The book is about the relationship between Sera Dubash a Parsi middle- class housewife and her illiterate domestic servant Bhima. Their lives seemed at once so connected and so removed from each other.Bhima is nice tender humble and poor, if she is not a mother she is no one, she dreams better life for her orphan granddaughter Maya, through education. Sera is living with her pregnant daughter and son in law.In Spite of their friendship and the sense of loyalty the space between them caused by differences of class and culture never bridged.It is not about caste but rather class division, and dehumanizing traditions.It seems there is no hope to get out of poverty, as long as the poor and non educated are abused by powerful one's.It was not clear at the end of the book if there is a message of hope or not , when desperate Bhima turned her back to the darkness of Bombay night, released her helium-filled balloons, with her hands as empty as her heart. Comparing this book to the other books from the Indian writers read by the group, it was less appreciated. A comment was made about the number of Indian colloquialisms.
Susan Op De Beeck
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