Nectar in a Sieve (2nd American Edition)

Nectar in a Sieve, written in 1954, is surprisingly not the least bit dated. There are a number of core themes. Its primary resonance for me lay in the bond between this husband and wife, which ultimately left me feeling that despite their extraordinary trials, these people were at least as lucky as they were not. It is historically and more fundamentally a story set in a time when life in India was rapidly changing, modernizing. This couple's difficulties largely resulted from the introduction of industry to their town which made survival via the tradition of farming ultimately impossible. The hardships along the way are agonizing but the couple's devotion somehow makes the story more about hope than despair. Because I'd read this shortly after Kite Runner, I could not help comparing the two. This book did not leave me feeling emotionally played and abused as did the cheesy, keep laying it on ending in Kite Runner. This book is about desperation, let there be no misunderstanding, but it is a class act.

This is the first novel of Ms. Markandaya, an Indian author living in England (she has written at least nine other novels). This novel, written in the first person, presents the life of a peasant woman living in a remote Hindu village in India. Since the village is never named nor is a year ever mentioned in the book, a number of commenters have suggested that the book represents the story of India herself, arising out of feudalism and through industrialization. One of the characters is an English physician, Kennington (called Kenny by the narrator), who often appears to exhibit compassion for the people yet continues to fail to understand them or their culture (nor does he ever appear to make a serious effort to learn). This is a criticism many have given toward the British rule of India. The book begins with the narrator, Rukmani, at an old age and near death. She begins her story with her wedding. She was the third daughter of a village head and, at the age of twelve, is married off to a tenant rice farmer named Nathan. Through births, deaths, prosperous times, and devastating times (such as times of famine and when they lose their farm and are forced to travel to the city with nothing to call their own), she and Nathan remain close and truly bonded together. Even at the time of her own death approaching, she still sees him (her husband had passed away earlier); he has never left her. The book also illustrates the importance of family and the support one should always get from family. It is an uplifting history of a poor, but intelligent, honest, and noble Indian woman.

Nectar in a Sieve, a heart-warming story, written by Kamala Markandaya tells of the life and hardships faced by a family in India. Rukmani, a peasant and the main character in the story, was married at the age of twelve to a man whom she had never met or seen before in her life. Her husband, Nathan, was a humble tenant farmer who built a small mud hut or them to live in. Nathan was the son of a landless man therefore he did not inherit but had to rent a piece of land for them to live on . Rukmani was not used to this type of lifestyle because her father owned a piece of land and was also the head of the village. Unfortunately, Rukmani's three eldest sisters were married before her leaving her without a dowry. Rukmani considered that this was the best thing that ever happened to her as she said, " My husband was poor in everything but in love and care for me."

As the years passed Rukmani bore her first child and was saddened by the fact that it had been a little girl. Nathan had expected the child to be a boy who would help him tend the land "not a girl who would take a dowry with her and only leave memories behind." Rukmani named her child Ira short for Irawaddy. After Irawaddy was born, it became difficult for Rukmani to become pregnant again so she sought the help of a foreigner named Kennington, Kenny for short. Kenny gave Rukmani treatment and later bore several sons. As Rukmain's children grew the whole family faced many hardships such as drought, starvation, death, and Ire turned to prostitution for a living. Rukmani thought that all of this was caused by a tannery that had been built in the village. This tannery also took their home away causing them to move out of the village leaving Irawaddy and one of their sons behind.

I thought that this was a good book but not the best that I have read.

Read Nectar in a Sieve and understand what life is like at the bottom of the heap, with the "have nots" struggling for a handful of rice to get through another day. Struggling to raise children and grow crops on land they don't own, in a community whose traditions and character are on the brink of extermination by big-business. Read this book and take up the fight for social justice, job creation, and land reform. If anything, read to understand and feel how lesser fortunate people in this world of ours have lived, and continue to live.

