The Culture in Bantwal’s Work
Posted by LMReviewsMar 4
Welcome back!
Now we’re getting to the best part, Shobhan! Your work!
SLR: You make the weaving of Indian culture in FORBIDDEN appear effortless. Is it difficult deciding what to include and what to leave out regarding such a complex and rich culture?
SB: The old gem of wisdom, “write what you know” is what I have employed in my writing. After being raised in a conservative Hindu family in India, incorporating cultural elements into my stories comes naturally. I simply set up my characters in their natural milieu and weave my stories around their lives. By its very nature, a culture of arranged marriages, dowries, and unique women’s issues intrigues American readers. The difficult part sometimes is deciding how much explaining and translating I should do when I introduce Indian terms and customs.
SLR: And I loved reading the terms and learning more about Indian culture not just from behavior and activities of the characters but the food and the references you made as well.
Readers, if you’d like to get a “taste” of Shobhan’s culture before you buy her book (of course) jet over to Shobhan’s Spice Corner, for info and recipes to tantalize your senses and your taste buds!
Once you get your fill, head on back here tomorrow when Shobhan discusses the uphill climbs and the fun slope rides of writing Forbidden Daughter.
If you haven’t already done so, this might be an excellent time to join the Sable Lit Reviews blog feed, so you don’t miss a day of our interview with Shobhan Bantwal or any of the other multicultural authors we feature. It’s simple just enter your email address in the “Posts Via Email” box located near the top right side of this page. Hit subscribe and follow the directions to send this great content to your favorite blog post archive system or your email in-box! Do it now, you’ll be glad you did!
