Book Review: Ladies' Coupe by Anita Nair

I picked up Ladie's Coupe for 80¢ in the St. Vinnie's book room, because I liked the cover. I liked the cover, OK? I defied years of people intoning, "Don't judge a book by its cover ..." and you know what? The Library Goddess did not smite me with her bun and spectacles. That's a good thing.

Reading Ladies' Coupe was a good thing too. This is a novel about Akhila, 45-years old and never married. Her father died when she was in her late teens; as an acknowledgment of his years spent working in an income tax office, Akhila is given a position as an income tax clerk so that she can support her mother, sister and two brothers. And so the years slip by, until one day Akhila realizes that she has done nothing for herself. She decides to take a short vacation to a seaside resort -- alone, much to her family's consternation.

Up until quite recently female travelers on India's railways had the option of riding in the "ladies' coupe" -- a compartment set aside strictly for women. Akhila reserves a seat in a ladies' coupe, and traveling among women whom she knows she will never see again, she feels free to ask them, does she really need a marriage to be fulfilled? During the course of the journey, each of the other 5 women in the coupe has a chance to tell her life story.

For some reason I have a special interest in India. I've loved the films of Mira Nair (no relation to the author of this book that I know of) and have read quite a few novels as well. This really was a marvelous addition to the canon. I recommend it.