Set in India's railway colonies, Tamarind Woman tells the story of two generations of women. Kamini, an overachiever, has moved to
Canada to begin her graduate studies. Her mother, Saroja, nicknamed Tamarind Woman due to her sour tongue, is bitter because other
loveless marriage and her thwarted ambition to become a doctor.
When Kamini receives a postcard from her mother saying that she has sold their home and is traveling through India by train, both are
plunged into the past to confront their dreams and losses. On her long rail-road journey, Saroja tells the passengers on her train the story of
her life. And from Canada, in between phone calls to her mother and postcards received from her mother's trip, Kamini reflects on her past.
As we leam about their respective histories, from girlhood through maturity, we see the loss and love, the jealousy and joy, that has filled
their lives.
TAMARIND WOMAN is a wise and compassionate novel about family, memory, and the traditions that tear us apart and bring us together