I picked this book up from a library book sale a couple of years ago. I thought the title and premise were intriguing, and I'm always looking for a good non-Western historical fiction. This book takes place in India during the time of Gandhi, which is something I admittedly don't know that much about.
The book sat on my shelf for the past couple of years, until I picked it up a few days ago. I am so glad I did. This is a really important story. First of all, it is own voices. The author is Indian, and took great inspiration from her own great-Aunt, who, like Leela, was also a child-widow who rose above the hand she was dealt and fought for her own education.
I thought that the story of Leela was sad, yet hopeful, and I loved her ambition and her sense of justice. There are so many contradictions and hypocrisies in the way women were treated in this society, and I love that she calls it out. At one point, she says:

"I wanted to ask Ba why sometimes I was treated like a child and other times I was expected to behave like a mature woman. If I was too young to be trusted with everyday information, I was too young to be a widow; but if I was old enough to live like a widow, then I must be grown up."

I loved the characters, especially Leela's brother. I love the way he fought for his sister's happiness, even though that would not have been the culturally appropriate thing to do. I also enjoy her friendship with Shani.

The only real negative is that there was a short stretch in the middle that dragged just a bit for me, and became a little repetitive, but I can also see that that may have been intentional, as a way of illustrating the monotony of her year of keeping corner. Also, I just wanted more. I wanted to know what happened to her later in life.

I would absolutely check out more by this author in the future.