INTEMPERANCE

A middle-aged woman starts a commotion when she decides to hold a competition to find a new husband.

An unnamed, twice-divorced professor in Seattle decides that for her 55th birthday she would like to hold a swayamvar, a traditional Indian ceremony in which a woman chooses her husband from a group of suitors by having them perform feats to win her hand. Her online post introducing the idea goes viral, and suddenly everyone has an opinion about her decision. As she prepares for the ceremony, she reflects on the life that has brought her to this point: the men she’s married and the grown son she’s raised, as well as her place in society as a disabled Indian feminist sociology professor. She meets a cavalcade of interesting characters who are there either to help her or to discourage her, as well as a few strangers who might just be gods and spirits in disguise trying to influence her choices. This novel is very much about the heroine’s journey rather than the ultimate outcome; the actual swayamvar occurs in the final chapter. It is mostly a series of vignettes; its forward momentum comes in the gradual unraveling of her backstory, especially her relationship with her long-distance best friend, Cat, and the slowly unfolded history of a distant relative whose love “cursed” her family. Jha uses her heroine to discuss specific issues that become universal. Despite the absurdity around her, the heroine remains certain of herself and true to herself, to her benefit and detriment. Her sense of inner peace grounds the narrative.

Slightly mystical and very internal reflections.