Written by contributor Kajree Gautom
A compelling new story from debut author Saumya Dave, spanning across three generations, Well-Behaved Indian Women is definitely a strong tale of love, dreams, and above all, family. Simran Mehta has never felt true appreciation from her mother, and feels like whatever she does will never be enough. Her mother had quietly dismissed her writing career, calling it a mere ‘writing hobby’. Growing up away from India hasn’t really barred her from the constrictions that come with being Indian and the author portrayed it so well through Simran’s character. This can be seen in the ways how she had to hide her relationship from her parents during her school years just because it was seen as a distraction, how she was compelled to look for a high faring job that was respected and seen as important, and to how there is so much pressure to be perfect and well behaved, to be a lady. As an Indian myself, I could relate to Simran’s character in a lot of ways, and that is something that I really relished about this book.
Simran is also engaged to her long-term boyfriend, but things start to fall apart after her run-in with a respected journalist, Neil Desai. She starts to question her dreams and schooling, and wonder if she is doing the right thing after all. While Simran is a strong character, I did feel that at times she acted out of childish instincts. Her arguments with her fiancé and mother were very silly, and sometimes she did stretch them. Simran feeling the pressure to do well and prove to her parents is such a real emotion shown, the way she was moulded into a role to play and act on. I did wish that we could have seen more of her time in school, her studying psychology and how the thoughts of self-doubt seeped in. There was a time when the emotions simply jumped from one to the other with not much smooth transition.
Nandini, Simran’s mother, on the other hand, feels like she is failing as a mother and constantly judges if she is doing the right thing. A mother’s love is not always full of sunshine and roses, and I think the author showed this really well. Nandini is often paranoid and loud at times, amongst other things, and worries too much, which frequently leads to several conflicts in between the family. Through Nandini’s character, one could see a glimpse of the thoughts and emotions that goes inside a mother’s mind, the dozens of doubtful questions and the utter weight to do better, to make sure that things always go right. Nandini wasn’t the perfect mother but you could see that she loved truly and dearly. This love wasn’t simply told in words, but rather shown in simple and subtle acts. Simran’s relationship with her parents wasn’t entirely close and yet, the love was there. I did wish the author had shown a little more of the friendship between Simran, Sheila and Vishal though; I would have loved to see more scenes with them together.
“People always blamed the mother when the kids weren’t doing well.” This particular quote really manages to bring out the intense life of being a mother, especially in a judgemental Indian society – the way the society is always so eager to judge the mother when things go wrong, the way society always pinpoints. Nandini did portray a typical Indian mother with her own secrets, but her thoughts and emotions were something that I’m sure most women would relate to. It is also true that after marriage, so much sacrifice comes about on the plate of a women and I think this element was truly well done in the book. The author managed to reflect on the biased gender roles that still prevails, and how it falls as a weight on the person, more often the women. The story also has themes of the supposed gender roles that society compels one to play, like the way a woman is deemed to behave in a marriage which is different than what is expected of a man. All of these themes were portrayed and touched upon in this book in a relevant and terrific way.
There were, however, certain aspects of the story that I did not particularly enjoy. For one, I felt like the story dragged a lot in the middle and thus, lost some of its flow. There were plotlines that weren’t totally necessary, which I think somewhat drove me away from the reading pace for a while. And at other times, the arguments and disagreements all seem to come back to a full circle. It felt like the author wanted to show how relationships weren’t easy and that arguments and fights were a common occurrence, which was really a good topic to touch upon, but at times it felt unnecessary and stretched. The author also tried to touch on the aspect of mental health, but it wasn’t thorough and very much forgotten later. I would have loved it if she had delved more into the character’s mental health, instead of having simply stating it.
In saying this, that was another problem that bothered me throughout the book. I felt at times, there was a lot of telling rather than showing that did make the reading a tad boring. Although the author tried to give us readers a little knowledge about Indian customs and rituals, some of these were simply stated and explained, which, to my dismay, seemed like info-dumping and I couldn’t help but skim through.
There was a lot happening at the end, and the story pace got a bit over the place. Simran was undergoing self-doubt, as well as Nandini, while she was trying to grasp the future of her job prospect and family. All of these were happening together, and seemed to overlap a little at points. However, despite it, I think this story has good representation of Indian cultures and traditions, of the rules that society unknowingly puts upon you, and the utter gravity to be that perfect women.
The end was a lovely, bittersweet one. Although we can predict it right from the beginning, the way that the author led up to that was a great journey. I loved that Simran learned to stand up for herself, for her dreams, and what her heart desired. There wasn’t much growth, but the characters did seem to learn from their own experiences and mistakes, and that was a good message.
Overall, Well-Behaved Indian Women is a stellar novel about compassion, about following and realising your dreams, and never being afraid of being yourself. There were so many aspects and elements of this book that spoke to me and related very well. The story is both intense and fun, woven with immense emotions and reflections on real life. With impeccable writing and a strong story about being an Indian woman, taking control of our dreams while staying true to our roots, this story is heartwarming and sure to resonate with you in one way or the other.
Well-Behaved Indian Women is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Simran Mehta has always felt harshly judged by her mother, Nandini, especially when it comes to her little “writing hobby.” But when a charismatic and highly respected journalist careens into Simran’s life, she begins to question not only her future as a psychologist, but her engagement to her high school sweetheart.
Nandini Mehta has strived to create an easy life for her children in America. From dealing with her husband’s demanding family to the casual racism of her patients, everything Nandini has endured has been for her children’s sake. It isn’t until an old colleague makes her a life-changing offer that Nandini realizes she’s spent so much time focusing on being the Perfect Indian Woman, she’s let herself slip away.
Mimi Kadakia failed her daughter, Nandini, in ways she’ll never be able to fix—or forget. But with her granddaughter, she has the chance to be supportive and offer help when it’s needed. As life begins to pull Nandini and Simran apart, Mimi is determined to be the bridge that keeps them connected, even as she carries her own secret burden.
