An intriguing story about a young woman named Somlata who marries into a squandered, once-prominent family that is now trying to live as lavishly as they did in the past despite having fallen on hard times. Despite being harassed by a nasty aunt-in-law who refuses to die, Somalia, the kid of an impoverished family, must somehow save her foolish new kin.

Although I didn't find the comedy in this book, I did found it to be a fascinating and insightful look at the resentment, obligation, and responsibility felt by a young bride, a young widow, and a little girl as they struggle to figure out what love is in the contemporary world. It's brief, but it packs a lot of punch: it's racy and adult and shocking and, okay, I'll admit it, cute, if not exactly gradual. It was enjoyable and comes with my highest recommendation.

- [ ] This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay"s The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die is a slim novel that packs a punch. It's funny in a way I did not necessarily expect, and it covers three generations of the women of the Mitra family. It's a great choice for readers who are looking to diversify their shelves and explore other cultures. Plus, who doesn't love a book that features a ghost, gold, and feminism.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

My Shelf Awareness review is here:
https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=940#m16436

The review is cross-posted to my Smithsonian BookDragon blog here:
http://smithsonianapa.org/bookdragon/the-aunt-who-wouldnt-die-by-shirshendu-mukhopadhyay-translated-by-arunava-sinha-in-shelf-awareness/

Few book summaries have so adequately described the story (in general terms) as the last paragraph in the summary of The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die. As cheesy as the last line is, it is the truth, and this reviewer would extend the description to Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay’s writing and storytelling capability. There is really just one thing to find fault with, and that would [selfishly] be the page length. At just over 150 pages, the ending feels slightly abrupt; fortunately this does not diminish the impression of everything that comes before it.

The whole book has a feeling of subtle mirage. Everything is believable, the narrator is trustworthy, and yet it also feels like each scene could disappear into a puff of smoke, leaving the reader with “did that really happen?” type questions. The small moments and larger scenes are both enchanting and authentic; the balance between the two throughout the book is impeccable. It is quite artistic how this novel satisfies a need for an interesting story and beautiful writing.

Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay chose to write the book in alternating chapters, which helps build anticipation as to how the women in the story are connected. It is easy to become totally wrapped up in Somlata’s story line and point of view right away, especially when Pishima continues to be in the picture as a ghost. Somlata’s devotion to her husband, and her desire to keep the family name and finances in good (if not perfect) standing all the while sticking up for herself when the rest of the family doubts her (generally and because she’s a woman) and continuing to lay down her own life path. Pishima’s ghost manifestation is nearly always present, saying terrible things to Somlata and often giving her ill-intentioned advice, and the reason for her continued presence on Earth is told later on. Her unhappiness and the fact that she had little say in her own life keeps her from moving on, and one of Somlata’s challenges is not letting Pishima’s unhappiness get in the way of her own life.

Boshon’s story line is slightly less immersive from the beginning, but the way her teenage mind reels and reflects is a spectacular representation of the emotional and mental development one goes through as they get further away from childhood. She too takes her life into her own hands (as much as a young woman can in her community), and thoughtfully makes decisions she can live with. Her less defined path and future obligations sort of highlights the fact that although she and Somlata have obligations and people whispering in their ears about what is and isn’t right, they are loyal to themselves first and foremost.

The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die is a bit of a ride, and although it goes by in a flash of less than 200 pages, its characters, story, and inspiration will not leave your mind so quickly.

The title says it all, just not with the usual understandings!

Cautionary tale, mythology, philosophical reader, a traditional story feminist? Maybe all, some or. One of the above. One thing is true, this is definitely not funny.
Kismet? Reincarnation? Or making choices pushed on by changing times, a ghost, your own set of beliefs, or simple taking up the mantle of survival?
Bride Somlata marries into the Mitra family. She is from a poor but determined family. Traits that will stand her and her new family in good stead.
Then there's the aunt/sister-in-law Pishma, a child widow locked in her own set of rooms buoyed up by her anger at the Mitras, and a cache of jewelry. A cache she alerts Somlata about in a rather unexpected way.
Somlata's daughter Boshon floats through life, rebelling against her culture. She likes being alone and testing people. Her relationship with a poorer boy who returns from America shows her lack of empathy.
The last test she executes is rather horrid but fits in a weird way with what has gone before. Is this then a moral tale? I'm unsure, maybe. But it is a story with gravitas.
Magic realism adds to this culturally imbedded story of a Bengali family told from the perspective of three generations of women.
Delicately written, despite some of the harsh happenings, an unassuming and rewarding read.

