Lead Review (Nectar in a Sieve)

• Book: Nectar in a Sieve
• Location: India
• Author: Kamala Markandaya

Review Author: tripfiction

This novel was first published in 1954, just 6 years after the author’s arrival in London. She was 30 at the time it was written, and the emotional rendering of her characters belies her age, as the characters and their plight are painted with subtlety and insight. It was translated into 17 languages and is still studied in schools and colleges across India and the USA.

This is the story of Rukmani, who is given to Nathan in marriage when she is very young, and her quiet determination to make the most of life – such as it is – is something that carries her through the years. Theirs is a hand-to-mouth existence, dependant on the land (growing rice and other vegetables and collecting dung) and when the climate lets them down, (either no rain or too much rain) their crops fail and they are left to scrape a living as best they can. The two co-exist in relative harmony as the years pass.

Children eventually arrive for the couple, and, although the building and opening of a tannery nearby is hailed as a positive factor in the lives of the locals, it soon become apparent that money and power are inevitably going to the win the day. There is a sobering inevitability about the trajectory of their lives, as they face exploitation and natural catastrophes. Their daughter Ira is married off but remains barren for the duration of her marriage and their sons try all manner of work to eke out a living. At one point Rukmani and Nathan make a trip to a large city (probably Mysore), which is beyond their range of experience; there they temporarily seek succour in a temple and have their worldly belongings stolen. They find the ways of city life incredible challenging.

The author’s writing style is taut and there isn’t a single extraneous word. It feels like each sentence has been carefully crafted, which makes this universal story such a rich and rewarding reading experience. It resonates with time and place and still has relevance in today’s world.

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