3-31-10 The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan - Fiction

5 - An excellent story that spans 76 years, including the turbulent period during which India declares independence, and four generations. Sivakami is married at 10 following Hindu tradition and goes to live with her husband at 13. She bears him two children before his death when she is 18. The Toss of a Lemon is Sivakami's story as she lives as a strict Brahmin widow with one exception: she moves back to her husband's house, now her son's, to raise her children and manage the lands. Her story is full of light and dark as the world changes around her and her children grow and leave for their own lives. At first, this seems like a long book but the reader becomes so involved in Viswanathan's vivid descriptions of village and city life, Hindu tradition, and the changing country that the length of the book is forgotten. A very emotional read that should appeal to those interested in different cultures and how time alters tradition.