Mango Blood

(Literary fiction) In a sequel to 'The 35 Dowry', set in 1959 Paris, France, 'Mango Blood' continues the coming of age story about Minouche, a passionate but impoverished Parisian girl who follows Stefan, her stateless Polish lover, to India. But will what started as a dream come true withstand the pressures of Stefan's desire for control, and Minouche's realization that classical Indian dancing is not the right choice for her? After they get married and settle in Madras, Minouche delights and thrives in the romance of South India's rich cultural environment. On a grant to study Indian dancing, she joins a famous dance academy, but despite her best efforts, she must accept that Bharata Natyam is beyond her physical abilities. Disappointed by her failure, Stefan, who fancied her as a dancer, is increasingly judgmental and controlling, and his single-minded focus on Hindu philosophy further drives a wedge between them. Missing the support of her mother and friends, Minouche struggles to maintain the independence she grew up with. Finally overcoming her fears of damaging her marriage, she defies Stefan by leaving the dance program to pursue a degree in Indian music, her new-found passion. Meanwhile, following her heart, she befriends Laila, a young woman confined to her parents' house by age-old prejudices and the shame inflicted on her after being raped by British soldiers fourteen years earlier. Minouche hopes to lure her out of her confinement to start a new life in post-Independence India, which she perceives as increasingly more modern and open-minded to women. Unfortunately for Minouche, Laila's father, an old-school Brahmin, is her music teacher, and involving herself in his family affairs to help emancipate his daughter might cost Minouche the music degree she eagerly seeks.