I consider the book Oleander Girl (Korobi) by Chitra Divakaruni, one of her best thus far. (I will refer to the book as Korobi from now on, for otherwise, the spirit of the title gets lost in translation.) Korobiis the story of a strong-willed and spirited young woman, who has been named after her mother’s favorite flower korobi (oleander). Korobi, though orphaned at birth has been brought up by her loving, if overprotective, grandparents in their historic ancestral mansion.
The story spans a time period of just about 3 months, but is packed with punch of a lifetime. The story opens with Korobi’s engagement to a rich man’s son, Rajat. Both families are happy with the union – Korobi’s Roy family is happy because she is getting married to a rich and handsome, most eligible bachelor and Rajat’s Bose family, because he is finally showing streaks of responsibility after being an indulgent and flamboyant bachelor for a few years. The Bose family is also delighted to have their son married into a reputable Bengali family of some renown.
The evening when the Boses are celebrating the engagement with great pomp and show, Korobi’s grandfather passes away suddenly after a heart attack. It is in the wake of his death that Korobi finds out from her grandmother that her father, Rob, whom her mother had met in the US, was an American, and that he was not dead before she was born, as she was made to believe.
Upon finding out about her father, Korobi feels compelled to go to America in search of her own identity and to find out the truth about her parents. Braving opposition from both the Roy and Bose families, who fear for her safety and the futility of her mission, she sets out to America with one faded photograph of her mother with a female friend, her father’s abbreviated first name, and the knowledge that he met her mother in the Berkeley area. She promises to return within a month, regardless of the success of her mission. Though this puts a strain on her relationship with a possessive Rajat, she ventures on her personal journey into post-9/11 America, determined to find the truth.
Upon finding out about her father, Korobi feels compelled to go to America in search of her own identity and to find out the truth about her parents. Braving opposition from both the Roy and Bose families, who fear for her safety and the futility of her mission, she sets out to America with one faded photograph of her mother with a female friend, her father’s abbreviated first name, and the knowledge that he met her mother in the Berkeley area. She promises to return within a month, regardless of the success of her mission. Though this puts a strain on her relationship with a possessive Rajat, she ventures on her personal journey into post-9/11 America, determined to find the truth.
The book weaves together many stories of romance, misunderstanding, loss, discovery, heritage, business, and politics in a lucid, and brilliant manner, that you can feel the drama unfolding in front of your eyes. Chitra describes Korobi’s struggles in a foreign land in a vivid manner, as she brings out all her inner strength to deal with her scheming host Mitra, his sweet-natured wife Seema, who looks up to her for emotional support, the good-hearted detective Desai, and his charismatic nephew Vic. She narrates how in the meantime, back in Kolkata, Rajat struggles against the devious schemes of his old flame, while his family’s business and their very lives are threatened. Chitra, with her Bengali background, has captured the soul of Kolkata with her description of the city’s culture and locales. Having lived in America for several years, she has also been able to paint the vulnerability and the mood of post 9/11 America accurately without melodrama. She has also succinctly brought out the fascinating culture differences between India and America, as seen through a young Indian girl, who arrives on the American soil for the first time.
The book also explores paths to empowerment for several women: young Korobi, who begins to live on her own terms, learning through her mistakes; her grandmother, who feels a sense of liberation and strength after disclosing her husband’s dark secrets; Rajat’s young sister Pia, who fearlessly speaks up for the downtrodden and manages to dissolve difficult situations through her conviction; and Rajat’s mother Mrs. Bose, who struggles to keep up appearances in the interest of her business venture, and then realizes the wastefulness of such living and learns a few life lessons from Pia and Korobi.
Chitra has managed to keep the pace and suspense throughout the book. The language and flow of the book are both commendable. She masterfully ties all loose ends at appropriate times. The one part that I felt could have been better handled was Korobi’s discovery of her father. It was too sudden and serendipitous. But, the good thing is that it did not take away anything from the thrust of the story. In terms of Chitra’s English prose, she uses several metaphors throughout her writing; some bring home the point well, but some go a bit overboard.
