In the Convent of Little Flowers by Indu Sundaresan
Now in paperback, internationally bestselling author Indu Sundaresan presents a poignant collection of contemporary short stories about the challenges and consequences faced by women in Indian life today. Like Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, Indu Sundaresan's In the Convent of Little Flowers gives readers an eloquent and illuminating collection of stories about contemporary Indian life, exploring the cutting-edge issues that surround the clash between ancient tradition and modernity. In the collection's title story, a young woman adopted by an American family in Seattle receives a letter from Sister Mary Theresa, a nun at the Convent of Little Flowers in Chennai, where she stayed as a child. Unbeknownst to the Indian woman, the nun is her biological mother's sister. In another story, the grandmother of an Indian journalist begs her grandson to intervene and stop a young widow from being burned alive. And when a teenaged daughter bears a child out of wedlock, her entire family is thrown into turmoil. With their lush prose, vividly rendered settings, and complex characters, these and the other stories in this elegant collection bring readers into the experience of Indian women at home and abroad, where modernity offers them lives their grandmothers could never dream of, while at the same time taking away parts of their history. With a delicate touch, Indu Sundaresan weaves the pieces of the conflict together, presenting a nuanced and unforgettable tapestry. Editorial Reviews Sundaresan (The Twentieth Wife) bluntly questions how evolved the globalized world truly is in these stories of individuals trapped between India's archaic traditions and blitz into modernity. In ''Three and a Half Seconds,'' Meha and Chandar's arranged but loving marriage blossoms regardless of the unease they feel regarding the violent peculiarities of their son, Bikaner. As their humble but hard working lives wind down, they become victims of abuse in the home that they share with Bikaner and his wife. In ''The Faithful Wife,'' Ram, a journalist, is called home by his grandmother to intervene in a sati, the immolation of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre. The widow in this case is a 12-year-old girl. Finally, in ''Hunger,'' two women re-evaluate their own worth as well as their own definitions of love and happiness. The stories are sobering, all the more so for Sundaresan's nuanced character work and blistering social critique; she doesn't pull any punches in her heartbreaking and sometimes repulsive portrayals of oppressors and victims. (Dec.)Copyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. - Publishers Weekly Sundaresan (The Splendor of Silence, 2007, etc.) returns to short stories to chronicle the often extreme changes in contemporary Indian society. For the most part, the author narrates her stories from the perspective of modernized or Westernized Indians trying to come to terms with the rural traditions they have left behind. In ''Shelter of Rain,'' a young woman who had been adopted out of an Indian orphanage and raised by white parents in Seattle receives a letter from her biological aunt and remembers some of the conditions of her early childhood. Others are more brutal-the narrator of ''Fire'' returns from America to her native India to confront her grandmother after learning about her younger sister Kamala's death. The grandmother had led a group stoning against Kamala and her Muslim boyfriend because she feared the shame that their marriage would bring on the family. Similarly, in ''The Faithful Wife,'' a young reporter leaves the city when his grandmother tells him that their village is planning to burn a 12-year-old widow alive on her husband's funeral pyre, in order to honor a centuries-old tradition. Other characters have a difficult time accepting the loss of tradition. Nathan, a new grandfather in ''The Most Unwanted,'' must come to terms with his illegitimate grandson, now living in his house. The grandfather resents the boy for what he perceives to be his daughter's mistakes. And Meha, in ''Three and a Half Seconds,'' narrates a tragic story of moving her family to Mumbai from their rural rice farm, where her son becomes corrupted by the modern lifestyle and turns into a shallow monster. Best at its most brutal, the shocking imagery saves this often overwritten collection fromsuccumbing to immigrant cliches so common in contemporary South Asian fiction. Agent: Sandra Dijkstra/Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency - Kirkus Reviews'
Publication Details
Title:
Author(s):
Illustrator:
Binding: Paperback
Published by: Atria Books: , 2010
Edition:
ISBN: 9781416586104 | 1416586105
216 pages.
Book Condition: Very Good
products.product.pickup_availability.unavailable
Product information
New Zealand Delivery
Shipping Options
Shipping options are shown at checkout and will vary depending on the delivery address and weight of the books.
We endeavour to ship the following day after your order is made and to have pick up orders available the same day. We ship Monday-Friday. Any orders made on a Friday afternoon will be sent the following Monday. We are unable to deliver on Saturday and Sunday.
Pick Up is Available in NZ:
Warehouse Pick Up Hours
- Monday - Friday: 9am-5pm
- 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon NZ
Please make sure we have confirmed your order is ready for pickup and bring your confirmation email with you.
Rates
-
New Zealand Standard Shipping - $6.00
- New Zealand Standard Rural Shipping - $10.00
- Free Nationwide Standard Shipping on all Orders $75+
Please allow up to 5 working days for your order to arrive within New Zealand before contacting us about a late delivery. We use NZ Post and the tracking details will be emailed to you as soon as they become available. There may be some courier delays that are out of our control.
International Delivery
We currently ship to Australia and a range of international locations including: Belgium, Canada, China, Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, United States, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Philippines, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden & Singapore. If your country is not listed, we may not be able to ship to you, or may only offer a quoting shipping option, please contact us if you are unsure.
International orders normally arrive within 2-4 weeks of shipping. Please note that these orders need to pass through the customs office in your country before it will be released for final delivery, which can occasionally cause additional delays. Once an order leaves our warehouse, carrier shipping delays may occur due to factors outside our control. We, unfortunately, can’t control how quickly an order arrives once it has left our warehouse. Contacting the carrier is the best way to get more insight into your package’s location and estimated delivery date.
- Global Standard 1 Book Rate: $37 + $10 for every extra book up to 20kg
- Australia Standard 1 Book Rate: $14 + $4 for every extra book
Any parcels with a combined weight of over 20kg will not process automatically on the website and you will need to contact us for a quote.
Payment Options
On checkout you can either opt to pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express), Google Pay, Apple Pay, Shop Pay & Union Pay. Paypal, Afterpay and Bank Deposit.
Transactions are processed immediately and in most cases your order will be shipped the next working day. We do not deliver weekends sorry.
If you do need to contact us about an order please do so here.
You can also check your order by logging in.
Contact Details
- Trade Name: Book Express Ltd
- Phone Number: (+64) 22 852 6879
- Email: sales@bookexpress.co.nz
- Address: 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon, 4821, New Zealand.
- GST Number: 103320957 - We are registered for GST in New Zealand
- NZBN: 9429031911290
We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unread.
To start a return, you can contact us at sales@bookexpress.co.nz. Please note that returns will need to be sent to the following address: 35 Nathan Terrace, Shannon, New Zealand 4821.
If your return is for a quality or incorrect item, the cost of return will be on us, and will refund your cost. If it is for a change of mind, the return will be at your cost.
You can always contact us for any return question at sales@bookexpress.co.nz.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon reception and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
Exceptions / non-returnable items
Certain types of items cannot be returned, like perishable goods (such as food, flowers, or plants), custom products (such as special orders or personalised items), and personal care goods (such as beauty products). Although we don't currently sell anything like this. Please get in touch if you have questions or concerns about your specific item.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on gift cards.
Exchanges
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and once the return is accepted, make a separate purchase for the new item.
European Union 14 day cooling off period
Notwithstanding the above, if the merchandise is being shipped into the European Union, you have the right to cancel or return your order within 14 days, for any reason and without a justification. As above, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unworn or unused, with tags, and in its original packaging. You’ll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.
Refunds
We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method within 10 business days. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
If more than 15 business days have passed since we’ve approved your return, please contact us at sales@bookexpress.co.nz.