Jun 03 2009
The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar a review
I saw a review for this book on one of the book review blogs that I follow and I got it from the library. I was really happy that I got it out because it spoke to me as a mother.
In the years following the death of their son Benny, Ellie and Frank uproot their lives and move to the subcontinent of India in the hopes of repairing and revitalizing their deteriorating marriage. Ellie believes and is able to convince Frank, that the move to India is the best thing for them. They move to a rural village in India, that houses an American company named HerbalSolutions, so that Frank can run the companies operations there. Ellie immediately takes to her surroundings - she begins by making friends with the local townspeople and volunteering as a therapist with a nearby clinic. Frank continues his employment with Herbal Solutions, but it doesn’t seem to bring anything but grief. For example, one resident (who is a union leader, agitating for higher wages and more breaks), is killed in police custody and another resident commits suicide after losing business to the company. Frank’s life brightens when his servant’s son, Ramesh, who is around the same age as his dead son, enters his life. This relationship soon has a negative impact on Frank’s mental health and he becomes obsessed with keeping Ramesh. This leads to conflicts with Ramesh’s father, Prakesh, that leads to tragic consequences for all involved.
I loved this book. It balanced a melancholy tone perfectly with political commentary on the rights of workers, the clash of cultures and multiculturalism, and the struggles of global commercialization versus local economies. I loved how Umrigar sandwiched Frank and Ellie’s whirlwind affair in the middle of the novel and then explained the loss of their son. It made the title - The Weight of Heaven - that much more understandable because it was apparent that the author believed that Frank and Ellie had it and lost it and that the lack of appreciation for their perfect life and the desire to get it back is what is causing their current problems. This beautiful novel shows how fraglie all of our lives are.
Book 32/100
