Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree (Translated by Daisy Rockwell)
Tomb of Sand lingered in my shelves because I was deeply intimated by this International Booker Prize winner. Also a 750 paged brick of a book. But my oh my! I was so enamoured by this read. Tomb of Sand tells the story of Amma, a 80 year old matriarch of a family, who is dealing with depression and confines herself to her bed after the death of her husband. The book begins with her loving family trying to cajole her into leaving the bed and immerse in the simple pleasures of life. She is adamant with her wishes but things start to unfold with the introduction of her dear friend Rosie and her daughter. What sets loose is a myriad of anecdotes that flow between the past, present and the future.
The premise sounds depressing, and it is, but the storytelling by Shree which is beautifully complimented by Rockwell’s translation is very playful and lyrical. I wouldn’t call this an easy read nor is it a read meant to entice a novice reader. You need to be someone who likes the act of reading ready to give the reins of your imagination to Shree’s writing style and world she builds, to be able to truly savour this read. It has so much packed within it that while it seems like a simple capture of Amma’s life, it is more of a commentary about life led by women and men in Indian societies. It is a story that anyone can draw a lot from.
There is a lot of emphasis on undrawn and imaginary borders and walls that we have built around us, be it in terms of gender roles, relationships, communities, religion or even countries. This also has elements of magical realism, a genre I truly miss reading and thoroughly enjoy. I know all of this seems like a lot for one book, but it honestly never felt that way. I am usually the first one to report that big books leave you feeling lethargic, but this time I have no such qualms.
What I will say is that this is not an easy read, not a conventional form of writing and is extremely slow in building the main plot of Amma’s life. I also believe that Penguin should rework on the description printed behind the book. It gives away too much. So if you can go into the book without reading the description. You will do yourself a massive favour!
This book has left me feeling so many different things, and so many varied emotions. Every night before I went to bed I would be immensely excited to spend time with Amma and her anecdotes. I will miss this for sure. It has given me words for some personal experiences that I didn't have the right words to explain. I’d like to thank Geetanjali Shree and Daisy Rockwell for this treasure.
I cannot wait to find out what’s more in store from this duo!
Highly recommended to seasoned readers.
