Rajni Mala Khelawan

Rajni Mala Kwelawan is an Indo-Fijian author now living in Canada. She brings us a story about Kalyana, a girl raised in Fiji. The story begins in 1970 when Kalyana is five and her mother is telling her traditional Hindu stories of powerful goddesses. Aunt Manjula also shares their home, rejected by marriage suitors because of her limp. Manjula defies tradition and learns to drive, which takes her life in a different direction. Kalyana is a happy, possibly somewhat spoilt child, and enjoys her island life until a traumatic event steals her youthful innocence and ruins her relationship with her mother. During the 1980s tensions between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians Kalyana, along with many other Indians, leaves Fiji for Canada. In 1987 there was a coup d’état when the Fijian military deposed the elected prime minister and declared itself a republic which would only be ruled by Indigenous Fijians. This book gives insight into life in Fiji, in particular the difficult life the Indian women lead, and also shares many traditional Hindu stories. Ultimately the women find a voice and a power. I enjoyed the book but found the audio narration by Saara Chaudry mildly irritating.… (meer)