“Which is more pleasurable – being alone together or being with others, knowing that the one they desire will soon be alone with you.”
Memory of Light is an exquisite tale of conversations, songs and poems that take a reader through the journey of love between Nafi’s Bai and Chapla. The story is set in pre-Independence India, introducing the reader to the world of courtesans, dance, poets, love and friendship.
It has various characters and each of them contributes to make it a different and enjoyable experience for the reader. They are so well woven. The book needs one’s complete attention to fully indulge oneself into the world the author has beautifully and intricately built.
Nafis Bai and Mir Insha are my favorite characters. The storyline is so well thought and written that I found myself transported inside the book looking at everything through my eyes. Same sex love was not a taboo back then and one could own their sexuality without being judged. The backdrop of the narrative is formed in Lucknow, Shahjahanabad, Kashi and Delhi’s local as well as the then British population and Nawabs.
Poetry is what rises above all for me in the book. I would really like to applaud Ruth ma’am for such precise and beautiful use of the right poems and ghazals at the very right point. She has used the work of various well known poets and translated some of the poems to English.
I loved reading the book and would recommend it to everyone.
MY RATING – 4/5
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This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon
