THE LOWLAND by Jhumpa Lahiri (Knopf), 338 pages, $29.95 cloth. Rating: NNNN
Jhumpa Lahiri takes a literary leap in her second novel, The Lowland, shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker Prize. In books like The Namesake and Interpreter Of Maladies, we’ve become accustomed to her focus on Indian immigrants struggling to adjust to America. This time out she’s widened her scope, rooting her narrative in India’s turbulent politics before bringing her characters to the U.S.
Udayan and Subhash are brothers with very different personalities. The radical and daring Udayan becomes involved in the Maoist-like Naxalite revolutionary movement in Darjeeling the disciplined and careful Subhash heads to Rhode Island to get a post-graduate science degree. When Udayan is killed in action, Subhash comes home to console his parents, and decides to marry Udayan’s pregnant wife, Gauri, and take her back to the U.S.
His mother thinks it’s a bad idea, and she turns out to be prescient. Gauri never really connects with Subhash – which doesn’t surprise him – and worse, can’t bond with her baby, Bela, something that’s much more painful for Subhash.
Through an expertly designed narrative, Lahiri unravels the mystery of Gauri, leaking information at precisely the right moment so we learn not to take her coldness for cruelty. At the same time, the author sensitively probes the relationship between Subhash and his daughter, which is complicated by her paternity, a fact she knows nothing about.
As always Lahiri meticulously portrays the details of everyday life in her two locations – porridge and yogurt in America, curries in India, long drives to the mall in Rhode Island versus the crammed commute from Subhash’s Indian village. And thanks to her vivid descriptions, you can practically smell the sea on America’s east coast and see the vibrancy of India’s markets.
Early on, there’s a ton of exposition on India’s radical movements – history lessons that would not have derailed the narrative had they been confined to a brief forward. But don’t be daunted. The Lowland turns into a beautiful meditation on family, grief and the inevitable consequences of difficult decisions.
Lahiri discusses her book onstage at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Sunday (September 29). See Readings, this page.
susanc@nowtoronto.com | @susangcole
