LITTLE BY LITTLE, I AM RECOUPING ENERGY EXPENDED BATTLING THE FLU

Upon finishing the novel that’s kept my mind occupied, over these past couple of days, I jotted down my thoughts about the main theme, and here is what my intuitive powers directed me to write:

At the end of the novel, Layla, a young wife and mother, who has endured harrowing experiences at various points throughout her life, is drawn back to the dilapidated cottage where

nostalgia for the innocence of what has passed rubs up against the present ... and in between the two is every reality that causes character traits to change in ways that surprise no one as much as the one whose mirror reflects personal traits that have undergone metamorphosis due to life experiences, which had felt too painful to bear until they’d been borne.  And if, in hindsight, a wealth of knowledge sought has been gained and personal pain has been borne with dignity and compassion intact then what might be a person’s just reward upon reaching the twilight of a life well lived and well read?  One would hope that the answer to such a universal quest would be an existential sense of inner peace.

Paraphrasing Layla’s grandfather:

I know that my hope to create change for the better throughout the world is much bigger than me, and so I do my part to the best of my ability, knowing that my quest is worthy of being carried forward by those of like-mind who are sure to follow, because all one must do to confirm that as true is to glance over the timeline, which reflects the cyclical history of man-kind moving forward, ever so slowly, yet persistently, as does the second hand of a finely tuned clock.

The main theme of this novel presents itself within a love story that takes place in India during this nation’s time of riotous rebellion against English domination.  During these years of brutal unrest, Layla’s grandfather’s personal quest concentrated on procuring education for women; however this novel is devoted to Layla’s personal metamorphosis.  As to Layla's grandfather’s quest, his story is related in a companion piece of fiction, a prequel penned by the same author, titled:
Flame Tree Road (Shona Patel), and if your interest concerning both novels has been aroused then I suggest reading Flame Tree Road first.