"The Lilac House"

Anita Nair's "The Lilac House" is a novel set in Bangalore.  It begins with Meera's story -- a corporate wife, a cookbook author, a mother of two who is also responsible for running a household that includes her mother and grandmother.  When her husband abandons her, she is bewildered and waits for his return. 

Meanwhile, Professor J. A. Krishnamurthy -- known simply as Jak or Professor Jak -- has returned to Bangalore, India, from Florida to care for his nineteen-year-old daughter who has had some type of accident and is comatose.  He also wants to discover what happened to his daughter but the police will not help him and every possible clue appears to lead to a dead end.  How will he find the truth?

As Meera realizes her husband is not returning and she needs more income to support her household, her path crosses that of Professor Jak and together they discover truths about the past, the future, foregiveness, redemption, and second chances.

I found this at the library on the "Best Bets" shelf and renewed it several times before finally picking it up to read.  By the time I did begin, it was seriously overdue and I just couldn't seem to find the desire to read it word for word.  However, I was intrigued enough by the story that I wanted to know what had happened to Jak's daughter and how Meera's life was progressing without her hsuband.  So....I skimmed through the book finding the answers I sought - which is totally out of character for me.  Although it was a good story, I'm not sure if I'll choose to read another one of Nair's books or not.  Her story, "Mistress," was longlisted for the 2008 Orange Prize in the UK and also named a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Beyond Margins Award in the U.S. so perhaps I'll give it a try.  If you want to learn more about the author, go to www.anitanair.net.  pazt