A Disobedient Girl

In A DISOBEDIENT GIRL, Ru Freeman tells the story of two women separated by time through the use of alternating chapters and alternating use of third and first person narratives. Latha is a servant girl to the Vithanages. Raised alongside their daughter Thara, Latha feels herself better than her current position in society. Latha seeks to grab and hold onto what she feels is hers, yet her actions have consequences for those around her. Ruled by desire for possessions, friendship and romance, she experiences loss after loss. In a separate first person narrative, Biso speaks of her escape from an abusive husband and her train journey to her arrival at her destination. On her way to the better life she plans for her children, Biso encounters hardship and difficulties at every turn. Set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka's fight for independence, Ru Freeman tells a story history will not --- the struggles of two individual women and two different generations. Although Ru Freeman notes the actions of the Tamil Tigers and other revolutionary groups in passing, A DISOBEDIENT GIRL focuses on the interior lives of these two women and the connection between them that unfolds as the narrative brings them together. As each strives for a better life, class and set social structures conflict with the longings of their hearts. Against tragic circumstances surrounding them, each woman fights to preserve what is most special to them. A DISOBEDIENT GIRL is a disturbing novel, both in form and and content. The alternating, seemingly unconnected narratives present such a contrast of characterization that their connection becomes apparent only as the narrative moves forward. The change between first and third person voice jolts the reader --- but less so than the story itself. The discongruity of the form emphasizes the jolting content of the story, even more so when the reader reaches the end. Between the two narratives, Biso's tragic story is the more moving and least unsettling -- at least in the beginning but by the end, her story haunts and disturbs the imagination. In contrast, from the beginning, Latha is not that likable a character. One wants her to succeed but her choices and actions irritate at the same time. How does one respond to the younger generation and their desires? How does the past influence the present? Ru Freeman's provocative novel jolts and challenges a reader with a story that will leave readers asking questions, not only about her characters, but also the lives of women and our own response as women readers. A DISOBEDIENT GIRL would make an excellent choice for women's groups, in particular sparking several intriguing discussions in feminist reading groups. Latha's story poses several intriguing problematics for feminist readers --- particularly how one aligns oneself with the advancement of women when the individual and particular woman herself is more complex and not all that admirable. Not only do Biso and Latha live

Ru Freeman's remarkable debut novel takes place in Sri Lanka, in the context of civil unrest and personal rebellion in the form of its two main characters, Latha and Biso. Both women are products of a culture that gives both class and men the power to decide their destinies, and yet they rebel against it, often under the cover of deceit, with the hope that their secret choices will finally make them happy. The alternating plots, one told in the point-of-view of Latha and the other in the first-person narration of Biso, are powerful individually, with underlying significance revealed only at the end. Latha, an orphan, is raised in the privileged household of the Vithanages, as the "sister" of only child Thara. Although, as a young child, she believes herself the equal of Thara, she realizes as they approach adolescence that she is destined for inequity, the life of a servant girl. As she grows from child to teenager to adult, she learns many bitter truths about class, love, and destiny. Biso's story is much briefer in terms of time, a few days of her journey from city to the country of tea plantations rather than the decades of Latha's. However, the time frame does not diminish the power of Biso's drama; instead, it compresses both her misery and her hope into a poignant story of a mother fighting for the future of her children. She and her three children are running from her alcoholic, unloving husband and from her personal, hidden grief for her dead insurgent lover. What happens to them during these few days has a huge impact on the outcome of the novel. Freeman writes well and beautifully, with imagery that lingers both emotionally and visually. The language is never overblown or unduly complicated but instead delivers the wallop of emotion through words put together well. Likewise, the characterizations - from the main characters to minor ones - seem natural, and they evolve out of actions, not descriptions. The only misstep in this otherwise accomplished novel is choice of present-tense narration in Biso's story, a choice that seems designed to mislead. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, with its compelling dual stories and its depiction of Sri Lankan life and culture. Readers of multicultural and international fiction should find a lot to admire, as should those who love literary and women's fiction. For a companion novel set in Sri Lanka, try Michael Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost: A Novel. -- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

Ru Freeman's "A Disobedient Girl" captured my attention in part because a very dear friend of mine grew up in Sri Lanka where this novel is set and I wanted to know more about the life and culture there. Freeman's descriptions of Sri Lanka are lush and colorful and the food descriptions often made my mouth water. But "A Disobedient Girl" is not an idyllic story and I was soon captivated by the flawed and often irritating characters that populate this novel. It's a tale of prideful secrets, betrayal, and self-destruction. Told in parallel stories, there are two protagonists: Latha, a young woman who so chafes at her status as servant that she makes one bad choice after another, and yet is unwilling to find herself at fault for the negative consequences of her actions, and Biso, a mother of three young children who is in flight from an abusive husband. But Biso is no angel, either; her youngest child is the product of an affair that Biso flaunted openly and carelessly. She felt entitled to the affair and that she is "owed" happiness because her husband was beneath her in status and behavior. The Buddhist caste system is a moving force throughout the novel. I don't know enough about the subject, thus my irritation at the characters for not taking independent steps to improve their lots may be misplaced if there was no cultural way for them to do so. In leaving, Biso seems to be taking steps to better the lives of her children, and her narrative is much more self-ware than Latha's, but then a horrible event occurs that seems to cause Biso to lose all sense. How Biso and Latha's stories relate to each other will keep the reader guessing. Freeman skillfully throws in a few "red herring" details to compound the confusion. Whether you figure it out before the end or not, it is a well executed plot devise. I enjoyed the story and found the ending to be very satisfying, especially for a book where almost all the characters are somewhat despicable.

Nutshell version: I think if you enjoyed "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy, you'll enjoy this book. My western head at times had a hard time keeping the names straight and who's who (and where's where), among the names and nicknames, which are all unfamiliar to me. (Maybe exacerbated by reading in bits and pieces when I first started the book.) So okay, that's my own failing, and not the book's. Unlike other reviewers, I found the characters entirely sympathetic. There are certainly unlikeable characters in the book, and unlikeable deeds by likeable characters, but to my mind the book paints a picture of complicated lives and complicated choices. I did enjoy reading the book and was transported (though stumbling initially, because of the names) to another place and time. As I read on, the intertwined lives of the book became more and more engaging, and it became increasingly hard to put the book down. Freeman is an excellent storyteller and I look forward to her next book.