Indira Ganesan

This wonderful new novel will be arriving on shelves on February 12 and I can't recommend it too highly. It's structure echoes that of [To The Lighthouse] and I found that it also had a similar effect on my reading. Woolf, who I adore, forces me to alter the speed at which I read, much in the way poetry will do, and that's exactly what happens with this novel, too. The story, most of which takes place on the island of Pi, off the coast of India, revolves around the marriage and re-marriage show more of a beloved Aunt named Meterling, a tall, striking woman who manages to defy convention without losing the love of her family.
Her first husband, an Englishman named Archer, dies in her arms on the dance floor at their wedding, when she is already pregnant with his child. She marries her second husband, Archer's cousin, before the child is born. Time passes. Meterling, Simon and young Oscar relocate to England. The end of the novel finds them back on the island, trying to decide if they will stay there or return, once more to England. These are the facts of the story. It's the telling of their story that I find so engaging, so hypnotic, so infused with a kindness, a generosity of spirit that is all too frequently lacking in contemporary fiction. No one dies in a hail of bullets in this, in fact there's very little real conflict of any kind here, except for the inevitable conflict of cultures in collision. But, by and large, this is a story of people of good will working to understand one another, to overcome conflict, not succumb to it.
[As Sweet As Honey] is Indira Ganesan's third novel and I hope it's publication (by Knopf) will bring her the audience she so richly deserves. show less

I received this novel from Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very well-written (at times poetic) coming of age story about a bright teenaged girl in 1980's India who is struggling with her mother's unsavory reputation, not knowing who her father is, and other family, religious, and cultural conflicts, while also experiencing her first sexual and romantic relationship with an older man.

The mysterious figure of the protagonist's mother moves like a ghost show more throughout the novel's background. It was definitely my favorite part of the novel, beautifully executed. The character of the mother was excellently drawn and I really felt what the protagonist was feeling toward her mother, the full range conflicting emotions. I wanted more of her and was absorbed when she appeared on the page!

While there was a lot going on in the story (maybe too much), at times I wondered where the plot was going. Whether intentional or not, the novel has that traditional Indian literary trait of being almost a collection of little tales instead of a Western plot progression with single dramatic climax. So, I suppose the plot progression was intended to evoke classical Indian literature, rather than fail to deliver a worthy climax. There is a climax, but it fails to deliver. It lacked punch. With such a fascinating character as the mother, I was expecting some kind of bigger revelation.

A good novel with excellent writing and a few flashes of brilliance. I look forward to checking out more by Ms. Ganesan in the future. show less

I felt like I was living a lovely dream while reading this book that takes a gentle look at love, traditions, and family. Set off the coast of India on the lush, imaginary island of Pi (short for Prospero’s Island according to some locals familiar with Shakespeare’s Tempest), the book’s story is narrated by Mina who is part of a large extended family all living under one roof.

Mina and her young cousins adore their Aunt Meterling. She’s too tall, too dark and too old to be unmarried, show more but in her genial way she thinks for herself. In her late 20’s Meterling meets and falls in love with an Englishman more than a decade her senior, setting off a flutter of activity. Within months of making each other’s acquaintance the two are married, but within moments of marriage, long before the celebrations were to be over, he is dead. Meterling is heartbroken, then to complicate things further she discovers she is pregnant.

As Sweet as Honey does not have a fast paced plot, but things do happen as the story evolves. Its charms are the relationships, the redolent descriptions of scenery, the dance between tradition and emerging modern ideas, and the appealing innocent freedoms of Mina and her cousins. There is a ghost story aspect to the book, but its ghosts are of the most benign kind. show less

As Sweet As Honey by Indira Ganesa is the story of a family on and off the island of Pi in the Bay of Bengal. It is an unusual jewel of a book. It sparkles with humor, folklore of Pi, love and the voices of little children. There is also jealously, a ghost and desire to explore the western world.

Most of the story centers on Meterling. She is a very tall dark woman on the island of Pi who is engaged to a short, plump Englishman, Archer. Meterling is fascinated by western world and at the same show more filled with a love for her family and the gorgeous flower filled island. But at the wedding by the ceremony, they dance and he dies of an aneurism.

At first, her story is told by many, aunts, uncles and little children. They are wondering about her and her desire to be different. They can't figure her out. Sometimes the questions asked by the children are answered by the aunts and uncles. Other times, the questions can only be answered by Meterling.
Then Meterling takes over the story, telling her history and her love for Archer and the sorrow that it brings when he suddenly dies. Gossip still is a strong force in this part of the story. But Meterling goes through her life making her own decisions.

The only thing that was negative for me is the first part of the book. I was so eager to meet Meterling but so many relatives had to have their say first. This book is not one that you can rush through but one to enjoy the little gems of wisdom, and humor of the children. The pain of grief and joy of living after that grief shines through this book.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in other cultures.and of Pi in the Bay of Bengal. Most of the story centers aroung Meterling. Indira Ganesan is a wonderful storyteller.

I received this book from Amazon Vine and that did not influence my thoughts in this review. show less