Jasmine Days by Benyamin

 

I picked up Jasmine days because of the rave reviews by Indian Bookstagrammers some time back. This book is about the Revolution that broke out in Arabia and I have to admit I did not have much idea about it and had to do a fair bit of Googling to catch up with the events in the book.

The narrator is Sameera, a radio jockey who is an immigrant in a Middle Eastern country. She wrote this book in the form of a letter to the editor of her book Javed. In the initial few chapters she talks about adjusting to a life in a foreign country in a house full of extended relatives she barely knows, away from her mother. Her relationship with her father was a bit strained initially but as they came to know each other better, they come to realise that they are more alike than they thought.

Any Indian could relate to the internal politics prevalent in a joint family and Sameera being new to the household naturally became a victim. However being headstrong and ever outspoken she soon learned to meander her way out of tricky situations. Her journey to womanhood by discovering herself, forging new friendships and realising her passion for the radio is a relevation in itself. You find yourself relating to young Sameera as she learns about the intricacies of life when she starts moving around on her own.

The Arab Revolution was written in a surprisingly simple yet detailed manner so that you could get an idea even without Googling much. The author makes it a point to not throw in any political tidbits or names and that worked for a person like me who doesn't want to lose continuity of reading in order to Google things. 

Her predicament regarding Ali, her best friend, was perhaps the most beautiful part of book. How do you choose between two dear people? How do you let go of your grudges and learn to forgive? Her moments of epiphany and ultimately deciding to stand up for herself no matter what are the things which force you to think about the choices you made in your own life.