Author: Miranda
Kennedy
Title: Sideways on a Scooter: Life and Love in
India
Description: Miranda
Kennedy moved to India to accommodate her job as an Asian-affairs reporter.
This book is about her time living among the Indians. It’s about how they view
foreigners, especially foreign women, and especially single foreign women
(Kennedy had to make up a mythical husband just to get an apartment). It’s also
about the condition of women in India in general. Kennedy’s servants, one a
Brahmin and one a dalit, and Kennedy’s two closest Indian friends come in for
scrutiny.
Writing style: Kennedy
is honest about her own feelings and shortcomings, and especially about her
trepidations as a single woman living in a foreign country. She is also
compassionate as she tries to understand lives that are so different from hers.
Audience: One of
my absolute favorite non-fiction genres is Americans living in foreign
countries, so people who share that with me will love this book. In general ,
it’s a great travel memoir.
Major ideas: India
is a really foreign place for Americans, especially when it comes to relations
between the sexes. This book was written before the horrific rape case of this
past year, but that situation was constantly on my mind as I read.
Wrap-up: I loved
this book and highly recommend it. 4/5*
No comments:
Post a Comment