Nectar in a Sieve is the story of Rukmani, an Indian woman who is the wife of a farmer. Throughout the years, many hardships beset their lives. She watched one of her children die from starvation, her only daughter work as a prostitute, and her other sons depart for jobs which she mistrusted. But after all of them, amazingly, she survives.
It's told in first person narration and that adds to the personality of the story. It gives the reader the idea that this could happen to anyone (and, sadly, it does happen). The plot is also built well and the events are believable. It offers the reader a glimpse of rural Indian life, and the encroachment of Western concepts in the countryside. The story also explores other topics such as morality, happiness, land ownership, and poverty.
I appreciate the novel very much. It's my first time to read an Indian novel (and, more so, one written by a woman!) and it left a really nice impression on me. :)
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