If Americas the great melting pot, then Chitra Divakaruni Bannerji has just emptied the contents of an Indian kitchen into it. Her first novel, The Mistress of Spices, is a witches brew of romance and the immigrant experience, and its creating as many waves across the US as Laura Esquivels much hyped 1993 bestseller, Like Water for Chocolate.
In brief, The Mistress of Spices picks up the old, old concept of the isle of priestesses, and transfers it to San Fransisco. Tilo, the pro- tagonist, is first seen as an old woman who runs a corner grocery devoted to the Indian culinary experience, but she has an unusual history. Not too many grocers begin their career as the most promising acolyte of the year with an ability to control the power of spices, after all.
As she mans (womans?) her shop, she grapples with the dilemma of whether to solve the problems of the immigrants who come to her with a pinch of the right stuff, or whether to stick to the policy of non-interference that was the rule on the island. Romance strikes in the form of an American, also with a history, but a much less interesting one than Tilos; and the real world makes its presence felt in the form of race riots.
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The Mistress of Spices has overtly feminist undertones, which Bannerji, who is based in San Francisco, acknowledges with reservations. Im a feminist, in the sense that I believe women are entitled to equality in all fields, but the word feminism has acquired strong political overtones that I find unacceptable, she explains. But yes, this is very much a text about empowering women.
Bannerji, for all her awareness of stereotypes, fits one stereotype herself Betty Friedans Superwoman. Shes Supermom looking after her two sons, Super Working Woman at her teaching job in Freemont College, Super Nun when shes with her favourite spiritual teacher, Gurumayi, and Superwoman-with-a-conscience during what spare time remains.
Bannerji began Maitreyi, an organisation that deals with the problems of Asian women, after she and several of her friends realised that none of the existing womens organisations in the US had an understanding of the different cultural context. It expanded over a six year period into an organisation with a permanent staff of about 60 people, and a volunteer staff of three hundred.
We deal with the unspoken face of the NRI experience the desertions, the batterings, the bigamy, the child abuse. Her next novel is firmly placed in this reality its about two Indian women who have arranged marriages; one stays back in India, the other moves to the US. It promises to be an interesting dialogue between two worlds.
Does she ever take a break? The last time was when I visited Gurumayis ashram in New York, laughs Bannerji, the sense of peace I felt there carried me through the next few months. She is eloquent on the subject of Gurumayi, one of Indias few religious leaders who is closer to attaining nirvana than notoriety, but answers a question about whether the high priestess in her first novel is based on her with a no comment.
And so it ends, this meeting with a writer who sums up the Nineties ethos. Bannerjis brand of feminism is a soft focus but pragmatic version of the fiery ideology of the 60s; her choice of guru blends in nicely with New Age values; and her lifestyle is textbook illustration of the life of todays empowered woman. Rave reviews from Pat Conroy (Prince of Tides) and Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) adorn the jacket of The Mistress of Spices. When they finally pass on the torch, Chitra Divakaruni Bannerjis going to be there to receive it.