A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman is available from Atria Books, a Division of Simon and Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020. It”s ISBN is 9781439101957. It’s list price is US$25.00. It can be purchased from Amazon as well as local booksellers.
I selected A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman for three reasons: 1) A friends recommendation; 2) The title and cover art and 3) A brief description of the book at http://www.rufreeman.com which is Ms. Freeman’s website. Based on all these things I thought the book sounded interesting and I was not disappointed.
Ms. Freeman’s writing style is simple and direct. She develops her plot and characters with understated ease drawing you deeper into the story, which by its end, will span nearly thirty years. Her writing is such that you enter the world of the story, set in Sri Lanka, with almost no effort and are into the tale before you know it.
Ms. Freeman’s characters are well-developed and realistic. They are as filled with flaws as they are with virtues. It is easy to identify with them, hope for them, grieve with them and celebrate for them. There are three main characters, Biso, a higher born caste member married to an abusive, drunken fisherman, whom she and her children are fleeing; Latha, a servant girl who is the companion, from earliest childhood to the third character, the high caste Thara, a pampered, upper crust girl who nonetheless forms a true bond with Latha that will extend throughout time and circumstance.
As a native of Sri Lanka, Ms. Freeman brings the settings and details in A Disobedient Girl to life. From the seaside village to the mountain tea plantations and everywhere in between Ms. Freeman paints a picture that allows you to imagine the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the exotic settings. Some terms or concepts may remain foreign at times making it difficult to remain caught up in the fantasy.
The difference in the lives of we Americans and the life of one of the characters, Latha, can best be shown in the following passage:
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Seventeen I think.”
“You don’t look seventeen. You look younger; fifteen maybe.”
“No, I’m definitely seventeen,” Latha said, using her pursed mouth as added evidence of her maturity
“How would you know?” Leela asked, swirling the tea in her cup, round and round and round like she was agitated.
“I counted,” Latha said majestically.
“From when?”
“I counted my birthdays.”
“Birthdays?” Leela asked, real awe in her voice, “Did your family celebrate your birthdays?”
This book is intended for mature audiences of any social class, though perhaps those of the higher classes might find it somewhat offensive, depending on their attitude toward their servants. Politically, the book manages to portray class struggle without becoming “preachy” and should be of widespread appeal regardless of one’s political leaning.
A Disobedient Girl is Ru Freeman’s début novel. She has done a good job with plot, setting and characterization in this novel and I find myself awaiting her next novel. I would recommend reading A Disobedient Girl.
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