Sister India

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, out-there
Review: I had the same feeling reading it as when I talked with a witch up in the mountains of Bulgaria, unseen things prowling around, though no pink and gold angels. It's more sort of hypnotizing and disturbing, like staring down into the Grand Canyon. This woman, the main character, lets herself get beyond wierd--after you lose it completely, where do you go then. This American girl has settled down next to the Ganges, the smoking pyres, healing baths and all that. Not something and Indian would write about the place, much more it's being in India if you're frome somewhere else and can't really ever glaze out, can't take anything for granted.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry
Review: I hate to criticize a book that is done by an aspiring writer but this one just does not make it. I'm surprised it's gotten such high reviews from others. Rather dull plot and poorly developed characters.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry
Review: I hate to criticize a book that is done by an aspiring writer but this one just does not make it. I'm surprised it's gotten such high reviews from others. Rather dull plot and poorly developed characters.

Rating:
Summary: India via America
Review: I've read a lot of books about India by Indian authors. This one is by an American woman, and it shows: none of the joyous complexity of Indian culture comes through. the characters are flat, their motivations elusive and undeveloped. The main character is difficult to like. A very disappointing reading experience. Anyone interested in Indian novels should read "A Suitable Boy," or "Life Isn't all Ha Ha Hee Hee." They're the real thing.

Rating:
Summary: In the shadow of the exotic
Review: If vivid descriptions were enough to form a compelling novel, then Peggy Payne's Sister India would be a rare accomplishment. However, while the sensual experience this novel provides is enjoyable, the plot falls short of captivating a reader. Payne's characters seem underdeveloped, causing her attempt to create tension to fail. The plot is over ambitious to the point where it seems too contrived. Like the Ganges River, the focal point of the novel, the plot is murky, mysterious, and polluted with dead characters.
Payne's story seems to be of a "slice of life" in Varanasi, India. Nothing extraordinary happens. The religious riots that break out occur swiftly and are underplayed as if the warring between Muslims and Hindu is a habitual occurrence. Payne does not seem to concern herself with the details of the war. Rather, she uses the lock down to force her characters to live together, prolonging their stay and causing their pasts to emerge. This sets the novel up to be a character driven story. However, the characters fail to prove themselves worthy of such importance.
The true plot lies in the story of Natraja's unusual, unconvincing past. The four hundred pound hotel owner is anything but ordinary. Payne attempts to create a parallel between the exotic Natraja and the magical Ganges. The hotel guest regard Natraja as a powerful guide and are both attracted and disgusted to her as they are to the river. However, Payne fails in both attempts to convince the reader that these things are worth caring about.
It is difficult to understand what would motivate a person to leave her home and move to another country. Natraja, formerly Estelle, was born in America but leaves for India after discovering that her stepfather murdered her African American boyfriend at the age of thirteen. This is her motivation for moving to another country at the young age of seventeen. It is unclear as to what keeps Natraja in India. She does fall in love with a man but that relationship fails. Somehow, this four hundred pound woman found her place in society and stays throughout the religious turmoil. She carries the weight of her stepfather's deed, literally, and remains bitter and self-conscious throughout the novel.
Similarly, the other characters in this novel have come to visit India searching for some sort of enlightenment. Each has their own pasts they are trying to escape, but do they succeed? Payne only reveals the future of one character, Marie, who remains in India because she has found herself useful there. This leaves the conclusion of the novel unsatisfying because it is an ensemble piece, but only a few characters receive some development. Because Payne alternates the narratives, each character is expected to be of equal importance. However, the lapses in the motivation, past, and future of the characters is unfulfilling. Payne offers only glimpses into the character's lives, and because there is little action in the novel they seem boring and irritating.
Unfortunately there are just too many coincidental events in the novel that make the story unbelievable. Why would an American who is visiting India to fix the river pollution, risk his life to see the maharaja about a body being dumped into a river during the time of religious turmoil? For that matter, why would the American stay in India instead of taking the first plane out? Why would the maharaja insist on keeping the American at the palace but then allow him to escape down river? The reader is not given enough information about the nature of the character or situation to justify these actions.
All of the characters seem to be drawn to the magical Ganges. This is the place of prayer for the Hindu people. It is also the site of their most sacred ritual, burning the bodies of the dead. Marie, TJ, Jill, Natraja, and Ramesh make many references to the river, but Payne does not show the river's power. Only TJ seems to have an awakening of sorts when he uses the river to push him away from the maharaja. Marie also seems to believe in the power of the river, but it is a psychic who convinces her to stay in India.
On a more positive note, her description of the holy city, from the cramped streets to the beautiful golden palace seem to have a natural elegance that invite the reader into this sensuous experience. The scents of jasmine and Indian spices sift through the pages. The noise created by the rickshaws and busy streets echoes in the ears and the sites are vividly painted for the eye. To the un-traveled reader, the place becomes as familiar as your own backyard.
This novel is a quick read, but not a page-turner. The eloquent setting descriptions force the characters to pale in comparison. I would like to see a novel that focuses on just one of the characters Payne introduces. I believe Natraja's story would be a more interesting one if it was the main storyline, however, the switching of narration proved to be a confusing distraction that made all of the characters seem flat. This could also be attributed to their lack of action in the novel itself. When the novel concluded, I felt that it had only just begun. I was still waiting for something to happen. However, nothing unpredictable did, it was simply a look at life in India.

