NOTE: I won a free eBook copy of this book in MOBI format from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (April 2021).

"The gray morning is like a huge lead-coated balloon, everything outside an indefinite haze." - Chapter 43. So it is with the rest of the novel's tone. Many elements of the book's plot and resolution felt somewhat Dickensian: Meena Rawat, trapped in a bad marriage, looks back on her adolescence as a Dalit (a member of the "Untouchable" caste) in an Indian orphanage. When someone from her past walks back into her life, it sets off a chain of events that spur her to make the most consequential decision of her life. I found Judge's choice to narrate the novel from the point of view of Meena, her lover Ram, and her husband Bhavesh an interesting one. When Ram's and Bhavesh's commentary enters the prose almost half-way and three-quarters through the book, respectively, it comes as a surprise. In fact, one could argue that this book would have been better titled "The Awakening of Meena Rawat, Ram Nayak, and Bhavesh Rawat." Nevertheless, Judge finds a way to make the narrative flow. Her portrayal of the caste system is eye-opening and heart-wrenching, and is what enhances this otherwise (somewhat) ordinary story of an affair and its aftermath. ( )

The Awakening of Meena Rawat is the second novel of Anoop Judge, an Indian-American blogger and author, that is about two lovers, Rumi and Meena. They met when they were teenagers in an orphanage in India where they experienced the harshness of life as members of the lowest caste, got separated because of Rumi's desire to have a better life, and met unexpectedly several years after in Fremont, California.

Meena got married to another man, Bhavesh, who belonged to a higher caste. Her marriage with him elevated her status in society. Together with their only child, they lived in California where Bhavesh operated his business and Meena worked at California State University, indexing catalog records. Rumi, on the other hand, became a multi-millionaire, Fortune 500 CEO but got divorced from his wife, Jane, whom he met at the University of New York.

When Rumi saw Meena at the Vice-Chancellor party at CSU, his world turned upside down. He remembered how much he loved her, and that love was rekindled and intensified by his desire to be with her. Meena felt the same but would they have a second chance at love?

The story of two young lovers who gave each other strength and hope in the midst of their ordeal just to be separated because of uncertainty and ambition is heart-breaking. My heart goes out to Meena who suffered the loss of her first love and the reverberations of having the lowest of the low position in the caste system in India even though she was already in America. Rumi belonged to the same caste as Meena but he believed that the status in the society assigned to him even before birth was not his eventual fate. He was decisive in pursuing his ambition by taking brazen actions that actually broke Meena's heart.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the story because I find the author's prose beautiful and original. Besides spinning an extraordinary love story, she also explained the cultural aspects and social issues very well through illustrations, backstories, and dialogs. In addition to this, the way she described a place made me feel as if I was at that pace like in the orphanage, or in Meena's office, or at the airport. The author's writing left a great impression on me.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a love story with heavy themes.

Thank you Anoop Judge, Black Rose Writing, and LibraryThing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I really enjoyed this story. Well written and at a good pace with well developed characters. Moving between present day and Meena’s childhood the two stories parallel then intertwine.
Will read more from Anoop Judge ( )

“Well, what would I do if Ram hadn’t turned up? Would I just go
on feeling out of place, not really a part of my Indian household, but
not part of this country I live in, either?” I speak roughly. “Maybe I need
to start thinking about what is important to me outside of men.” I drag
shaking fingers through my hair. “Who am I? What do I want?”

- This question is at the core of "The Awakening of Meena Rawat" by author Anoop Judge. An indie novel with themes around casteism in India, joy of true love, every day struggle to be happy in what is considered to be "the maximum you could dream of' yet what is it that I am still missing? Also, the role of society which never lets you forget "who you are"!

The plot and the characters are well developed and the flow is effortless. One page just melts into the next. The author is well versed with the craft of storytelling. It is backed up with professional editing and the result is worth a read.

At the end of the story, I was forced to think what would I do if I were in Meena's situation?

Interesting Question! ( )