The White Lotus

MY THOUGHTS

I’ll admit I let this book sit on my shelf for too long and promptly forgot about it. But we recently went on a family vacation to Tamil Nadu, and I decided it was the perfect opportunity to read The White Lotus.

Set in a small village in Tamil Nadu in the year 1901, The White Lotus is the story of Arali (Aru). who is on the cusp of starting her new life as Sundaram’s wife. At 14, Arali is excited, anxious, and nervous as she steps into her new role. All she knows is that she loves and cares for Sundaram deeply and knows through his letters to her that he does too. The night before she is to leave for Sundaram’s house, tragedy strikes and her family receives the news of Sundaram’s death. As a young widow, her options are now limited to being dependent on her brother and his family. What’s worse, as the temple accountant, Sundaram is accused of stealing the local deity, Bhudevi’s White Lotus necklace and replacing it with a fake one. The village brands Sundaram as a drunk and a thief, and Aru’s future begins to look bleak. The local landlord’s children present her with an opportunity to make a living by arranging her education and a job caring for their grandmother. She grabs it against her family’s wishes. During her time at the landlord’s house, she finds unexpected allies in the grandmother and Balu, the cowherd and realises there may be a way to clear her husband’s name, but the path to that is paved with uncomfortable truths and tough decisions.

Aditi Krishnakumar writes a gripping murder mystery all while focusing on the harsh realities of life in early 20th-century Tamil Nadu. She has managed to show the reader two sides of India, especially from the perspective of women: the poor and middle class, steeped in tradition and dependent on their smarts, and the wealthy, who were able to get an education and even work with the British towards a better quality of life. Through the story, she also highlights societal evils like child marriage, unfair treatment of widows, and the dependency of women on either their father or their husband.

This is a fast-paced, gripping murder mystery that will keep you hooked. The author manages to write memorable characters and also brings alive the tiny town of Tirukkudi. The book is perfect for readers 12+, who will understand and be moved by the plight of child brides and widows of that time. The entire story is told from Aru’s viewpoint, and we get to feel all the emotional turmoil and difficult decisions that she has to make. I was rooting for Aru from the very beginning, and I enjoyed how she found unexpected allies in the grandmother and in Balu.

This one is quite the page-turner and perfect to carry along on a vacation to Tamil Nadu! Pick it up today!