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Other Waters
She hopes that a trip to India for a family wedding, along with her best friend Heidi, will help her to remove this curse by confronting Parvati face-to-face. Although the encounter does not go as expected, Maya feels that the curse has finally been lifted when she takes a dip in the 'holy yet filthy' waters of Ganga. Eleni N. Gage's debut novel manages to successfully portray the struggle of trying to balance the two cultures that one is part of. Questions regarding one's identity are inevitably raised, leading to a dilemma of sorts. Knowing that one belongs to both cultures, yet does not fit fully into either of them can be a confusing experience. However, Maya, the lead character, manages to deal with this inherent problem splendidly. The novel is divided into three parts. Part one is rather confusing, and cannot be devoured in a single sitting. The curse that befalls the family is introduced in the first few chapters, and that is when tragedy after tragedy follows, leading one to believe that one is instead reading the script of an Indian soap. Although, the narrative is smooth-flowing, it seems like the author is trying too hard to flaunt her knowledge of Indian culture, myths and folklore. This braggadocio becomes a tad overpowering as the novel progresses. Part two focuses on Maya's trip to India. The novel becomes exuberant as both Maya and Heidi explore the different sides of India. However, it is in part three when the novel finally picks up pace and becomes ‘unputdownable’. That is when Maya finally begins to take stock of the reality around her, and accepts things for what they are and not for what they should be. It is surprising to learn that Maya is a resident in psychiatry since she herself is so obsessed with the curse. She lets her family dictate her life, including the decision of finding a suitable mate for herself. Maya is depicted as going through the full range of emotions. She tends to get a tad over-dramatic at times, but in the end she manages to make some tough decisions and get her life in order. All the characters in the book have been developed beautifully. It is easy to relate to Maya’s immigrant parents, and certain situations that she lands up in. The author seems to have done her research about Indian households. Heidi plays her role perfectly as Maya's best friend. All in all, if you have the patience to read the first half of the book, you will definitely find yourself rewarded by the time you finish it. If nothing else, you'll at least end up being fully knowledgeable about Indian culture.
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Other
Waters is a story of Maya, a born-and-raised American woman with
Indian-origin parents. Her enviable life, a residency in psychiatry, a
loving family and a supportive boyfriend, is shattered when her
grandmother dies in India. Leaving her distressed beyond words, this
loss affects Maya and her family in more ways than one. Her
grandmother's long-time maidservant, Parvati, curses the whole family
with ill consequences. This sets in motion a series of events that are
nothing short of tragic. One by one, each member of the family is
affected, leading the modern and educated Maya to believe that the
curse is for real.