A fairly short book, Losing Touch took me some time to get through. The story spans several decades, which is good to know going in. I say this not to "spoil" it for you, but to give you an idea of how you will get to know these characters, especially the primary character, the father, Arjun.
Arjun has moved his family from India looking for a better life. He is the man in charge, with a family that seems to be rebelling against him. He and his wife Sunila have two children. They both seem to loathe Arjun, from what I can tell early on.
And with good reason.
Good reason to loathe him, but not enough to stop me from reading.
He is a stern father, a seemingly rough husband.
He wants to maintain what is described as a traditional Indian household, but his children do not follow his lead. His daughter wants to be more independent, wants to wear things her new friends are wearing. He worries about who she connects with. He worries about his son, his son's education, his son's ability to grow into a strong man.
There were some aspects of these characters I could relate to, as family dynamics are interesting. I thought back often to my own teenage years and wondered how many times my parents questioned my actions. My motives. Who I was.
It is hard to relate to Sunila. She is an obeying wife. Sometimes beyond what I wanted to see.
Ultimately, as her husband's health continues to fail, our view changes. We see her struggles and we see him in a different light. He changes. He watches life move on around him and we're stuck inside his head.
These words were somewhat difficult to read, the words trapped in the minds of the elderly, but powerful just the same.
I would say that Losing Touch was a good read, but not an easy one.
If you're interested you can purchase a copy for your Kindle, and if you'd like to purchase a hard copy (it's a light book and very easy to carry around with you), you can get Losing Touch here. And if you do read it, I hope you'll come back by and let me know what you think!
* I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours to facilitate my review. I was not compensated for this review in any way. *
I loved India and enjoy books set there, but they are often rough, reflecting a tougher society. This sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI should read more good books, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSome of the best books are challenging to read bc they make us think. :)
ReplyDeleteI am facinated by India and its family dynamics and changing culture.
ReplyDeleteThis book does sound interesting. Thanks for your review Andrea!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like it depicts well the cultural and moral aspects of an Indian household as it relates to parents and kids.
ReplyDeleteThankfully in our Indian household, my parents were very much a collaborative team. My mom is a strong, independent woman, and always taught me to get a good education so I could support myself and my family if need be. She didn't need to be an obeying wife and it really bothers me seeing women in that situation too. Of course, I don't think that's a cultural thing as much as a generational issue as I see it more often in older couples of different races. Funny enough, I have a cousin named Arjun and his mom's name is Sunila :) Great review!
Just read the comment by Tanya who has relatives named Arjun and Sunila -- small world, eh?! Love reading the comments here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a great book, so I will definitely check it out...I need a new book to read! :)-Ashley
ReplyDeleteDecided to tweet this today!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting read! I've been fascinated by Indian culture since I was a kid so I might need to give this one a try :)
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