Ratings4
Average rating4.1
All of Kali and Ponna's efforts to conceive a child - from prayers to penance, potions to pilgrimages - have been in vain. Despite being in a loving and sexually satisfying relationship, they are relentlessly hounded by the taunts and insinuations of the people around them. Ultimately, all their hopes and apprehensions come to converge on the chariot festival in the temple of the half-female god Ardhanareeswara and the revelry surrounding it. Everything hinges on the one night when rules are relaxed and consensual union between any man and woman is sanctioned. This night could end the couple's suffering and humiliation. But it will also put their marriage to the ultimate test. Acutely observed, One Part Woman lays bare with unsparing clarity a relationship caught between the dictates of social convention and the tug of personal anxieties, vividly conjuring an intimate and unsettling portrait of marriage, love and sex.
Reviews with the most likes.
I picked up this book because I noticed the absolute lack of Indian Literature in my reading list. As an Indian, I wanted to see what authors from my home could offer, and I was not disappointed. The story was emotionally gripping and the amount of themes it tackles is impressive. I really felt for the characters and their plight. The ending in particular was heartbreaking.
Highly recommend to anyone interested in reading modern Indian literature.