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Desire of the Moth a novel Champa Bilwakesh Books

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Desire of the Moth a novel Champa Bilwakesh Books

This book is a journey of the human spirit.
A tenacious young woman from India defies cultural norms, traditions, and expectations to go off, following her heart . Her tenacious spirit directs her, guides her, and leads her through traumatic family alienation.
The writing is clear, and Champa Bilwakesh is brilliant in conveying the heroine's turmoil while truly following her heart.
The cultural and political references at times were difficult for me to follow, but again, it was the basic theme of the human spirit and humanity which prevails within this family unit. I loved the book. I was drawn in within the first 30 pages. Champa made simple, quick, thought provoking statements which had me stopping mid-read to revisit what I just read. I love books that draw me in, but more importantly, I love books that celebrate an internal victory. Well done Champa! I couldn't put it down.


Tags : Amazon.com: Desire of the Moth: a novel (9781937357948): Champa Bilwakesh: Books,Champa Bilwakesh,Desire of the Moth: a novel,UpSet Press,1937357945,General,Brahmans - India, South,India, South - Politics and government - 20th century,India, South - Social life and customs - 20th century,Teenage girls - India, South,Widows - India, South,Cultural Heritage,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction General,FictionCultural Heritage,Historical - General,Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Desire of the Moth a novel Champa Bilwakesh Books Reviews

What a wonderfully written novel! The author does a great job painting such a vivid story, and developing characters that we truly love. As a former dancer, her descriptions of Sowmya's experiences really resonated with me and I could see all her movements in my mind's eye.

Great story, richly told, and vividly described.
If you’ve ever wondered about customs that horrify, whose cruelty is hard to justify, this book is for you. Set in the backdrop of a country fighting for independence is the story of a young widow fighting for hers. You cheer her escape from convention-bound in-laws, her self-discovery and eventual independence through dance, and finally, her bitter-sweet reconciliation with remnants of her family. Champa Bilwakesh tells a story of hope in Desire of the Moth, with a conviction that moves and enlightens. I read and re-read the story multiple times. At first reading I was gripped by Soumya’s fate and how she overcame her challenges. Later I went back to digest the nuances of Tamil Brahmin life, very delightfully exposed by the author. And still later to the historical backdrop. All these layers add a depth and richness to the story, which make this book a very enjoyable read. It fulfills Brecht’s decree that art must educate as well as entertain, to be useful. Highly recommend!
Champa Bilwakesh 's debut novel has a riveting plot that is skillfully narrated by the writer. The novel opens with the joyous marriage of the ten year old, Sowmya in the Brahmin Agraharam in South India in the early nineteen hundreds. The details of the shopping for the saris and veshties, the marudani applying, are delightful. After this, with the young newly wed husband's tragic death the prologue ends.A cruel play of destiny,!what else could it be but the play of destiny? Yet, we have an intimation of what sowmya's destiny would be, would she be subjected to the widowhood ritual of tonsure and other indignities? The writer says that while walking home with her cousins from the dance performance of a devadasi in the temple on the last night of the festivities, Sowmya "stuck her arms out and imitated the steps and gestures the devadasi made. Immediately she felt Janaki's firm grip on her shoulder, stopping her. "Behave!"
But Sowmya continued to try out the movements of the dancer , when she was alone, in the bathing room, and she "discovered an exquisite bubble that filled her chest when she danced. "
The rest is the unfolding of the course of Destiny, not only of Sowmya, but of all the others in the family, community and even the nation that was already way up in its struggle for independence from foreign rule, the air seemed thick with protests.
However, it is the ending , the destination in Varanasi, the Holy City on the Holy river Ganga, that was so poignant, the tumult ended in peace as a natural pause !Gang maia who gathered everyone without distinction in her bosom. No one to blame, no victim , no winner, everyone has part to play , the play is of interest not the players, and so the players have to keep the play going. Life goes on despite the twists and turns.
This book is a literary masterpiece – but not in a dull, preachy, high-brow way. It has all the appeal of a cool movie like Footloose (dare to dance and face the consequences) but with the importance of a classic, timeless novel. Bilwakesh has managed to write a novel with such attention to literary detail, precision of language, and historical significance that you almost forget while you are reading it that the plot is spellbinding, surprising, and relatable. In this way, it is a sacred text. I have read my fair share of books like this that leave you so devastated with the ending that you can’t think straight for days. Sometimes endings like that seem like a shortcut to pull at the emotions of the reader. I prefer this ending that is more nuanced and realistic. It doesn’t romanticize or vilify the past and antiquated traditions. I think we look to people who break down cultural and gender stereotypes in favor of justice and progression as heroes, but Bilwakesh’s story shows how truly complicated it is. There is no winning or losing or right and wrong – there are only consequences. Everyone in our heart’s field is affected by decisions we make that are out of the ordinary. Although future generations may benefit, there are sacrifices that must be made by all the people who are connected to the “hero.”
Great read! Well written and good story.
A beautiful story teller! Thoroughly enjoyed the book and it's nuances. The tale weaves together a poignant picture of practices of the time when widowhood ostracized women from mainstream life as well as brings out the strength and courage of women who chose different paths. In particular, it has a special significance for dancers today to understand that there was a time when dance was not socially accepted as an art form and frowned upon. Towards the end, the book captures intuitively a spiritual path that comes from the practice of dance - one that unites a person with oneself.
This book is a journey of the human spirit.
A tenacious young woman from India defies cultural norms, traditions, and expectations to go off, following her heart . Her tenacious spirit directs her, guides her, and leads her through traumatic family alienation.
The writing is clear, and Champa Bilwakesh is brilliant in conveying the heroine's turmoil while truly following her heart.
The cultural and political references at times were difficult for me to follow, but again, it was the basic theme of the human spirit and humanity which prevails within this family unit. I loved the book. I was drawn in within the first 30 pages. Champa made simple, quick, thought provoking statements which had me stopping mid-read to revisit what I just read. I love books that draw me in, but more importantly, I love books that celebrate an internal victory. Well done Champa! I couldn't put it down.