We believe first novels hold a lot of promise. They are the result of dreams and aspirations, of hard work and perseverance, and of the author’s acute day-to-day observance of every thing around her. ‘The Way­ward Daughter’, Shradha Ghale’s debut novel, despite some glaringly obvious mistakes and chapters with abrupt end­ings, reaffirmed this belief because the writing is extremely nuanced, and you get to relive the lifestyle of Kathmandu in the 90s. The blurb is a little misleading though. The Wayward Daughter isn’t just a story about Sumnima Tamule and her discov­ery of self through love and loss and all the mistakes teenagers inevitably make, though she is the titular wayward daughter. Through a myriad of charac­ters from different generations, each with its own distinctive voice, Ghale nar­rates a complex interwoven story that you will be able to relate to depending on which role you find yourself in at the moment.

There’s Gajendra Tamule (aka Gajey or Tamule ji as he is often referred to in the book) and his wife, Premkala Limbu, who try their best to be as accommodating as they can, even under unfavorable circum­stances, and Premkala’s mother, or Boju, who is a permanent guest in the Tamule household, as grandmothers usually seem to be in the city. Boju whines and com­plains, hides food, and scours through garbage and hoards the retrieved items in her room. The familiarities of her ways, especially for those who lived in joint families in Nepal, will remind you of your childhood.

Ganga and Manlahari, Tamule ji’s two nieces, who are sent to live with him as people in villages with family living in Kathmandu often did back in the day (and perhaps still do), also feel very raw and real. Add to this eclectic mix, the extended relatives who seem to land up at the Tamule household every now and then and you have a typical Nepali family that could very well be your own family or that of someone you know.

The novel also addresses (or at least tries to) the class division that’s still prev­alent today (albeit less unabashedly). The installation of a telephone line (with an extension soon after), double door refrig­erator, and new cabinets in the kitchen as the ‘head’ of the family rises up the ranks in the NGO world signify a working class family’s aspirations to bridge the divide.

One would think so many stories would make for a confusing narrative. You do wish some characters were better devel­oped. You would have liked to get to know Numa, Sumnima’s well-adjusted younger sister, but her story, though it mimics Sumnima’s, never makes it to forefront. And Manlahari, in her entitled and pot-banging ways, seems to have been written as an afterthought. But the stories come together beautifully because Ghale’s writing is sharp and focused.

The only time she falters is when she tries to weave in seemingly important socio-political events and happenings in the narrative. There are also a few inci­dents, like (spoiler alert) when the princi­pal of the college Sumnima attends tries to fondle her in his office when she goes to meet him to ask him for grace marks, that seem forced and thus unnecessary.

The Maoist insurgency, a crucial period in Nepal’s recent history, also feels out of place, though Sumnima’s reaction to it (she’s just heard of the Peo­ple’s War and thinks nothing much of it) has you pondering that perhaps that was how youth living in cities reacted to the bloodshed.

Despite a few such jarring and awkward moments, The Wayward Daughter will warm your heart because, at its core, it’s about human relationships, of the connec­tions we forge in order to make humdrum life more bearable, and of moments and decisions that have the power to change your life.

The book is being officially launched on Dec 1, 2018, Saturday and is now available at major bookstores.

 

THE WAYWARD DAUGHTER

Author: Shradha Ghale

Genere: Fiction

Published: 2018 Publisher: Speaking Tiger

Language: English

Pages: 268, paperback

Price: NRs 560