Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Soldier And Spice, Aditi Mathur Kumar’s novel based on the life of an Indian Army wife is a mature addition to the chick-lit genre.
soldier and spice, by Aditi Mathur Kumar
Review by Shaifali Agrawal
Soldier And Spice, a first novel by Aditi Mathur Kumar is a story about a new Army wife, Pia and how she finds it difficult being one, gradually settles into the role and finally grows up to tackle people and become street smart as she faces situations and incidents in the ‘fauj’ when she interacts with other Army wives.
The novel is written in a first person narrative and the style is chatty. We get to see the inner life of Pia’s mind and sometimes just a little too much of it, for she has a love for gossip, which gets her into trouble as well. We are a part of her pep-talks to herself with a inside track into the toxic people in her life.
The first half of the novel is a little slow where the writer shows us how the protagonist meets people and make friends with other army wives, is shocked at discovering some of the rules and traditions of the army and the conventions an army wife is supposed to follow. You get the feeling that the army is another world all-together.
Aditi being an army wife herself, seems to have drawn on her own life experiences for the novel, especially how she felt when she entered the Army headquarters for the first time. With an active narrative style, she manages to ‘show, not tell.’ There are lighter moments when Pia and her girlfriends are talking about movies or clothes.
Just when we feel that the story is not moving forward and there seems to be no plot in action, we are taken by surprise as Pia gets involved in a whirlwind of incidents and emotions. The tension is palpable in the air. Pia is a well-rounded character who emerges victorious, who has all the pride of an army wife, but still manages to keep her good nature and caring attitude intact, together with her child-like giggle.
Despite the good narrative, plot and structure, the book sometimes seems to be trying too hard to be funny, when it is not, especially in the first half.
This would be classified as a chick-lit novel. While it does have standard elements of the genre such as the ramblings of a girl about her disappointment at her new dresses going to waste, reading articles from Cosmopolitan, the excitement of getting a new BFF to go shopping with, etc., unlike usual chick-lit novels where the main focus is girl-meets-boy this one begins with Pia on her way to her new house with her husband, Arjun. How they come out as strong individuals and a strong pair, giving strength to one another in difficult times forms the rest of the story. The book is therefore a more mature version of the usual chick-lit novel.
As Pia’s favourite fridge magnet says, “There is strong. There is Army Strong. And then there is Army Wife Strong.” This quote is the major theme of the novel, which Aditi Mathur Kumar has cleverly and effectively supported and made the readers believe in 250 pages. She has definitely upped the ante on readers’ expectations from her next book.
Publishers: Westland Books
If you’re planning to purchase Aditi Mathur Kumar’s Soldier And Spice, do consider buying it through these Women’s Web affiliate links at Flipkart or Infibeam.
We get a small share of the proceeds – every little bit will help us continue bringing you the content you like!
A student of English Literature, Shaifali loves to write, likes to read and enjoys sketching. read more...
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
Please enter your email address