The Grande Matriarch of Malabar-Sajita Nair

Book: The Grande Matriarch of Malabar
Author: Sajita Nair
Publisher: Readomania

I was provided a Media Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you think that some traditions should adapt to changing times or should they hold fast like rocks?

How far will you go to hold on to your heritage? Is the house more important than the people who live in it? Dakshayani Amma—the grande dame of matrilineal Kalyedath—must ensure its longevity, but having a differently abled daughter jeopardizes her hope of an heiress. As her challenge turns into an obsession, she disregards her well-wishers and overlooks the stakes. But there is a price to pay.   When Rohini visits India from the US, she has only one objective in mind—the sale of the Kalyedath Tharavad bequeathed to her. But when unexplained hurdles befall her, she is forced to revisit the past.  How are the two women’s lives intertwined? What happens to the Tharavad? Does it become a relic like the traditional joint families?

Sajita picks up the continuous struggle people are facing today-retain your heritage or adapt to modern times. The book explores the struggle of a matriarch to keep the traditions of her Tharavad alive while the world around her changes. Opening the book with Rohini, the granddaughter of Dakshayani Amma, the matriarch, coming to the Tharavad to sell it off post the death of Dakshayani Amma, but she faces unnatural hurdles in doing so. This is when she revisits the past, and we get to know the story of the traditional matrilineal household and the history of the house as well as her family. Through the story, the author has tried to put forth the question of traditions versus change, and to think whether in this race of getting modern, are we leaving a part of our culture behind. Another thing I liked about the book was its descriptive nature and Sajita takes due care to paint a picture of the Tharavad as she explains the setup and the surrounding areas. The storytelling is powerful and Sajita explains the plight of the elder son of the family as he grows up keeping the wishes of the matriarch fulfilled. The book moves at a comfortable pace and keeping the drama in the story till the last page. The climax has been well plotted and Rohini’s decision brings the story to a nice close.

The beauty of the story lies in the characters and Dakshayani Amma’s character has been created intricately. There are multiple layers to her character and each one of them has been explored quite in detail. Her respect for the tradition as well as the well-being of the Tharavad and its members has been put forth in the story. I also loved the character of Achuthan and the way his character arc develops and closes the story in the end.

Overall, this is a wonderful story of family, tradition and changing times. The book scores 4.56/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India.