Review: The Girl in the Painting

The Girl in the Painting by Renita D'Silva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book of Renita D’Silva that I read after ‘Beneath an Indian Sky’ which I really liked. It had strong characters you would remember the book by, and this is true for ‘The Girl in the Painting’ as well. Margaret and Archana will stay with you, well after you have finished reading the book.

The book shuffles between two separate timelines – one in the early 20th century and the other in the early 21st century. Margaret, is old and ill, now in hospice care. She asks her grand-daughter Emma to visit a property she owns in India and meet with Archana. She is to deliver a message to her saying she understands why she did what she did and has forgiven her, and also has regrets for what she did long back as well.

In the early 20th century, Radha and Archana are sisters who grow up in poverty. Their difficulties increase even more when Radha chooses to marry a person of a lower caste, and their father passes away suddenly. Their family is ostracised, and Radha’s choice does not work out either as her husband is completely irresponsible. Archana gets married to a person many years older than her.
This is a community where Sati (the practice of a wife ending her life when her husband dies, as part of the funeral pyre) is practiced, and this fear preys on Archana’s mind. The two social ills – casteism/untouchability and Sati find key mentions but feel forced fitted into the story. The untouchability and Radha’s life have no background feeding to it and is also largely left off after the initial focus (and Sati which is surmised to have started during invasions of the country, was not prominent during the early 20th century).

At around the same time in England, Margaret and Winnie lose their family including their sister Evie to a fire. They have to move in with their uncle, aunt and cousins. The story centers around Margaret, and how she tries to move on with life, taking solace in pursuing arts. She falls in love with Suraj who wants to move back to India, as he finds the racism prevalent to be exhausting. In India, Margaret now runs into Archana who is one of her maids. The two of them bond instantly and Archana reminds Margaret of her sister Evie.

In stories with a background like this, the impact would have been stronger if the experiences of the characters lead to their evolving development & growth, that of the community, and as a result this would have made the story grow too. However, much of that reflection is left entirely to the end.

I love Renita’s writing and the strong characters her stories feature. I hope to read more of her work soon. I would recommend this book for the characters - Margaret & Archana.

My rating: 3.25 / 5.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for providing a free copy for providing an honest review.

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