Part Two: Hema and Kaushik

Part One of Unaccustomed Earth contains 5 unrelated stories of family and relationships- this shifts in Part Two, which consists of three connected stories of Hema and Kaushik, whose mothers met coincidentally one day at the park. The first two stories are written in the first person, and use "You" liberally to describe one another- although disconcerting at first, it helped immerse me in the story. These three stories together had the most emotional impact on me out of all of the others in Unaccustomed Earth- when I finished, I had to sit and absorb what had happened for a few minutes. Hema's story deals with growing up and her crush on Kaushik, which interestingly foreshadows their later relationship in Rome. Kaushik, in the second story, is revealed to be the "You" mentioned in the last story, and his story focuses on dealing with the grief and healing process following his mothers passing, and dealing with his new step family- helping and hindering his healing process simultaneously. The third story is from Hema's point of view, and discusses a relationship she had with an older man, her time in Rome, her impending marriage to a man she does not love her short relationship with Kaushik, and eventually her marriage. The very intimate tellings of  Hema's meeting of Kaushik and Kaushik's story of running away from his step family draw the reader into the story, and the third weaves in all the loose ends- the setting of Rome comes after all of Hema's discussion of it with Kaushik's parents in the first story. Kaushik's runaway foreshadows his vagabond journalist lifestyle. Hema's seemingly pointless crush as a young girl actually comes into fruition. When I started the first story, Once in a Lifetime, I was thoroughly confused, but the knowledge of the family and the characters continues to build, which turns into a crystal clear image when finished. The tragedy that is the story, combined with the use of first person and a direct object "you", and likable, although sometimes frustrating characters, make Part Two definitively my favorite section of the book- and, the reason I'd recommend this novel to others to read.