“And that was when she saw it. Had it always been there? That lamp glowing from within. How had it survived all these previous months? How had it held on? No matter, it was greater than her body, it was greater than all else. She laughed, for perhaps the first time since the night in the weaving hut, to see it there. To know it was hers.”
In her debut novel, Shobha Rao writes the story of two girls in India born into poverty, Savitha and Poornima. Their existence is controlled by the men in their lives: first their fathers, then husbands. Savitha escapes her husband, but is still owned by other men (unfortunately, human trafficking plays a significant role in her story). The two girls are separated and while Savitha searches for freedom, Poornima searches for Savitha.
This book is a heart-wrenching, difficult read. There are scenes of rape, abuse, physical disfigurement, human trafficking, and many other humiliations. But it also offers a story of true friendship and hope. It will make you consider the depth of the human soul, and how much abuse it can take before it shuts down. While Poornima is working in a brothel, she notices that there is something different about the other girls working there: they have become indifferent to their pain and have lost their light. Against all odds, she and Savitha, even while being separated, are able to maintain their inner light and continue to search for something greater. The girls are given two options: let them extinguish your light or burn brighter. We promise, the ending will give you chills.
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