Mistress: A Novel

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When travel writer Christopher Stewart arrives at a riverside resort in Kerala, India to meet Koman, Radha's uncle and a famous dancer, he enters a world of masks and repressed emotions. From their first meeting, both Radha and her uncle are drawn to the enigmatic young man with his cello and his incessant questions about the past. The triangle quickly excludes Shyam, Radha's husband, who can only watch helplessly as she embraces Chris with a passion that he has never been able to draw from her. Also playing the role of observer-participant is Koman; his life story, as it unfolds, captures all the nuances and contradictions of the relationships being made--and unmade--in front of his eyes.From BooklistLushly infused with Hindu mysticism and potently imbued with volcanic emotions of fury, contempt, fear, and wonder, Nair's spirited tale of forbidden love set in contemporary India mirrors the radiance and majesty of the traditional Indian dance form known as kathakali. The presence of a young American irrevocably alters the lives of Radha; her husband, Shyam; and uncle Koman. Tape recorder in hand, Chris Stewart is ensconced in the resort compound operated by Radha's husband, intent on interviewing Koman about his once illustrious career as a kathakali dancer, yet it is Radha who fatefully captures his interest. Their attraction is immediate and immense, starkly contrasting the thinly disguised revulsion Radha feels for Shyam. As the lovers flaunt convention and Radha risks ostracism, Koman ruefully reveals the complex details of his heritage and the sacrifices he chose to make for the sake of his craft. Tempestuously exotic, Nair's intricately woven multicultural and multigenerational saga pulsates with passion and desire. Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReview"Tempestuously exotic, Nair's intricately woven multicultural and multigenerational saga pulsates with passion and desire."--Booklist"This intricately plotted novel by Nair (Ladies Coupé), her third to be published in the United States, blends myth, history, and human emotion into a mixture as sweet as the nectar of the jackfruit and as tangled as human behavior . . . Highly recommended."--Library Journal, starred reviewPraise for Ladies Coupé"Nair is a powerful writer, who through this tender story shows great understanding and compassion for women and for the choices and regrets they cannot avoid."--Booklist"Nair's strength lies in bringing alive the everyday thoughts, desires and doubts of these six ordinary women."--Times Literary Supplement" . . . quietly powerful . . ." --Kirkus Reviews"A sensitive exploration of the tension of self-actualization vs. familial responsibility in a society with traditional values, this novel . . .will surely resonate with readers everywhere."--Library Journal"Nair is a powerful writer. . . she has created what must be one of the most important feminist novels to come out of South Asia."--Daily Telegraph (UK)