Though Necatar in a Sieve takes place in India and is about a rural family there, its themes are universally applicable, especially in these modern days of globalization and gentrification. Kamala Markandaya died in May of 2004 and it seems that the American press mostly ignored her passing, which is a shame because she is definitely a pioneer of a burgeoning Indo-European line of authors. Nectar in a Sieve has been on the reading list of many a high-school & college for decades now, and thus highly influential for thousands of American & European students past and present. And that's how I first came upon this little gem, in a college course on Eastern Religions, just before I visited India for myself. Though written/published in the early 1950's, I thought this book well crafted and insightful. I was better prepared for my own experiences of Southern India, feeling just a little wiser about life and the people I met there. Markandaya tells this story of the peasants Rukmani and her husband Nathan in a heart-felt, straight-forward manner with many picturesque passages creating an aura of beauty amidst hardship. Her love of the land is reflected in Rukmani & Nathan's joys growing rice and vegetables, raising children, and in their interactions with colorful characters from nearby villages. There are also vivid depictions of hunger, misfortune, anger, loss and sadness, which underly the harsh realities of this "fictional" novel.

Although Kamala Markandaya was from India's Brahmin/upper-class and became an ex-pat in London, she certainly spent time around India's agrarian peoples and was obviously affected by their plight (she has written nine other novels dealing with similar subjects). As a novel, Nectar in a Sieve has a lyrical, romantic quality to it, which may account for its initial popularity here in the States, however, reading it in the 1990's and again more recently, I find it poignant and interesting. If there's any passage which sums up this novel, it may be the following:

". . . We have no money. My husband can till and sow and reap with skill, but here there is no land. I can weave and spin, or plait matting, but there is no money for spindle, cotton or fibre. For where shall a man turn who has no money? Where can he go? Wide, wide world, but as narrow as the coins in your hand. Like a tethered goat, so far and not farther. Only money can make the rope stretch, only money." - Ch. XXVII

And anyone who chastizes the author for emphasizing "money" here, probably has their head in the clouds (not to mention, a full stomach, and some property to boot) and is missing the point. This novel is about hope, and the hope that is necessary for people to strive for a better, more secure life, ONLY achieved through gainful employment and a stable income in a capitalist world. Where these opportunities don't exist, or barely exist, you will have thousands of Rukmanis, Nathans, Selvams, Pulis, etc. begging in your towns and cities. And thankfully, there will be other "Kamala Markandayas" to document their stories for those who are willing to open their eyes to the world around them.

Set in some village in India, Kamala Markandaya's Nectar in a Sieve is a gripping story of one indefatigable woman's survival of a checkered life, one that had no margin for misfortune. Neither does the book have surprises nor twist, but readers will find a determined, unrelinquished fighter in a woman who bears an unfailing faith and rams through impregnable clamor that invades her life.
Rukmani married Nathan, a tenant farmer whom she had never met, as a child bride. Even though Rukmani was ignorant of the simplest of tasks, Nathan never uttered a single cross word and gave an impatient look. He looked at her as if nobody had discovered her beauty. He never asserted his rights to forbid her reading and writing, a talent that placed Rukmani above her illiterate husband.
Misfortune seemed to have a tight foothold in Rukmani and Nathan. The monsoon inundated the rice paddies where Rukmani worked side by side with Nathan to wrest a living for a household of eight. No sooner had the monsoon tapered off than a drought ravaged the harvest. Hope and fear acted like twin forces that tugged at them in one direction and another.
Poverty-stricken Rukmani saw her daughter Ira become a prostitute, her 4-year-old son Kuti died from hunger, her teenage son Raja caught stealing and beaten to death, her oldest sons Thambi and Arjun set off to Ceylon to work in a tea plantation. The opening of a tannery, of which Rukmani was only skeptical, had spread like weeds and strangled whatever life grew in its way, changed the village beyond recognition.
And yet, Rukmani survived. The interminable poverty and impregnable fate of Rukmani and Nathan must evoke in readers' pity and sympathy. But at the same time, Rukmani, whom Nathan always appeased, might seem somewhat self-piteous, cynical, and complaisant (like Dr. Kennington said, she needed to cry out for help). Ira, who exchanged her body for Kuti's milk and food, had lost her reason and given up her sanity rather than faced the truth.
A recurring theme of the book is the significance of land that fostered life, spirits, happiness and family. Rukmani often found solace in the land on which her husband built a home for her with his own hands in the time he was waiting for her. She often reminisced the very home to which Nathan had brought her with pride. The land became her life:
"I looked about me at the land and it was life to my starving spirit. I felt the earth beneath my feet and wept for happiness." (188)
So much was the book about Rukmani. The one character that stood out to me was Selvam, one of her younger son who flinched and quailed at the firecracker and used the money intended for firecracker to buy a confection cane. As wealth lured all his elder brothers away, he stayed behind and took care of his family, shouldered the household responsibilities while assisting in the village hospital.
Nectar in a Sieve is a book that will make you lump in the throat. The writing is painfully eloquent, taut, and cut-to-the-root. The living conditions, life struggles, poverty, fragility and abasement of life depicted are beyond imaginations to those who live in the first world and have never stretch a single meal portion to three meals. Everyday was a life-and-death situation. 4.2 stars.

