Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet – Kashmira Sheth
Jeetas family is caught up in the whirlwind of arranging marriages for her two older sisters, but the drama and excitement leave Jeeta cold. She knows that tradition demands the parade of suitors, the marriage negotiations, the elaborate displays, the expensive wedding parties but where is the love and romance that the movies promise? She dreads her turn on the matrimonial circuit, especially since Mummy is always complaining about how difficult it will be to find Jeeta a good husband, with her dark skin and sharp tongue. As Jeeta spends more time with her new friend from school, Sarina, and Sarinas educated, liberal parents, she begins to question her tradition-bound family’s expectations. And when she falls in love with Sarinas cousin Neel, Jeeta realises that she must strike a balance between independence and duty and follow her own path. With its gentle humour and a rich sense of place, Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet is an engaging coming-of-age novel set in contemporary Mumbai, India.
