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_askthebookbug 's review for:
Kintsugi: A Novel
by Anukrti Upadhyay
• r e v i e w •
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Kintsugi is much for than a pretty Japanese art. It preaches the concept of finding beauty in imperfection, of bearing scars and yet being beautiful. In many ways, Upadhyay shows why the title is apt for her latest novel. Behind this beautiful cover, a handful of characters come together in the most unexpected manner. Their stories are interwoven like a carefully made sweater, each loop perfectly layered next to the other. From taking us to the colourful streets of Jaipur to the quiet mountains of Japan, Upadhyay's descriptions are a treat to read. I read this as part of #readingindia initiative.
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Haruko comes to Jaipur to learn the art of jewelry making, something that intrigues the residents and sunars of the city. Her nimble fingers create beautiful pieces of jewelry and she soon gains popularity but an unfortunate accident wavers her perfectly curated itinerary. Confined to bed for few weeks, she finds an unlikely disciple who happens to be a sunar's daughter. Leela learns the art through Haruko against the wishes of her people because jewelry making is considered a man's job. Haruko finds a friend in her doctor, a man who happens to wait for his fiancé's return from Japan. Prakash is bothered about Meena's hesitancy in returning to the country and this forges a bond between him and Haruko. Across oceans, Meena finds love and is reluctant to head back home. But love is never easy and Meena's story isn't too different from it. With Hajime's entry into her life, Meena's already complicated life gets entangled like a pair of stubborn earphones.
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Upadhyay, through her seamless writing connects the dots together and binds all the characters , making one feel like they've solved a jigsaw puzzle. Her manner of explaining the art of jewelry making is detail, pushing the readers to picture the steps right from melting metals to picturing a finished necklace. It's always a joy to read about places that one hasn't visited and Upadhyay does it brilliantly. My only concern was how most of the words, especially the ones that appear in Haruko's chapters were in local dialect. A glossary would have helped. But I definitely recommend this.
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4.6/5.
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Kintsugi is much for than a pretty Japanese art. It preaches the concept of finding beauty in imperfection, of bearing scars and yet being beautiful. In many ways, Upadhyay shows why the title is apt for her latest novel. Behind this beautiful cover, a handful of characters come together in the most unexpected manner. Their stories are interwoven like a carefully made sweater, each loop perfectly layered next to the other. From taking us to the colourful streets of Jaipur to the quiet mountains of Japan, Upadhyay's descriptions are a treat to read. I read this as part of #readingindia initiative.
.
Haruko comes to Jaipur to learn the art of jewelry making, something that intrigues the residents and sunars of the city. Her nimble fingers create beautiful pieces of jewelry and she soon gains popularity but an unfortunate accident wavers her perfectly curated itinerary. Confined to bed for few weeks, she finds an unlikely disciple who happens to be a sunar's daughter. Leela learns the art through Haruko against the wishes of her people because jewelry making is considered a man's job. Haruko finds a friend in her doctor, a man who happens to wait for his fiancé's return from Japan. Prakash is bothered about Meena's hesitancy in returning to the country and this forges a bond between him and Haruko. Across oceans, Meena finds love and is reluctant to head back home. But love is never easy and Meena's story isn't too different from it. With Hajime's entry into her life, Meena's already complicated life gets entangled like a pair of stubborn earphones.
.
Upadhyay, through her seamless writing connects the dots together and binds all the characters , making one feel like they've solved a jigsaw puzzle. Her manner of explaining the art of jewelry making is detail, pushing the readers to picture the steps right from melting metals to picturing a finished necklace. It's always a joy to read about places that one hasn't visited and Upadhyay does it brilliantly. My only concern was how most of the words, especially the ones that appear in Haruko's chapters were in local dialect. A glossary would have helped. But I definitely recommend this.
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4.6/5.