Powerful and moving are the only words that can be uttered after reading this amazing story. It changes your perspective of life as you look back on a young woman's life from a girl until the end. Rumaki, the name of who the story is told from, tells a passionate overview on her life. In great detail, every moment is told as though she were actually there, and you are being pulled into her life, able to see everything, and feel every emotion with her. Tears will stream from your eyes as you continue on in her shoes, and discover the distress she encountered along her journey through life.

Rumaki begins as a child and gets wed to a man as a young girl, still learning how to live. As she plunges into this, she goes head-on into the life of a woman. After much torment and trouble, she bears children and must learn how to care for them as well as handle the land and food, and treat her overworked husband. Devastation strikes them in several ways, and they eventually find themselves without anything, including their children. .

Nectar in a Sieve is very well known despite having only won status as an American Library Association Notable book upon publication in the 1950s. My master's degree is in Multicultural Education and this was not on anyone's radar i.e., reading list during my tenure however it is a popular curriculum choice now. This is a typical multicultural selection assigned to American classrooms to shame the reader because he or she has it easy compared to the central character in the book, Rukmani. Rukmani aka Ruku is an impoverished woman whose tragic life plays out in a village in India. Though Ruku is dirt poor she is not poor in dirt because mud is the one thing she is not lacking. Like so many fictional memoirs of this nature, the main character is designed to evoke sympathy and admiration. I felt neither, but I am a hard sell. If students assigned this book are blessed with a teacher who is not just fond of his or her own voice, then 'Sieve will spark lively discussions about gender roles, culture, poverty, and so-called third world countries.

My problem with 'Sieve is that it feels incomplete. It is nothing more than a series of catastrophic events catalogued by Ruku from the beginning of her marriage to its natural end. Ruku, at age 12, "without beauty and without dowry," marries Nathan, a poor tenant farmer who takes her away from a large family and comfortable life. Like Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Ruku is a bad luck magnet. Tess' bad luck stems from misguided family loyalty which repeatedly colors her inevitably disastrous decisions. Ruku's decisions are haphazard; it seems that life just happens to her. It is Kenny, a white doctor providing social commentary and slow salvation, who frustratedly points this out to her. Ruku's first independent decision was to seek assistance from Kenny when she was unable to conceive in the years following the birth of her daughter Ira. Perhaps if Ruku had consulted her husband, he would have discouraged the unnamed intervention for five sons quickly followed, and none of them received their fill of food.

