Book: Under the Bakula Tree: A Sisterhood Finds Roots Against the Patriarchy

Author: Prasannakumary Raghavan

Genre: Fiction

Format: eBook

Publisher: Self-published on Amazon KDP

Pages: 55

My Rating: 3.5/5 *

About the Book:

In the author’s words, this book is a sorrowful, traumatic, and intensely romantic chronicle of three women who find their sisterhood blossoming Under the Bakula Tree. The story is set in Kerala. This book talks about a widow who is consistently tormented by patriarchal traditions. As a woman, she faces society’s challenges and at a point in life, she finds love again. However, according to the rules set by the patriarch, it is forbidden to accept love as a widow.

In the author’s words: “It explores the females’ struggles to break away from the shackles of genderism and patriarchy in a male-dominated, materially developing Kerala and how they can employ the power of sisterhood for that.”

Author Bio:

Prasannakumary Raghavan wrote her first story at the age of seven. After her marriage in 1978, she joined her educator husband, employed in Africa, and together they served a string of African nations. She took early retirement in 2011 and joined a creative writing course to fulfill her childhood passion. It was a long journey and Under the Bakula Tree– got released to the world on the Amazon KDP platform on 18 December 2021. More stories are taking shape on her laptop.

She and her husband now live in Cape Town, South Africa. Cooking delicious meals to entertain their two daughters and their husbands during visits is her other passion, which she accomplishes jointly with her husband.

Book Cover:

I loved the book cover. The cover designer, Ra’eesah deserves a pat on her back. She has done an incredible job in designing the book cover. The elements she has used perfectly captured the true essence of the storyline offered by the author. Especially, the vibrantly designed Bakula tree and the three women sitting under it to find their solace and refuge in their sisterhood. Thus, the book cover attracts readers instantly and uplifts their mood with a calming vibe all over the cover. Whether it’s the background elements or the soothing color, the book cover steals the show.

A Glimpse of the Book:

This is a story that revolves around the lives and instances of three women. Among them, the main protagonist, Sara, a widow and a mother of two, faces many obstacles in society and she stands against societal norms to find her self-belief and independence again. But the journey was not smooth at all; as we can understand for a widow, this society is still a tough place that continuously pokes and stalks and judges a single woman for everything she does.

This is when Sara finds her girl tribe to stand with her through thick and thin. These three women start meeting regularly under a Bakula tree to share their ups and downs and support each other in their journey ahead. This way, one day, Sara starts living her lost dreams again and this friendship turns into a sisterhood that becomes the core strength to each of these three women.

Sara finds love again, and she starts her life’s new chapter with newly earned self-esteem. Along with her, the other two women, Viji and Alina,   help her in everything, and the sisterhood that blossomed between these three women becomes a forever sign of the foundation of faith.

A Quote to Remember:

Writing Style:

I somehow felt there was a lack in the presentation of the story. The story was strong, it could have raised more interest in readers if it had been woven with more conviction and clarity. At times I felt the scenes were ambiguous and thus it took time to understand what the writer wanted to convey to readers through that instance.

But I want to appreciate the author’s choice of plot. It takes courage to choose such a strong plot to write her debut book. Writing about womanhood and the theme of independence caught my attention and I would like to read more works from her on this very concept.

What Makes the Difference:

The book talks about friendship, sisterhood, loss, love, dreams, hope, patriarchy, society, judgments, labels, restrictions, and most importantly, independence.

The central theme of the book grabs the attention of readers as it revolves around the contribution of sisterhood to relieve lost dreams and earn freedom from the patriarch and their rules and norms.

Thus, the theme of the book is an important aspect of womanhood and thus, the story is based on a strong concept that resonates with all women.

But at times I lacked the intensity of the thoughts and the depth of the storyline while reading the book.

My recommendation:

I loved reading the book and how it chronicles the lives of three women intertwined with the bonding of friendship, affection, and strength. The most interesting thing that caught my attention while reading the book was the sisterhood that blossomed between these three women, which became a forever sign of the foundation of faith. It’s heart-warming to read about their individual stories, how they met, and how they found their lifelong cheerleaders and confidante in each other. This book could be a nice light read for a lazy weekend.

Buy the book here.

(This review has been written as part of the Blogchatter Book Review Program. I received the review copy for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.)

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