Book Review – Indian Summer by Pratima Mitchell

Youth Fiction About Mother-Daughter Relationships and Family Secrets

Mar 3, 2009

When Sarla decides to spend her summer holidays in Daroga, India with her grandparents, she doesn't expect to find lasting friendship or family secrets.

Examining issues of class, the rights and status of women, friendship, acceptance and family, Indian Summer (Walker Books, 2009) is an interesting novel for younger teens.

When her mother Rita is called away on a work assignment, 14-year-old Sarla’s summer holiday plans are ruined. Sarla decides to visit her grandparents in India. Frustrated by her life with her mother in London, Sarla looks forward to the opportunity to connect with her extended family.

When Sarla arrives in Daroga, she sees her grandparents, Nana and Nani, for the first time in six years. She also meets Bina, the 15-year-old granddaughter of Nana and Nani’s maid and cook. Despite their similarities, Sarla and Bina find it difficult to become friends until a crisis for Bina brings them together.

For Sarla, her summer holiday with her grandparents is a time of increasing self-awareness. She begins to appreciate the difficulties Bina faces and realises that families are not always as they appear on the surface.

The likeable narrators Sarla and Bina are well portrayed. They display the emotional complexity of teens including moments of emotional self-indulgence and contrasting moments of great awareness and maturity. The cast of secondary characters round out the story nicely, although Sarla’s relationship with her mother is inconsistent with little focus throughout the novel leading to an emotional discussion between the two in the final pages.

The story of Bina’s mother Shobharani and the rebel political group the Liberation Front add an element of political and social history to the novel, offering further insight into the complex social and religious structure of Indian society.

Indian Summer – Themes and Preoccupations

While the novel focuses on the developing friendship between the two girls, it also highlights social attitudes in India, particularly relating to women and class.

Bina struggles with the expectations of her grandparents and society regarding her role and is studying hard to become a doctor, although her grandfather is seeking to arrange a marriage for her as he is not supportive of her ongoing education. Sarla is free to choose her own future and the difference in her demeanour, expectations and social interactions contrasts clearly with Bina.

The novel is dominated by female characters, giving depth to the consideration of the role of women. Born in India, Sarla’s mother Rita has a high-profile career as a reporter in London and Aunt Piloo lives in England but returns to India regularly to follow the teachings of her guru. Sarla’s grandparents are friends with princess Vidya, the daughter of a maharajah whose arrogance and insensitivity are forgiven because of her rank. Rita and Piloo’s friend Antonia has chosen India as her home and teaches traditional dance.

Additional themes include the distinction and privileges of class in Indian society and family structure and the influence of mothers on their daughters.

Pratima Mitchell Profile

Pratima Mitchell was born in India and went to universities in Delhi, London and the United States. She comes from a family of writers and was first published at the age of eleven. Currently based in Oxford, she has worked as a journalist, editor, waitress and as a teacher of English.

Interesting Novel for Teen Girls

Particularly appealing to girls aged 12+, Indian Summer explores interesting social themes as well as exploring the nature of friendship, mother-daughter relationships and family issues. The ending is a little weak and early insertions of stories of the Liberation Front seem a little jarring, but overall the novel is a quick and interesting read focused primarily on two complex and believable young teen girls.

Indian Summer would be an ideal book selection for high school class discussions or a teen book club.

Related Article: Older readers who enjoy this book might also enjoy The Hindi Bindi Club by Monica Pradhan

The copyright of the article Book Review – Indian Summer by Pratima Mitchell in Asian Literature is owned by Susan Whelan. Permission to republish Book Review – Indian Summer by Pratima Mitchell in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.