#340 Great Grandmother’s Mango Chutney- Sandip Roy
In this collection, Don’t Let Him Know, the stories are connected in what should come together as “a novel in
stories.” The hope for me was that each would be independent enough of a
snapshot that they would stand as short stories. So far, so good. However, this fifth story,
Great Grandmother’s Mango Chutney doesn’t quite work without the context of the others. It might work as different kind of short if you didn’t read any of the other chapters, but there would
be something missing. As a part of the larger piece, this works to propel the characters along, rather than act as a set piece.
That said, it adds a lot to the feeling of the book. Amit
is the youngest in a house that holds four generations of the family. His
mother runs the house and butts heads with the grandmother, and
great-grandmother who is suffering with the frailty of her remaining time on
earth. Amit is remembering this time of his life from twenty-five years later,
in San Francisco, feeling homesick while he searches for a taste of home.
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