The Enclave is an exciting fiction book that has been penned by a national award-winning author. He has been recognised for his writing work throughout many parts of the globe. The book, “The Enclave: A Sharp and Hilarious Portrait of Womanhood in India,” talks about a divorced woman named Maya.
She lives in Mumbai and is a free-spirited lady who is in her early forties. The author has captured her, in a very captivating and incredibly realistic manner. Readers will feel touched by her character immediately.
Though she is divorced, she finds happiness, satisfaction, and joy in her work as a liaison officer. She seems to be quite content with her small group of friends and romantic partners as well. She has been well portrayed by the author in the book, as Maya is content with how her current life is treating her.
The fiction book revolves around her regular life, as to how she wakes up, gets ready for work, and also talks about her experiences in both her personal and professional lives. The author manages to hook readers with the happiness and sadness of a single woman living in a large city like Mumbai.
Mumbai can be very unforgiving for a single woman. She manages several challenges on a daily basis, but she handles them extremely well. As a human, she encounters some difficulties that are too much for her to handle.
Readers get to see her other side, where she becomes upset and understands things that she initially took for granted. The book also talks about the financial freedom that is gained by the middle-class citizens of this country.
There is a clever balance between the author’s lyrical style, which seems to strike a smooth balance between feelings & observations. The book has its own moments of joy, happiness, sadness, humour, and an incredible insight into the world of single women.
Readers are transported to the real world where they are made to ask questions about the complexities of identity, ambition, and even the post-liberalization environment of India. This can be done through their own distinct perspective & voice.
About the Author
Rohit Manchanda was born in the beautiful state of Jharkhand. Rohit has spent quite some time in the coal fields that were present in & around his locality. Perhaps, he may have got his primary inspiration for the book from there.
Rohit completed his doctorate at Oxford University. Today, he works as a professor at IIT Bombay. He is part of the computer science department, where he specialises in computational neurophysiology, and during his free time, writes fiction.
Rohit’s first novel was, “The Light of the Black Sun”, published in 1996. The book is very popular and is being republished as, “A Speck of Coal Dust,” and “The Enclave.” Besides, he has also authored notable reads like Monastery, Sanctuary, and Laboratory, a history of IIT Bombay.
Readers would be delighted to know that the author has won several awards, and has been recognised for his work with the INSA Teachers Award, Betty Trask Award, and the Tibor Jones South Asia Prize.
Conclusion
The Enclave is an interesting read. The fact that the book has been authored by a male writer, expressing his thoughts, ideas, and the challenges that women face in their regular lives, is something not to be missed out on.
The language is simple, with some infusion of poetic words as well. After reading the book, readers will truly appreciate the divorced, single, and young mothers, around them in their neighbourhood, workplace, and everyday life.
