The Sari Shop Widow
By: Shobhan Bantwal
Published: August 25, 2009
Format: Trade Paperback, 352pp
ISBN-13: 9780758232021
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Anjali Kapadia is an independent businesswoman in Edison, New Jersey's "Little India" district, and her family clothing boutique is in serious financial trouble. Desperate for financial assistance and advice, Angeli's father turns to his wealthy, but often tyrannical brother Jeveen. Anjali fears the worst, and expects disaster to befall the family business, engulfing her life savings in the process. Since she was widowed, a decade earlier, she has poured her life and effort into the boutique, and her efforts might have only been in vain. In the insightful East-West cultural novel The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal, the arrival of her terrifying uncle and his mysterious friend Rishi Shah, marked only the beginning of Anjali's journey.
The story of Anjali takes the form of an ethereal fairy tale, moving seamlessly between the grounded business culture of the United States, and the traditional and often exotic, traditional culture of India. As Angali lives her life, she is most at home in the Silks & Sapphires boutique, where her elite fashion designs are on display. The harsh reality of competition and a changing marketplace combined to create severe financial problems for the store. For the widowed Angali, still grieving the loss of her husband Vik, the boutique symbolizes her one hope in life. Financial problems, and the impending arrival of her powerful uncle, threaten to destroy the one hope remaining in her life.
Shobhan Bantal (photo left) creates a world that is both real and magical, and that sense of the miraculous exudes from every page. The beautiful descriptions of Indian culture in America, juxtaposed with the bottom line world of commerce, provide a wonderful backdrop for this modern day fairy tale. Indeed, Angali is the true princess of the family, and like the story of Cinderella, the family kingdom is in disarray as Angali continues to mourn her loss. Until the princess is restored to true happiness, the family fortunes will suffer. Her uncle's cash and the advice of his friend Rishi, could mean the start the transformation of the princess back to her rightful place, unless some unforeseen events intervene in her life.
The book features very well drawn characters, especially Angali, and the mysterious Rishi Shah, whose advice is crucial to the commercial success of the troubled boutique. The novel is a story of love, but also of redemption, of duty, and of second chances. The love that bonds the Kapadia family is deep and vital to the story. Without that powerful love of family, despite some setbacks, the fairy tale would have ended before Angali could achieve her destiny. The business is offered a second chance by the wealthy Uncle Jeevan, and that opportunity for renewed hope provides the catalyst for redemption for many of the characters. Second chances abound in the story, and form a powerful theme within the novel.
I highly recommend the enchanting The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal, to anyone seeking a real life fairy tale, that transcends cultures and uplifts the human spirit. The novel is a world where dreams can come true, but often painfully, and as fitting for a boutique, with a hefty price tag attached. The story will sweep the reader up, into the near mystical world of East and West, for a page turning delight.
Read the marvelous The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal, and share in the lives, loves, and business ventures of a family desperate for a miracle. The story and the intricate lives of its memorable cast of characters, will stay with the reader, long after the book is closed.
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