Nectar in a Sieve

Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya, is the story of Rukmani, an Indian peasant woman living in the former half of the twentieth century. There's very little that is happy about this book. By the time I was a third of the way into it, I felt like the pattern had been established: she was never going to have even a moderately secure and comfortable life, no matter how hard she tried or how much her life might be looking up at times.

So, emotionally, the book can be a difficult read - it's full of loss and struggle and hardship - though Rukmani's refusal to give up hope is somewhat uplifting. Sometimes. The writing itself is simple and graceful, with some downright lyrical passages. Nectar is a well-written novel that I especially recommend to readers who want to learn about poverty, India, peasant life, and the like through fiction.

Grade: B