Ruku is unprepared to be a mother and Nathan is a sorry provider. Yes, they are at the mercy of an unmerciful environment, but given the opportunity to embrace change they resist. Furthermore, neither parent has control or influence over their maturing children. Ruku's sixth son, Kuti, fails to thrive and literally goes blind as a result of malnourishment. Eldest sibling, Ira, is forced to take matters in to her own hands by prostituting herself to feed him. (Spoiler) This too proves tragic; Kuti dies and Ira gives birth to a son with albinism. (Spoiler) There are some borderline shocking events in the book especially the shaky plot twist involving Kunthi, a neighbor woman who gives birth to two sons fathered by Nathan. I question why the author, Kamala Markandaya (a pseudonym), chose this soap opera-like development. Nathan is characterized as an extremely loving husband until this revelation. The drama with Kunthi is unnecessary. Nathan's lifelong ineffectiveness as a provider is established early on. Why make him unfaithful, too? In spite of his shortcomings, Ruku was devoted to Nathan and lovingly safeguards his dignity, for example, his inability to read and write. (Spoiler) As the book ends there are no great revelations; Ruku is older but none the wiser or better off though it does feel like Nathan's death will finally bring her some relief.

As Rukmani starts her life she lives in a village chieftan's house and dreams of having a gigantic wedding. When she reaches age twelve her parents have married off all of her sisters and cant afford a big wedding for her and cant find her a rich husband so she is married to a poor farmer that has no land of his own. She learns that he is a loving husband and will do almost anything for her. She makes three friends on her first trip to wash cloths and herself and they become her friends for a long time. When she gives birth to a daughter that everyone who comes to see agrees she is beautiful she worries about if she will have a son. Six years into her daughters life she still had no sons so she went to see a doctor for help. A small while later she has her first baby boy and she finds that one problem is solved just to get more problems to come. As she has more and more sons she finds it hard to feed them all and when the crops start producing less and less so the families life becomes harder. As she marries her daughter away her sons lives become harder as the famine starts and it becomes difficult to live.

This book gives a good idea of how life is like when famine strikes and gives a realistic picture of how troublesome life can be. This book has a few exciting moments but the beginning is boring and could be more exiting. Overall, I wouldn't recommend reading this book because it does not capture the readers attention and it is not a very interesting book.

Kamala Markandaya's novel of life in rural India is beautiful, as it is haunting. The story follows the life of a young woman who marries a farmer and lives through the trials and tribulations of a changing India. Enduring poverty, starvation, the death of one child, and the decent into prostitution of another, Rukmani somehow survives, her faith unwavering, her love for her husband and children her rock to hold onto in the days when food is scare and shelter but a mat on a roadside. Kamala's book is not about the tragedy of India; rather it is about the human spirit and how it survives against all odds. If you get a chance to read this book then do, it will probably change your life...

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya describes the life of Rukmani, an Indian woman, in a changing world. Rukmani and her husband, Nathan, suffer through hard times trying to find a time of peace in their life. Rukmani's family lives in a rented rice farm in a poor little village in India. The family lives in a mud house covered by palm leaves. The village is surrounded by a forest and the only road is a lonely reddish dirt road. The village is soon overrun by workers coming to construct a tannery. The small village quickly becomes a town after the tannery is constructed.
Life in the town is hard for Rukmani's family. After the tannery arrives, prices for food rise and sales to locals go down. It is difficult for her family to have enough money to support their five children: Irawaddy, Thambi, Murugan, Raja, and Selvam. Also when drought strikes the area all of the crops are lost so the family begins to starve. After the drought, Thambi and Murugan leave to work in the city. Ira is wed to a wealthy man not long afterwards, but she cannot bear children. So, she returns. Raja died during the drought from malnutrition. Selvam started work in the town helping a well known foreigner trying to build a hospital. Rukmani and Nathan were getting kicked out of their house by the landlord because he was selling the land to the tannery. They went to look for Murugan but could not find him. In the end, Rukmani had to return home.

After reading this book, I felt like I knew Rukimani personally. Her grace, her inner beauty, her happiness and sorrows were a part of my life forever.

