Description
A courageous and timely novel, Tears of Mehndi explores the rich, complex and often heartbreaking lives of a tight-knit community in Vancouver’s Little India. Through the perspectives of several women whose lives intertwine over a generation, Raminder Sidhu deftly exposes the shrouded violence within Canada's Punjabi community, a difficult and often dissembled subject. Sidhu's characters are women caught between two cultures, struggling to understand the traditions they are obliged to follow while still embracing and often welcoming the fundamentally different values of the West.
Contributor Notes
Raminder Sidhu was born and raised in Mackenzie, BC, and now resides in Surrey. She holds a B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia and a BBA from the University of the Fraser Valley. Tears of Mehndi is her debut novel.
Editorial Reviews
“Ultimately an optimistic novel…The strength of Sidhu’s work is that it does not let the reader forget that things happen to people because of their positions in life, their specific cultural upbringings, their geographic locations, and their gender…[Sidhu is dedicated] to authenticity and telling the truth of [her] experiences.”
—Canadian Literature
“Raminder Sidhu’s courageous debut novel inspires readers to become invested in its characters […] Sidhu draws the reader’s focus to the societal flaws that specifically victimize women. She vividly demonstrates how the traditions and contradictions of two very different countries—India and Canada—can pull women in all directions of the compass.”
—The Malahat Review
“Raminder [Sidhu] opens up the dialogue around the social issues that some South Asian’s encounter when caught between two cultures and struggling to follow Indian traditions while embracing the values of the Western culture. … I appreciated Raminder’s braveness to touch on these sensitive issues.”
—MyBindi.com
“Sidhu has considerable authorial strengths, notably including her unflinching gaze and her deep insider knowledge of Indian Sikhs, as revealed in anecdotes thrumming with life and honesty.”
—Herizons
