Ramchand is a quiet, slightly withdrawn clerk at the Sevak Sari House, the most elite sari shop in the small city of Amritsar. Slowly sinking into apathy because of the drudgery of his day to day existence, Ramchand is startled back into life when he is chosen to deliver saris to the soon-to-be-married daughter of the most powerful family in town. Drawn to the elegance of Rina Kapoor's life, he vows to better himself to improve his lot in life. Using his valuable savings to purchase used books, Ramchand teaches himself to read English. In the midst of his self-improvement project, Ramchand is sent on another errand, a journey which takes him to the depths of Amritsar society. Dispatched to find an absent coworker, Ramchand learns more than he ever wanted about the tragedy of his colleague's home life. The more he learns about the crazy drunken wife of his coworker, the more disaffected Ramchand becomes with his life and the inequalities of Indian society. This book is a well-drawn picture of the extremes of Indian society. A quick read, The Sari Shop nevertheless provokes deeper reflection on the ties that bind us all to the life we know. In an interview at the end of the book, the author talks about writing it to express her frustration with Indian society and the vast inequalities facing women and the poor. I enjoy fiction about India, and believe this is one of the better treatments I've read on the subject. This debut novel certainly points to better things to come from Rupa Bajwa; I would rate it 3.5 stars. ( )

A beautifully written book that delves into the hopeless monotony that characterizes the lives of many especially the poor. The story is set in Amritsar, India and centers around a popular sari store that carries some of the best saris in India. Ramchand is a shop assistant who works in this store and for a while seems to just drift through his everyday existence, not questioning much. But he cannot help feeling a certain despondency and listlessness that he cannot at first explain. He begins to educate himself by trying to learn how to read in English. In the midst of this, he gets sent to the house of an absent co-worker and there he meets the co-worker's wife. The woman in question has become a drunk as a way to suppress the many trials of her life:beatings from her husband, family abandonment, loss of her child etc. The woman is hardened shell of a human being who is incensed at the world at large. Ramchand's encounter with this woman feeds into his feelings of dissatisfaction with the world around him. Though the beginning starts off light, by the end you are left in a sad and quite frankly hopeless world. Ramchand continues living his life, nothing has changed, he is just another poor man who must work very hard in other to eek out a meagre living while watching the rich live their lives ignorant and unconcerned about "the other world". Ramchand learns the hard way that even those who may claim to be intellectuals still worship at the altar of money, power and privilege. A great read over all. There are a few weaknesses here and there with the writing but all in all a solid first book and I would highly recommend. ( )

Comienza otro día laborable y Ramchand corre por las callejuelas de Amritsar, importante ciudad del PUnjab, hacia tienda de saris situada en el antiguo bazar. Es allí donde pasa sus días, enrollando y desenrollando con infinita paciencia metros y metros de sedas de Benarés con deslumbrantes bordados, algodones de Bangladesh de ivos colores y delicados tejidos de satén, ante las esposas y las hijas de las familias pudientes. Y mientras escucha las conversaciones de esas personas tan alejadas de su condición, por su mente vagan todo tipo de pensamientos, en un vano intento de imaginar ese mundo desconocido e inalcanzable. Pero todo cambia el día que su jefe lo envía a casa de uno de los hombres más ricos de Amritsar, cuya hija mayor se va a casar. ( )

From Booklist:
Booklist
( May 15, 2004 ; 0-393-05922-7 ; 978-0-393-05922-9 )

The Sevak Sari House in Bajwa's resonant first novel is a microcosm of its surrounding town, Amritsar, and perhaps of all of India. Ramchand, a shop assistant, seems content selling saris to wealthy matrons and their daughters. But when he is sent to the opulent home of the Kapoors with stacks of saris for them to scrutinize, he experiences his first hints of discontent. Vowing to educate himself to better his place in society, Ramchand purchases some used grammar books and a dictionary, through which he plods in his off hours. He is brought back to reality when he is again sent outside the shop, this time to a co-worker's shack. Stunned by the poverty and degradation he finds there, Ramchand plunges into a deep depression over the world's inequities. After a brief and courageous outburst aimed at his higher-ups, he retreats to his old compliant self, stuck in a rut that is at least secure. Biting humor, perceptive social commentary, and the poetic telling of a poignant tale combine for an exceptional debut. --Deborah Donovan Copyright 2004 Booklist ( )