'The Toss of a Lemon' by Padma Viswanathan is a family saga that spans generations, focusing on the life of Sivakami Patti, a Brahmin widow, and her descendants living in India from the late 19th century to the 1960s. The book delves into the intricacies of Indian traditions, customs, and the caste system, portraying the joys and sorrows of the family as they navigate through births, deaths, scandals, and changing beliefs around caste and fate. The narrative style captures the mundane yet profound moments of the family members' lives, interwoven with cultural nuances and historical events.
The writing style of 'The Toss of a Lemon' is described as detailed, immersive, and evocative, transporting readers to the vivid settings of southern India and portraying the daily lives of Brahmin families with richness and elegance. The author's storytelling weaves together the personal stories of various family members, offering insights into the complexities of Indian society, superstitions, and traditions, while exploring themes of fate, will, and the evolving social landscape of India during the period covered in the book.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings may include themes related to the caste system, arranged marriages, patriarchal constraints, and depictions of cultural practices that may be distressing.
Has Romance?
The novel contains elements of romance primarily through arranged marriages and family relationships, but it is not the main focus.
From The Publisher:
A "superbly done" novel of a woman, her family, and a village in India that "makes a vanished world feel completely authentic" ( Booklist ).
Sivakami was married at ten, widowed at eighteen, and left with two children. According to the dictates of her caste, her head is shaved and she puts on widow's whites. From dawn to dusk, she is not allowed to contaminate herself with human touch, not even to comfort her small children. Sivakami dutifully follows custom, except for one defiant act: She moves back to her dead husband's house to raise her children. There, her servant Muchami, a closeted gay man who is bound by a different caste's rules, becomes her public face. Their singular relationship holds three generations of the family together through the turbulent first half of the twentieth century, as India endures great social and political change. But as time passes, the family changes, too; Sivakami's son will question the strictures of the very beliefs that his mother has scrupulously upheld. The Toss of a Lemon is heartbreaking and exhilarating, profoundly exotic yet utterly recognizable in evoking the tensions that change brings to every family.
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The Toss of a Lemon?
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