Dollar Bahu - another of Sudha Murthy's heartwarming book

i like the way books (the ones i am reading) unlike movies don't necessarily end with a happy ending. This one does not have a sad ending but it has a very believable and a practical ending. This is one of the many good things about this book.

Predominantly the voice of Gouramma and Vinuta, the mother-in-law, daughter-in-law duo, it is a poignant description of the everyday workings of an Indian household with the peculiarities of a joint family.

No-nonsense, simple and lucid, you sail through the book without stops. i finished it in just 1 day, in less than 20 hours, almost. Sudha Murthy generally does not resort to improbable twists in the story and says it like it is, but in this one, she pleasantly surprises you.

Chandru's crush on Vinuta, his younger brother Girish's marriage to her without his knowledge, it all sounds very believable with the right dash of spice to it. Gouramma's fascination with the dollar income as a means to fulfill her long-cherished dreams and then slowly the dollar encroaching on her familial happiness is very relative. i like the way Gouramma is introduced to the ways of America. The pluses and the minuses of living in America, described just the way it is, not as a villain or a hero, but as a country full of opportunities, failures, hopes and disappointments. It clearly testifies the fact that America has made despondent lives successful, made people hardened and indifferent, helpless and hopeful, all within its periphery.

i was very impressed with its end.

It is a quick read that gives you a sneak peek into the lives of a semi-urban family. Interesting.