Before We Visit the Goddess – Something to Remind Ourselves this Puja Season

 

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a prolific Indian American writer, who excels in writing about the Indian diaspora experience, as well as value and gender conflicts within society. She juxtaposes the dynamics of the Indian value system with the pull of western sensibilities, suggesting that these two need not be in conflict.

Her books have sensitively explored female relationships, especially the mother-daughter relationship. Her best works have been 'One Amazing Thing', 'Arranged Marriage and Other Short Stories', 'Queen of Dreams, 'Oleander Girl', and 'A Palace of Illusions'. “Independence” her latest has been topping popularity charts across India and the US.

I particularly enjoyed her “Before We Visit the Goddess” (published in 2018), and let me tell you why.

The Story: 

The novel encapsulates the story of three generations of women - Savitri, the matriarch and fledgling entrepreneur in post-independence India, Bela, her daughter who eloped to the foreign shores of America, and Tara, the America-born granddaughter, a disillusioned, broken young girl, dealing with her demons.

If Tara is an errant daughter, so is Bela, her mother. It is she who appeals to her estranged mother in India, to drill some sense into her errant daughter. Isn’t that typical of generational conflict?

Each woman is dealing with her own hell, is flawed and willful to a fault. Yet, they are people you identify with, whom you have met in your life at some time, who evolve with time and experience.

Weaving the narratives in a seamless whole, is the story that moves back and forth in time, highlighting the thrills of independence and self-discovery in the women, along with the ache of separation and loneliness. The theme is at once universal and eternal.

The women from three generations are so relatable – the pre-independence born Savitri, struggling to find an identity for herself beyond wife and mother; Bela, her attention-deprived daughter, who doesn't lose faith in love despite being jilted; and Tara, her America-born granddaughter, who yearns to find her roots, something that connects her to her Indianness, despite her couldn't-care-less attitude.

Divakaruni’s assured handling of the setting of the story, whether it is in a Bengal village, in Assam or in Kolkata, or in San Francisco or Texas, transports the reader to her universe. She deals with sensitive issues like the struggle for sexual identity, same-sex relationships, domestic strife, generational trauma deftly in this book.

My Takeaway:

Relationships forged by emotions and love are far stronger than blood ties, as we see in the book. Educational background, or difference of upbringing do not come in the way of solid friendships like those of Bipin Behari and Savitri, Bela and Ken, Tara and Mrs. Mehta, or Tara and Professor G.

In the letter written by Savitri, she concludes with the unforgettable line, "This was something I had achieved by myself, without having to depend on anyone. No one can take this away…" while referring to her self-made sweet making business.

Isn’t that what the Devi Durga stands for – the inner strength and individuality of every woman?

A Note about the Book: This one is not for the casual reader who loves froth and easy reads. The novel encourages serious bouts of self-searching and introspection.