The Tales Pensieve

Entry no. #8 – Debut Indian Writers Month: October 2012

Part of Debut Indian Writers Challenge and South Asian Challenge 2012

Title: Untruly Yours
Author: Smita Shetty
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing
ISBN: 978-93-81836-29-3
Pages: 146
Genre: Fiction/ Romance
Rating: 3 of 5
Reviewed for: Leadstart Publishing

An unresponsive husband, a horrid mother-in-law, a neglected wife, a flirt ex-flame and an attractive colleague – Smita Shetty gets together an assortment of characters from the Indian diaspora to churn out a breezy read in her debut novel. The book is easy on the head, the senses and the mood. It is the kind of book that you would want to pick up on a travel because it makes you smile and it makes you feel good. We Indians love a ‘and they lived happily ever after’ ending and this one gives you exactly that.

Natasha Iyer – Bengali NRI, Tash to her American colleague, Nuts to an ex-flame – on first sight is really lucky and has it all. Married to long time boyfriend and psychologist – Rakesh Iyer, has an adorable 11-year-old son and is loved by her American colleagues but on the flip side is a seething lonely being. Ignored by her husband, hated by the mother-in-law, sympathized upon by the father-in-law Natasha is too frustrated with life. Her husband is happy with the sophisticated wife but she is unhappy with the unresponsive, out of romance husband. She yearns for excitement, involvement and intimacy. A call from India, informing that her best friend has attempted suicide, is what Natasha selects as her escape route out of her mundane existence especially with her in-law’s having just landed in America on their annual visit. It is nearly a walkout on her marriage when she tells her husband that she will decide whether to come back or not. She lands in India with her stud-of-a-colleague Steve and her son to be greeted by her super sophisticated parents, prim and proper sister and rover-eyed high-spirited ex-flame Veer. Battling attention from Steve and Veer wasn’t the best thing for Natasha when trying to clear her head about her relationship with Rakesh but life throws volleys at her and after ducking a few she begins stumbling.

Untruly Yours is nearly through-out an NRI rant among other things, possibly because the author is an NRI – about the Indian mother-in-law to Mumbai roads to changing trends in contemporary Indian culture – most part of the book is a commentary, albeit mostly an enjoyable one. Though a light read it also does reflect on the social fabric in context to women’s stature in some societies in India while also sending a strong message home via the desires and follies of the protagonist.

Nothing spectacular, it is a contemporary story simply told. A total time-pass read most preferably while traveling or as the story travels to Mumbai even on the locals.

Happy Reading.

Read Smita Shetty inKonversation with me on what writing means to her.

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