Book Review : One Part Women, Lonely Harvest and Trial By Silence by Murugan
I am happy to say I am Murugan Fan, now.
I picked the titles “Trial by Silence”, and “Lonely Harvest” from JCB short list. After ordering these two I got to know there is part 1, and decided not to read them unless I finish part 1 “One Part Woman”.
One Part Woman
A picturesque journey to South Indian farmer couple’s life, living in unknown blessings called “simplicity”. Story of a couple Kali and Ponnu, who has is all. Farmland of their own, good health, a loving family, and zeal to dive deep in hard work and most importantly, they are honest. Only one thing they don’t have is “child”. This story talks a lot about What does a couple go through for merely not having a child. A lot of it even stands true today. Though both of them believe each other is enough, this story is about is ‘love’ enough?
Small incidents are weaved in with beautiful narratives to show deep-rooted stigma attached to women who are childless. Year after year for 12 years both of them have visited all possible shrines and dainties one knows about asking for a simple wish, a child. But destiny is in the mood to turn this simple void into a curse. To end this dismay, their family conspires to bring the couple out of this misery by sending Ponnu to chariot festival, where consenting adults can have sex. The festival has blessed many childless couples in their village, though no one openly talks about it. Widespread belief in the village is children are God’s gift and that one night during the festival God comes in the form of random unknown male blessing you child. Followed to it life goes on as animosity is the boon.
Kali’s love for Ponnu doesn’t allow him to accept the child born out of sharing Ponnu even if that is for a night. Ponnu is ready to face the wrath of society because a wife and lover in her heart are content with love Kali gives her, but there is this another woman in her aches for tiny hands and cradle. She in a moment of weakness accepts the family’s proposal to visit the festival but only if Kali consents.
“One Part Women” ends with Ponnu visiting the festival assuming that she has Kali’s blessings and when Kali finds out about his family’s betrayal, he is devastated – leaving us to wonder what Kali will do now? Where will Kali and Ponnu’s relationship go?
A simple writing, well drafted characters speaking of own storyline that resonate varied character and their life.
Murugan doesn’t want readers to be content with one possibility, so he writes two versions of part 2. He Extends the part2 with two possible extreme paths that Kali might take. In either of the paths, he takes Ponna’s life isn’t easy.
A Lonely Harvest
Upon finding that Ponnu has been to the chariot festival, Kali is heartbroken and full of rage. He wants to take revenge upon everyone, so he commits suicide in this part. Leaving his old mother and wife alone, he wants to punish them both for this treachery. He wants his absence to be the daily reminder to bother of them of the deceit. He wants to be free of the hurt but keep Ponnu in it forever trapped. An act of ultimate revenge.
Coming to terms with Kali’s death is difficult for Serayi, but the old widow comes alive to support Ponnu. Reminiscing her hardship of raising a son as a single mother, she wants to do it all for Ponna. In “One Part Woman” her relationship with Ponna is very customary and limited. There is a woman to support another woman. Serayi goes all out to break and bend all that she can to bring the life back to normal for Ponnu.
For me, this version of the story is about redemption, yes there is hurt due to lost love, but that can’t stop the wheel of life. The living must unburden themselves and find purpose. Breaking the patriarchy, Serayi and Ponna’s mother leads the life head-on. Redeem her reputation and legitimacy of her pregnancy; they prepare Ponnu to welcome a child and life of a single mother.
The harvesting time is around the corner when Kali dies, leaving all hard fieldwork to women. All it takes is resolve on man’s arms and strength to run a farm life that Poona and Serayi show with grace.
I like this part compare to another personally. It also ends with a surprising possibility of Ponna thinking about a human God who blessed her with a child during the Chariot Festival. Leaving the interesting possibility of part 3. ( I hope Murugan is reading this. )
Trail By Silence
Kali comes back home post the Chariot Festival and attempts suicide but gets saved by his mother and followed to that he goes on living like a hermit in silence. He goes on living with indifference. He takes hurt upon himself by drinking, not doing anything and by becoming a mute. He in silence, he accuses Poona, inflict her of the pain she never imagined possible.
If you read “ a lonely harvest” first, you think this part would be better to have Kali alive. But that is the worst part. Kali is alive but not there, not helping his old mother who raised her alone against all the odds or wife whom he loved beyond all. Why? Because he is hurting, what about Ponna? Kali is not only selfish but also self absorbed in this part. Again in this adversity, women of the house come together and become the support system.
Ponna seeks forgiveness for the crime she didn’t commit; there is desperation and despair while she looks for her old Kali. She wants him to fight; she wants him to say he is hurt, she wants him to come to her, she wants to ask for forgiveness. She wants him to understand that even she was tricked. She wants to reach out, extend her hands, look for a grasp of love, but she gets nothing amidst all she never fails to stand up for her self esteem.
This story of an estranged couple is heart-wrenching, but it is told in simple words without any excess. That is the real beauty of it.
Read all three of them or anyone of them you will enjoy the art of pure, simple storytelling at it’s best.
