Uma Kapoor Vs The Universe

MY THOUGHTS

I am Queen Bee in a house full of boys, and for five days every month, I feel alone in my struggles, like there is no one who understands what I am going through. Yes, it isn’t unique. Every woman goes through it, but it is nice to feel seen and to be understood. Uma Kapoor vs The Universe gave me that validation, and I admit, with a twinge of guilt, I wish I had read this book at an age when I could identify with Uma because then I would have understood my mom’s struggles.

Uma Kapoor feels like the universe is stacked against her. Every girl she knows in her class has got their period; some are already wearing bras and therefore enjoying male attention. But not Uma. She rants daily to her best friend Arjun and yearns for the class hottie, Aditya, to look at her when she is not being a hot mess. At home, something else is brewing. Her Type A mom is forgetting things, yelling incessantly, and, in a sequence of errors, burns down the house! Her father is patient, but slowly unravelling. Her brother, Siddu, can’t find comfort in moon trivia anymore and has begun wetting his bed. So, when Uma’s long-awaited period finally arrives on the day her mom burns down the house, it feels anticlimactic. Hormones run high, racing against teenage angst, and the result is not pretty. Will the arrival of Ammamma bring some answers?

I think this book is important simply because it addresses something I know almost every household is currently going through. Perimenopause in women has never before been spoken about in a book, especially along the same lines as a girl’s first period. Author Vinitha weaves a 12-year-old girl’s journey into menstruation and her mother navigating her way through perimenopause with empathy, humour, and honesty. We understand and nod along knowingly as Uma goes through puberty and its troubles. But Vinitha also shows her mother grappling with the troubles that perimenopause has wreaked on her emotional and physical health. So many things Vinitha writes echoed with me. Standing in front of an open fridge with no idea if she was coming or going; leaving the gas flame on low and forgetting about it, being angry and resenting the spouse for only looking better as they age — facts that resonate with anyone experiencing perimenopause.

The parallels drawn between the moon’s phases and the cycles of the human body made me giggle, and I also loved the roster of supporting characters. The hint of a possible friendship blossoming into young love is exciting too! I also think this is one of the few books I’ve read that captures the realities of an urban family where calendars are filled, free time is nonexistent, and patience is stretched thin. Lists, notes to the maid, tuition pickups, and playdate coordinations, all while trying to juggle work and maybe date night, are real challenges we all face!

Uma Kapoor vs The Universe is one of those brilliant works that will start a conversation between people who couldn’t find the right words before. By simply showing mother and daughter on two opposite ends of a biological journey, Vinitha not only highlights the different struggles they go through but also every other member of the family who wants to help but doesn’t know how. Even though the book suggests answers, it encourages every family to work together to find a solution perfect for them.

Buy this book today and make sure every member of your family reads it. It should be recommended reading for every family.