Kintsugi is the Japanese art form of mending broken objects with gold. And Kintsugi, A Novel, is about mending broken hearts/relationships with time. This book is a nice attempt to bring out the beauty of human relationships and the different personality traits each individual exhibits when their hearts are broken in light of the Kintsugi concept.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Harper Collins, India
Publishing Date: 28 July 2020
Available at: Amazon
Good Reads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54345468-kintsugi?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=zL51VxPylY&rank=3
My Thoughts on Kintsugi:
The story unfolds as Haruko and Prakash start developing a deeper bond, irrespective of their different backgrounds and circumstances. Haruko is a Japanese artist who came to Jaipur to learn traditional jewelry-making art, and Prakash is an Orthopedic Doctor who was doing his post-graduate program in the local government hospital.
Anukrti takes us through the bylanes of Jaipur (Johari Bazaar, to be precise) and introduces us to the intricacies of making traditional Meenakari (enamel-based) jewelry. Her research on this part of Jaipur and the Johari Bazar takes the reader through those bylanes easily. It’s very easy for the reader to visualize the paintings on the walls in Munnaji’s haveli. The afternoon breeze that made curtains move in the haveli and the light that filtered through those drapes or those big glasses of masala milk makes the reader wish to be physically present there along with Haruko.
“These are Ghevars? sweets for Teej, the rain festival. It is a special festival for women.” – Prakash
There are multiple lines in this book, like above, which made me pause to think about the deeper meanings of those lines.
‘Not all vessels are meant to hold water; some are for allowing water to seep away.’ Haruko trailed a finger over the photograph. ‘Broken things are precious too’. by Haruko
This classic one by Haruko made me pause and reflect on Haruko’s emotionally strong character. She is one person who has healed herself from her broken relationship with Prakash using her art as the medium.
Related Reading: Book Review Sapphire by Sophie Lark
Leela appears in the novel as an underdog but becomes a strong and equally important character in the novel. Her grit and determination are shown excellently in how she fights with the regressive society and makes a name for herself.
‘I am a sunar, Maa. Everyone knows that now. And the community will not pay back loans or pay for Jiji’s delivery. We must do what we must do.’ by Leela
Just as the art form, Kintsugi is not applicable for all broken things, the same way all the human heart breaks can’t be mended, and there would be a lot of human beings who remain with broken hearts. This Kintsugi Novel brings out the need for grit and determination to overcome broken things to make one’s life beautiful.
My Recommendation:
If one wants to pause and reflect on what life is all about and the delicate things which are there in everyone’s life, then this book is for you. Kintsugi A Novel by Anukrti Upadhyay, is all about delicate feelings in a human being and how to mend those delicate feelings along with their hearts.
The author has bought unique elements into the storytelling and created a beautiful image of the story and the different places the story moves to, which stays with the reader for a while. Kintsugi is not just a romantic novel or fiction; it brings out the hidden meanings in life with simple statements, as mentioned above.
You can read my other book reviews here.
About Author:
Anukrti Upadhyay has post-graduate degrees in Management and Literature and a graduate degree in Law. She writes in both English and Hindi. Her twin novella Daura and Bhaunri, released in 2019, introduced the readers to her unique storytelling style. Her Hindi short story collection Japani Sarai took Hindi readers by storm.
You can contact her at:
Twitter: Anukrti
FB: Anukrti Upadhyay
Instagram: Anukriti
This looks an interesting reading. Thanks for sharing
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