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Suffering and Spirituality, Murder and Love all in one skillful tale Jan 02, 2006
Sattar Memon's The Ashram begins with the announcement that a young bride has declared her intention to be cremated on the funeral pyre of her just deceased husband. The stark realization that this she will be burned alive, not cremated, as the pyre is lit with her holding his head in her lap ... this is Suttee ... sets the reader in tremulous anticipation about what to expect next. Is this really happening? Is it possible that this still goes on in India?
For those who believe that such strange "customs" (Suttee has long been banned by law, but the law is sometimes honored in the breach) define Indian life, Memon's unfolding story weaves a mosaic that tells of the quiddity of India. He provides glimpses of the life, colors and texture of the village and villagers, the mighty, the poor, and of the land and its culture. Memon writes in sentences capturing vivid images not only of color, beauty and tenderness, but also of the wrenching emotions of terror, violence and exploitation. Into this tapestry of life, culture and landscape, he weaves a plot of intrigue, murder and corruption, on the one hand, and love, tenderness and spirituality on the other.
Memon's protagonist is an American physician, Dr. Jonathan Kingsley who is himself trying to come to terms with his grief over the death of his wife and child. Memon, himself a physician who has cared for cancer patients, uses his knowledge of medicine to advantage. But more importantly, having faced death with his cancer patients, Memon seems peculiarly attuned to the nuances of the grieving process. Against this backdrop, Memon writes of Kingsley's journey to India, a journey that is to take him to the Ashram where he will minister to abused and neglected women. On his way to the Ashram, Kingsley learns of the impending suttee and convinces his driver to take him to the cremation site. Here begins a tale with twists and turns to rival some of the best suspense writers.
Along the way, Kingsley gets to the Ashram where he meets Swamiji and also the beautiful blonde European who is obviously attracted to him. Memon does not disclose until later, Kingsley's feelings toward her, but one is left wondering whether Kingsley will take to the pretty Indian woman, Gauri. Read the book to find out more about the mysterious Gauri and the mysterious Geeta too.
Into this story, Memon also folds the wisdom of Swamiji, the sage at the Ashram. Here is a book that will tear you apart emotionally as you read about lives torn apart and then it will show you how to come to terms with what being human is all about.
But enough already ... by now you should have a copy of the book at hand so I'll let you get to reading it. Enjoy this wonderful book.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 A Book for All Aug 25, 2005
This novel held my attention to the very end. The story line was very intriquing but not too complicated to follow. I liked the way the author followed through with each of his characters and their lives and had them come to a satisfying conclusion. There were many different themes intermingling, much like our own lives. Although the people in the story were of a different culture, you could identify with their feelings as human beings when life tossed new situations their way. What I liked most about this book was the way the author used his characters and their story to present differing views on politics, religion or philosophy without preaching. In this way the reader learned to live a different culture and get a better understanding of it through someone else's eyes. Within a seemingly simple structure, comlex views are presented, not to mention scenes of the countryside and everyday like in various sectors of Indian society. Through eye-opening moments, this book generates feelings of joy, sorrow, love, hate, fear, comfort, loss, and finds beauty in all of them. I highly recommend this novel for all.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
A Moving Take Aug 11, 2005
Roxxana, always curious., August 10, 2005,
A Moving Story
Often when we travel, we are seeking to find ourselves. We are pursuing an answer to a question that can not be found at home. Such is the case of the protagonist, Jonathan, in Sattar Memon's amazing first book: The Ashram. Jonathan has traveled to India, seeking relief from the grief he feels upon his wife's death. He is adrift and in pain. He travels to India, to work as a doctor at a remote ashram. En route, in an unbearably hot and dusty taxi, he hears a news blurb on the taxi's radio. It's relating a story of a woman whose grief is so great she is planning to throw herself upon her dead husband's burning pyre, committing suttee. The extent to her grief touches a cord in Jonathan. As the book unfolds, Jonathan comes in contact with this woman and hears her story. Through her pain, and the pain of others in India, he is able to frame his grief with the contrasts and similarities of their lives. Sattar Memon has a deft touch in dealing with the complexities of these parallel and intertwining lives. One of his strength lies in his ability to use realistic dialogue. He has a gift for language, accents and cadence. It allowed me to feel empathetic towards the characters because I felt as if I could 'hear them'. Another of Memon's strengths is in his intimate knowledge of India. He was exceptionally skillful in his descriptions of the landscape of India, whether it was the smells and flavors of the food, the shimmering, dusty heat, or the sounds of the street. His medical knowledge was also a treat to read. It made the scenes quite authentic. There was an authenticity to the whole book that I really enjoyed. A feeling that I was traveling to India and learning along with Jonathan as he examined his feelings about death, pain, and renewal. I thought it was a wonderfully moving, enlightening book.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
An insider's expose` of Indian village life Aug 09, 2005
When one thinks of an Indian village, one sees serenity, peace and the pastoral pleasures of the simple life. Harried and stressed in our industrialized societies, hundreds of burnt-out westerners find solace in peaceful havens called "ashrams", where batteries can be recharged and sanity restored. This is not the case in Sattar Memon's, ASHRAM. It records the trials and tribulations of a physician from Maine who needs a new start in life and goes to India for spiritual enlightenment. Instead , he is immersed in sea of troubles, low-caste persecution, intrigue, lies, murder and even ritualized wife-burning.One can spend decades in India and not be able to scratch the veneer of complex issues in rural Indian societies.
This book provides a fountainhead of authentic inside information, not accessible even to experts on Indian life. One can only wonder about how these rigid, stratified, often corrupt institutions have oppressed poor people and survived for centuries!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
The Ashram Aug 08, 2005
This is an incredible novel about the eternal struggle between good and evil. The characters become very real and you are drawn into their world and India's culture as the drama unfolds. "The Ashram" is a story that will make you think about your own life especially in spiritual terms. As they say; a real page turner.
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