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Dharma\'s Daughters
Penguin India
Review by Susan Chacko
16 February 2009Yetanudder book by Western woman temporarily in India due to spouse's job, spends her time writing about the enigma of Indian women. Ok, maybe that's not entirely fair, but the book reminded me of May you be the Mother..., and I liked this one less. There's a long analysis of Sita and Draupadi, and short vignettes of various Indian women's lives. One particular irritant was a description of an upperclass, extremely wealthy woman in Mumbai, whose home, jewellery and luxurious lifestyle contrasted with the poverty around, which clearly bothered the author. However the author herself spent her days trotting off to 5-star hotels to buy bread or to Parsi stores to find Camembert cheese -- apparently only Indian women are supposed to feel guilty about luxury?
Susan Chacko is a scientist in Maryland.
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