Rating:
Summary: In the shadow of the exotic
Review: If vivid descriptions were enough to form a compelling novel, then Peggy Payne's Sister India would be a rare accomplishment. However, while the sensual experience this novel provides is enjoyable, the plot falls short of captivating a reader. Payne's characters seem underdeveloped, causing her attempt to create tension to fail. The plot is over ambitious to the point where it seems too contrived. Like the Ganges River, the focal point of the novel, the plot is murky, mysterious, and polluted with dead characters.
Payne's story seems to be of a "slice of life" in Varanasi, India. Nothing extraordinary happens. The religious riots that break out occur swiftly and are underplayed as if the warring between Muslims and Hindu is a habitual occurrence. Payne does not seem to concern herself with the details of the war. Rather, she uses the lock down to force her characters to live together, prolonging their stay and causing their pasts to emerge. This sets the novel up to be a character driven story. However, the characters fail to prove themselves worthy of such importance.
The true plot lies in the story of Natraja's unusual, unconvincing past. The four hundred pound hotel owner is anything but ordinary. Payne attempts to create a parallel between the exotic Natraja and the magical Ganges. The hotel guest regard Natraja as a powerful guide and are both attracted and disgusted to her as they are to the river. However, Payne fails in both attempts to convince the reader that these things are worth caring about.
It is difficult to understand what would motivate a person to leave her home and move to another country. Natraja, formerly Estelle, was born in America but leaves for India after discovering that her stepfather murdered her African American boyfriend at the age of thirteen. This is her motivation for moving to another country at the young age of seventeen. It is unclear as to what keeps Natraja in India. She does fall in love with a man but that relationship fails. Somehow, this four hundred pound woman found her place in society and stays throughout the religious turmoil. She carries the weight of her stepfather's deed, literally, and remains bitter and self-conscious throughout the novel.
Similarly, the other characters in this novel have come to visit India searching for some sort of enlightenment. Each has their own pasts they are trying to escape, but do they succeed? Payne only reveals the future of one character, Marie, who remains in India because she has found herself useful there. This leaves the conclusion of the novel unsatisfying because it is an ensemble piece, but only a few characters receive some development. Because Payne alternates the narratives, each character is expected to be of equal importance. However, the lapses in the motivation, past, and future of the characters is unfulfilling. Payne offers only glimpses into the character's lives, and because there is little action in the novel they seem boring and irritating.
Unfortunately there are just too many coincidental events in the novel that make the story unbelievable. Why would an American who is visiting India to fix the river pollution, risk his life to see the maharaja about a body being dumped into a river during the time of religious turmoil? For that matter, why would the American stay in India instead of taking the first plane out? Why would the maharaja insist on keeping the American at the palace but then allow him to escape down river? The reader is not given enough information about the nature of the character or situation to justify these actions.
All of the characters seem to be drawn to the magical Ganges. This is the place of prayer for the Hindu people. It is also the site of their most sacred ritual, burning the bodies of the dead. Marie, TJ, Jill, Natraja, and Ramesh make many references to the river, but Payne does not show the river's power. Only TJ seems to have an awakening of sorts when he uses the river to push him away from the maharaja. Marie also seems to believe in the power of the river, but it is a psychic who convinces her to stay in India.
On a more positive note, her description of the holy city, from the cramped streets to the beautiful golden palace seem to have a natural elegance that invite the reader into this sensuous experience. The scents of jasmine and Indian spices sift through the pages. The noise created by the rickshaws and busy streets echoes in the ears and the sites are vividly painted for the eye. To the un-traveled reader, the place becomes as familiar as your own backyard.
This novel is a quick read, but not a page-turner. The eloquent setting descriptions force the characters to pale in comparison. I would like to see a novel that focuses on just one of the characters Payne introduces. I believe Natraja's story would be a more interesting one if it was the main storyline, however, the switching of narration proved to be a confusing distraction that made all of the characters seem flat. This could also be attributed to their lack of action in the novel itself. When the novel concluded, I felt that it had only just begun. I was still waiting for something to happen. However, nothing unpredictable did, it was simply a look at life in India.

Rating:
Summary: Another 'formula' book on India's stereotypes
Review: Just as there are formula Bollywood movies, now there is formula 'literature' written about India, in which one of the common and over-done themes is about abused Indian woman. Bad mother-in-law, abusive husband, dowry and maybe even death, superstitious and backward Hindu practices and beliefs, poverty and pollution (viewed as a sort of chronic feature that was always part of India), and general social backwardness - in other words, badly in need of being rescued. Of course, the cure to this plight is held by one or more of the following privileged groups: Western Feminists; 'South Asians' since they already escaped into Westernization; and Proselytizers.

Rating:
Summary: Mesmerizing
Review: Once I went to Hong Kong and sat in a park for hours listening to an imaginative and well-informed expat friend make up stories about the people who passed by. Better than reading a history book or travel guide, his tales tapped me into the heart and soul of the place. Peggy Payne's novel is like that. It takes you behind the hidden doorways, down the dark passages, and into the secret gardens of a place that's mysterious, dangerous and mesmerizing. Better yet, she gives us a glimpse into the private lives and secret passions of that odd elderly woman who sat next to you on the train and the quiet cook who served your eggs at breakfast. Short of booking passage, I can't think of a better way to explore this square mile of India.

Rating:
Summary: Not her first novel!
Review: One star rating is only because I haven't read this book. Two reviewers said that this is her first novel, but she wrote Revelation in 1988, set in her native North Carolina. It is now out of print, but received very good reviews when it was published.

Rating:
Summary: Feels Like A Fictionalized Travel Guide
Review: Peggy Payne should receive an award for making you feel as if you've been someplace you've never actually been. Her descriptive prose of India's holy city, is so detailed and vibrant you can virtually feel the dirty water and see the colorful saris. The story is of three very different Americans staying in the same guest house run by a 400 pound former American. When violence breaks out between the Hindus and Muslims, it gives the travellers a first hand view of the countrys' unrest, and brings up personal issues that each of them have to contend with.A beautifully written, lyrical novel.