Book Review: A Mother's Goodbye

 

A Mother's Goodbye by Kasturi Patra
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"After all, she was so much more than just our Ma.

Isn't every mother that way? We assume they're just generic lumps of women steeped in the sacrificial essence of motherhood, but I wonder how many fragrances are hidden beneath that strong scent, waiting to be released? These women are such beautifully complex creatures and we reduce them to the role of just being our mothers."

-- Quote from "A Mother's Goodbye" by Kasturi Patra

Can a woman long for a life without her children? Is motherhood only about sacrifice and unconditional love? Is there anything wrong with viewing our mothers as asexual beings? Kasturi Patra's debut novel raises a lot of such questions about motherhood. The plot revolves around three siblings in Kolkata: two teenagers and an eight-year old boy. The story is told from the perspectives of the two teenagers. When their mother suddenly disappears, they are forced to take on adult responsibilities for which they were ill-prepared. Dipa was a single mother raising her three children on her own. The teen-agers try to make sense of an adult world and earn a livelihood while grappling with their own sexualities.

What I love most about the book is that Kasturi doesn't take sides. Being a mother, my heart goes out to the children who have been compelled by circumstances to live without the support of any adult gurdian. But when I read Dipa's account, I cannot help but feel for her. Kasturi has written with so much sensitivity that it becomes difficult to take sides.

My biggest takeaway from the book is that like all other aspects of life, motherhood should also be a choice and not a compulsion. And we all know that both the agony and ecstasy of parenthood belong mostly to the mother, even if she is not a single mother. So her opinion whether she wants to be a mother or not matters most.

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