typical village life in India. It is an Indian fairytale. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.
Lila lives with her mother, father and three siblings – Hari, her brother, and Bela and Kamal, her sisters – in the fishing village of Thul, fourteen kilometres from the Metro city of Mumbai, or Bombay as it was called then. Hari, the only son, works everyday to pay off his father’s debts.
Disturbed and agitated by the conditions at his place, Hari runs away to Bombay, leaving behind Lila to take care of their parents and sisters.
Anita Desai beautifully, and in a very simple language, describes the events that follow.
The Village by the Sea is the story of evolution of Lila and Hari into ‘adults’ as they face their family’s predicament. The story has a gentle voice and is very impressive. Desai brilliantly portrays the issues in the village of Thul, doomed for destruction b the advance of industrialisation.
I would recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a simple story of how children become mature before age and take up their family’s responsibilities. It beautifully shows the typical village life in India. It is an Indian fairytale. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.