A HarperCollins ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This was a quirky little book that takes place in India about an 18-year-old woman from a poor family who is married off to an older man from a supposedly well off family only to find that the family is living off sales of land and jewelry. But she is smart and calm and manages to cause changes without really seeming to do it, even as she is haunted by the ghost of her aunt-in-law. Her story alternates with their daughter as a teenager who wants nothing to do with marriage. Very fun and unique story!

The Mitras used to be zamindars, feudal landlords in East Bengali but now household funds were dwindling. " The household runs with the money that comes from selling land and gold...the men in the family were not keen on employment or business...I have never considered employment-I can't be a clerk...I can't start a business-that's for shopkeepers".

When Somlata married Fuchu, she was eighteen, he was thirty-two. According to Somlata, "...my parents were so poor that it would be an indulgence to make a fuss about the groom's age or employment status". "Family gold is sacred, family land, too. I've heard it's not right to sell off either of these". Somlata's cloistered life, based on social convention, was about to change. Taking baby steps, she would be the wind beneath her husband's wings, shaping, ever so carefully, her husband and a winning business enterprise.

It started with Pishima, the "defacto" head of the family. married at seven, widowed at twelve, she was shut away. She was angry, bitter and full of rage. Passing Pishima's room one day, Somlata froze. Pishima sat still...eyes open...lips unmoving...but "[Somlata] could clearly hear her speak, 'Yes, I'm dead...the wretch is finally gone...take the keys from...my sari...go to the north room...find...a wooden box...hide it in your room...my favorite jewelry...nothing must be touched'."

Where was Pishima's jewelry? Family members discussed its disappearance or possible theft. After all, they had expected to continue to live off the wealth created by Pishima's cache. Not so fast! Pishima might have died, but her ghost lives on. She appears to Somlata, dressed in a white sari, creating chaos and meting out advice...Cooking mutton?...smells divine...It'll be delicious, but you've forgotten the salt. Put plenty...that night everyone said the mutton was excellent, but there was too much salt".

Somlata's daughter, Boshon represented a new generation. "I knew everything was guided by rules. I would have to tear myself away from this freedom, this abandon, this fantasy walk amid nature under an exquisite moon, and return home. Just as I will have to dress up in wedding finery one day and take my place on the bride's seat. I feel I will get by without a man".

With humor and a push back against social convention, the reader meets three generations of Mitra women in "The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die" by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay. It was a joy to read the positive voices of these women who question the old aristocratic mores which will eventually give way to freedom and encourage forward thinking women.

Thank you HarperCollinsPublishers-Harper Via and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed a book of family of generations of Indian women.Their relationships lives a quirky involving read.Read it in one sitting#netgalley#harpercollins

I'm not sure how to judge this book.

I read it in a single setting, and it was certainly a page-turner. But, at the end, I'm left with no strong feelings whatsoever, and it didn't really have a conclusion, just a stopping point. Maybe I just didn't get it. Maybe I'm missing cultural context. I dunno.

...shrug.

Enjoyed reading a story about life in an Indian extended family, with one of the main characters the aunt widowed from when a child, who longs for a fuller life than the one she has to live. She takes to the new wife of her nephew and confides in, guides her in a magical realist way, even from the grave, to finally get what she wants.

Culturally and socially interesting, with lots of pathos and even humor.

A short novel about three generations of Indian women. Their relationships within a formerly rich family, the traditions and stories, form the basis. It read more like short stories, and was just okay. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

What a lovely, fun, interesting, quirky, short and fabulous book this is!

I loved it. I wasn't too sure what to expect going in but was very intrigued by the title of the book. And boy am I glad I received the ARC.
This story about women from different generations providing a thought-provoking picture of their lives, patriarchy, family lives, their culture, power, their social ways. There is just so much packed in this short story that it is incredible. I was sucked into it hook line and sinker.

Very well written by the author. The story packs a punch without rambling.

I would definitely recommend this delightful book to all.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay

If you like quirky stories, this book is for you. Four short stories blend to follow a family in India. You’ll get a taste of a woman’s place in Indian culture of the past. We see too that changes are slowly happening.

Aunt Pishima dies and yet keeps appearing to niece Somlata to give instructions and advice. With Aunt Pishi’s ghost-guidance, Somlata changes the fate of the family into which she has married, and therefore, her own.

This is a quick read and a fun novel with lots of threads that connect these stories. It is an interesting peek into India’s traditional life.

My thanks to #HarperCollins and #NetGalley for an ARC for my review.