I did not have any expectations as I opened the cover to start reading it. But once started, I always expected to return to it after any break in between the reading process. Even after finishing the 290-something page novel, I kept thinking that I must get back to the book to read more of the story.
That was "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri. A simple tale, I'm tempted to write. But it's not as simple as it seems - a story of an NRI family bringing up their children born abroad - rather, the story captures the emotions of a boy, born in Boston to orthodox Bengali parents, who tries to identify himself among the society.
He outwardly feels American because of his peer group and the environment he grows up in. But the Indian emotions in him are brought to the fore under circumstances like his father's death.
The story is a beautiful portrayal of the dilemma faced by the so-called ABCDs ( American Born Confused Deshis ). It picturises the disastrous combination of an Indian heart and an American mind.
A must-read for all NRIs and their children!
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