Lead Review (A Person Is a Prayer)
- Book: A Person is a Prayer
- Location: Haridwar
- Author: Ammar Kalia
3.5*
This is the story of a family, commencing in March 1955, when Bedi is walking to meet his potential wife – Sushma – who has been singled out for him. The languorous descriptions of his journey to her family’s home are beautifully drawn and that is where the author excels throughout the narrative.
The story then moves to subsequent generations, underlining all the while the theme of belonging. Immigrants to the UK from the Indian subcontinent do the best they can to acclimatise and integrate but when the younger ones return to their family’s homeland, it feels akin to being a tourist in a foreign land. Bedi and Sushma’s children find themselves in India with their father’s ashes, navigating the processes of culture, death and the Ganges.
The story is told over six decades and the author chooses just 3 days to focus in on the family dynamics. It is very well written, evocative of place but perhaps left me feeling slightly down and heavy-hearted given the hiccups in communication, yet the storytelling is balanced by moments of humour and great observation.
A novel that would be of interest to readers who like Kamala Markandaya’s writing.
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