In her novel, Small Days and Nights, the poet-novelist, Tishani Doshi, invites us to join her bi-racial protagonist, Grace, as she negotiates a life marked by conflict, loss, and anger. The book begins with Grace, once an American wife with a career in that country, living
…more unconventionally and unwillingly, with her sister, who has Down's syndrome, and a pack of dogs. Their lives in a crumbling complex set in the far south of India are integrated with political unrest and material disparity. They are both like and profoundly unlike their neighbors.
Grace is not a warm and fuzzy protagonist. It is the reader's task to discover both the reasons for her current status and the sources of her sense of emptiness. We are invited to think about, and either accept, or condemn, the ways in which Grace seeks happiness.
In almost brutally honest terms, Doshi describes the people in Grace's life, and the contrasting beauty and ugliness within Indian culture and society. Thoughtfully reading Doshi's text invites the reader to develop an appreciation for ambiguity in the character's life and our own. Her final chapter challenges us to ask what it means to be true to oneself.
This book is an excellent book club choice. It avoids cliches and gradually builds empathy for Grace, her sister, and their serially abused nation. I would describe it as a novel to be admired, rather than liked, but one which grows on you and is worth reading. (less)
