PZ7.S5543 KEE 2007Keeping Corner
Sheth, Kashmira.
Booklist Review:
*Starred Review* Engaged at 2 and married at 9, 12-year-old Leela is awaiting her anu ceremony, after which she will move to her in-laws' home. But her husband is killed, and she suddenly becomes a widow. Her loving family follows the Brahman customs: Leela's head is shaved, her bright clothes are exchanged for plain ones, and most difficult of all, she must "keep corner," unable to leave her family's home for one year. She fears the saying that a widow's life "is like a living death," but India's fight for independence is escalating, and through discussions with her brother and her female tutor, both followers of Gandhi, Leela begins to question tradition: "Who started this? And why? Can anyone benefit from it?" Burying herself in news reports, literature, and her own writing, Leela determines to forgo the tradition of widows, who seem to "melt into darkness," and with the support of her brother and tutor, she begins to dream of a hopeful future as an educated, professional woman. Sheth (Blue Jasmine, 2004) sets up a thrilling premise in which politics become achingly personal as Leela's brave, tumultuous coming-of-age plays out in intimate detail against the backdrop of her nation's independence. Idealistic teens will be caught up in the human-rights issues, and the vivid cultural specifics, memorable characters, and the bold adolescent's challenge to tradition will attract a wide readership. Engberg, Gillian.
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