Review: A family of disconnections
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 27, 2012
When Mirza's wife one morning announces, to his apparent surprise, that she is leaving him, his immediate reaction is to ask who will feed the cat. His second, after she has departed, is to hide beneath the bed covers. Now, if you do not find this behavior somewhat strange, you will not be surprised by what happens next; namely, he pitches a tent in his backyard, decamps from his home to dwell in it, withdraws from his college teaching duties, and convinces neighbors and family that he has gone crazy. Fortunately, he belongs to a community, and others soon come to his aid. His niece Amal, a college student, moves in and brings order to his household. Soon she is joined by a young man named Rehan, a devoted former student of Mirza. Despite their presence, Mirza continues living in his tent, where he experiences visits from the ghost of a former teacher/mentor who berates Mirza and beats him at chess. Between visits from the concerned, chess games, and backyard seminars, Mirza reflects upon his ill-fated marriage, married life, family, and his sense of alienation. Meanwhile, Amal and Rehan form a relationship that seems to be going somewhere. The action in this novel is limited; contemplation is on equal footing. The point seems to be about replacing an old normal with a new one through a gradual process rather than a quick and simple fix. Mirza's old normal ends as the story starts and a new normal is achieved at the end; likewise, Amal's normal ends when she comes to Mirza's aid and a new normal comes at the end. All this happens at a leisurely pace, with no high drama, major conflicts, or other disruptions. Everything simply works itself out. The "deconstructed heart" of the title concerns the disconnection between a husband and wife, but could also be a stand-in or metaphor for the disconnection within a family separated from loved ones in a former homeland, or between old and new cultures. The author has a fine sense of style, with a wry sense of humor, rich images, and skillful use of simile and metaphor. Writing this good is rare.