Keeping Corner
Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth is a reprint edition published by Hyperion Book CH on March 17, 2009. This 304-page book is written in English and presents the story of twelve-year-old Leela, who faces a dramatic shift in her life after the death of her husband. As a newly widowed girl, she is forced to adhere to societal expectations, including the removal of her beloved bangles and a year of confinement. Through her schoolteacher’s lessons, Leela begins to awaken to the realities of her world, including the political unrest in India and the emerging figure of Gandhi.
Readers will find that the narrative explores social themes relevant to juvenile fiction, particularly the constraints placed on women and the impact of colonialism. As Leela navigates her new identity as a widow, she grapples with her circumstances while learning about the broader struggles of her country. The story delves into her journey of self-discovery and the potential for personal liberation through the principles of non-violent protest. This edition offers a poignant look at a young girl’s resilience in the face of societal challenges.
Official synopsis Publisher
Ba slipped the gold bangles from my wrists. The gold ones were plain so I didn’t mind taking them off, but I loved wearing my milk-glass bangles and the lakkh bracelets.
“A widow can’t wear bangles,” she said. “They are signs of a woman’s good fortune. When your husband dies it’s over.”
“What if my good fortune comes back?”
“It doesn’t.”/DIV
Pretty as a peacock, twelve-year-old Leela had been spoiled all her life. She doesn’t care for school and barely marks the growing unrest between the British colonists and her own countrymen. Why should she? Her future has been planned since her engagement at two and marriage at nine. DIVLeela’s whole life changes, though, when her husband dies. She’s now expected to behave like a proper widow: shaving her head and trading her jewel-toned saris for rough, earth-colored ones. Leela is considered unlucky now, and will have to stay confined to her house for a year—keep corner—in preparation for a life of mourning for a boy she barely knew.
When her schoolteacher hears of her fate, she offers Leela lessons at home. For the first time, despite her confinement, Leela opens her eyes to the changing world around her. India is suffering from a severe drought, and farmers are unable to pay taxes to the British. She learns about a new leader of the people, a man named Gandhi, who starts a political movement and practices satyagraha—non-violent protest against the colonists as well as the caste system. The quiet strength ofsatyagraha may liberate her country. Could she use the same path to liberate herself?
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