The Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata Patel

Identity is something most of us examine at some point in our lives. It is universal to feel comfortable or uncomfortable in our bodies, our skins, our commonness, and our otherness.

One of my most favourite things in a book is ‘found family’, add that trope to the MC learning about the culture that they know nothing about, and I was hooked. I did enjoy Meena but she did have a tendency to be very self involved. I guess that was kind of the point though?! You have this person who refuses to rely on anyone, and you put her in a place where she can learn about her heritage and form real lasting relationships, and you see her change and grow a person.

Meena was amazed that these women continued to learn, to improve in ways they believed made them better. It was never too late to fix yourself.

One of the things that blew my mind with this was just how awful Neha was, like she was kind of evil, she spent the last of her life setting things up to cause those around her the most amount of emotional pain. Actual psychotic behaviour! I feel like Neha could get her very own book exploring how she managed to be such an awful human being. And speaking of awful human beings, Sabina was also really horrible. I mean I don’t think she deserved all that Neha did to her, but the way she treated Meena was diabolical!

“You haven’t lived if you are not trying to forget.”

While there isn’t a huge amount happening in this book, Meena’s journey to becoming herself was very enjoyable. Clearing out Neha’s apartment was symbolic of that, and her learning to open up to Sam was also a part of that journey. I thought they were a wonderful couple, but I would have liked learning more about Sam’s motives for more or less giving up his family, it didn’t fit his personality at all, it felt a bit like creating an over the top drama to make Sam seem more fallible. It just didn’t make a lot of sense.

A fun read though, and another author I’ll be reading again!

Synopsis:

A woman embarks on an unexpected journey into her past in an engrossing novel about identity, family secrets, and rediscovering the need to belong.

Meena Dave is a photojournalist and a nomad. She has no family, no permanent address, and no long-term attachments, preferring to observe the world at a distance through the lens of her camera. But Meena’s solitary life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly inherits an apartment in a Victorian brownstone in historic Back Bay, Boston.

Though Meena’s impulse is to sell it and keep moving, she decides to use her journalistic instinct to follow the story that landed her in the home of a stranger. It’s a mystery that comes with a series of hidden clues, a trio of meddling Indian aunties, and a handsome next-door neighbor. For Meena it’s a chance for newfound friendships, community, and culture she never thought possible. And a window into her past she never expected.

Now as everything unknown to Meena comes into focus, she must reconcile who she wants to be with who she really is.