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First Impression

Granta: Best of Young American Novelists 2; Granta Publications; £12.99.

This is the story of Mary Magdalena, a 17-year-old who fights the odds that seem to surround her life. Mary’s life is far from idyllic. She is almost an orphan. Living with an aunt and with only a nodding acquaintance with a far-too-busy father , Mary remembers when her mother was alive. There are many stories about her mother’s madness and her father’s betrayal in the little fishing village. But Mary is impervious. Her one anchor is Yesu, her childhood friend from the big house in the village. Mary and Yesu know that they will finally get married. When it happens Mary is drawn in a web of perfect contentment. Yesu decides to relocate to the city soon after their marriage. Mary is happy to live in this place with its modern amenities and wait up for Yesu cooking his favourite foods. When the baby comes into their lives they are a bit surprised. But as Yesu toils away for the fisherfolk, for whose rights he has been fighting, Mary is left to her own devices. Her mind constantly darts between the past and the present and her fears suddenly seem magnified. In addition, she has to deal with Arun, who has almost overnight become an important part of their lives. Mary feels Arun’s threat even before she can gather her thoughts. But she is determined never to let anyone come between her and Yesu, Does she finally succeed or not and at what price?

Perseverance is the key. For young Abhay Kumar, who worked his way from a rural background into the Indian Foreign Service, this was the magic mantra. Kumar’s simple handbook tells his story as it is. From the banks of the river’s valley to Silicon Valley, how his brothers and he overcame their handicaps to achieve what they eventually did. This is also a commentary on the tremendous change in India, its values and culture and how education and competition can make way for anybody to break out of the mould.

The book outlines some of the gradual and persistent changes in the country. One is the farmer tilling his land and grazing his cattle; the other is the modern young India at ease in a global village, wired into the newest technology and part of the new and dynamic economy. Through his own life and the tremendous difficulties he overcame, Abhay Kumar tries to draw the portrait of a modern young Indian. If it weren’t for the terrible typographical and grammatical errors, this little book could have served many such aspirants.

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