It was sad to realize that her grace was often a product of having no choices. When she accepts her husband's shocking revelations (don't want to spoil it for you) it's not because she's the most level-headed, forgiving woman on earth - I mean - where is she going to go exactly? She has no choices and in her soul she knows it.

Yet she still can find her life a better fate than that of others. There is a scene in which Ruki sells some of her vegetables to a wealthy muslim woman in a burka who has all the material things that Ruki lacks (I do not have the book in front of me I can remember her description of the woman's rings "any one of which would have fed us for a year"). But Ruki is not jealous - she feels sorry for the woman's cloistered existence and the fact that she is not free, cannot walk outside and feel the sun against her skin and work side-by-side with men. It was very interesting.

I can envision Ruki buying the dum-dum cart for her grandson. I can picture her grandson in the shade, eyes watering, waiting for a chance to play with the others. I have seen many times the rupee that fell from Irawaddy's sari into the river. I have felt the hopeless struggle that cost her son his tannery job.

This book is beautiful, sad, interesting, and moving. I recommend it highly.

Nectar in the Sieve is an enchanting novel that tells the endearing story of one woman's perseverance in a changing India. I was surprised to see that it kept my interest from beginning to end. The storyline is a classic tale of how the protagonist is against overwhelming odds and has to survive through it all to find peace and happiness. Rukmani portrays our admirable heroine who endures many predicaments yet always keeps her optimism for the future.
The story begins when an elderly and matured Rukmani begins to recall her past memories. Her world takes a sharp turn when she finds herself in an arranged marriage to the poor tenant farmer, Nathan. She takes on the responsibility of bringing up and caring for six children while working by her husband's side to salvage whatever the land has to offer. Times are rough especially when famine arises and dividing meager food rations into small portions is all the family can afford. Rukmani has a great deal of compassion but often does not get the chance to act upon it. She never really succeeds in overcoming her troubles but endures them as best as she can. In the Indian culture, people are taught that suffering through their problems by themselves cleanses the soul. This is the belief that strikes a cultural conflict between Rukmani and the British doctor, Kennington, who is bewildered at the fact that these villagers do not do something to solve their troubles and thinks that the villagers should ask for help when needed instead of wallowing around in despair. In naming the title "Nectar In Sieve", that choice of words foreshadows the plot: a life story following a string of melancholy events with hope straining to get through. Except the hope cannot present itself if no struggle for it is accomplished. From natural disasters, poverty, cultural barriers, death, and famine, life has dealt Rukmani some pretty hard times but she always makes an effort to make it through them because she has hope to keep her going on.
Markandaya's writing was very descriptive and refreshingly dramatic without being excessive in its tragedies. She writes situations that are realistic and able to believe, which sets the realistic tone of the novel. The language used is simple and poetic at the same time. It is very well written in a way that the story is understandable to anybody who reads it. Nectar In the Sieve is filled with many triumphs and tragedies that are meant to touch the heart. It is far from boring and is probably capable of captivating anybody's attention. I could hardly put this book down and I'm sure you will enjoy it too.

There are many different outlooks, or philosophies of life. Some are easy to understand and adopted by many, while others are unique and take a lot of inquisitive thinking. In the novel Nectar in a Sieve, Rukmani's philosophy of life begins to bloom in the reader's mind while she is speaking to her husband, Nathan. Nathan is telling Rukmani that she must accept the new tannery that is being built, including all the various people that will come with it. Rukmani angrily responds, "They may live in our midst but I can never accept them. . . ." Rukmani feels that she does not have to accept the things that life throws at her, she just has to deal with them. This is rightfully so, and the manner and grace in which Rukmani copes with certain situations through out the novel epitomizes her philosophy of life. Many situations that arose were centered within the family's rented farm. It started when the rains refused to fall, creating barren farmland. Aside from the fact that the ground was parched and cracked, Rukmani kept working her precious garden, and traveled a good distance every dusty day to a water source where she was allotted a small amount of the limited liquid. With the unavailing farmland, crops were non-existent, and there was no income for Nathan and Rukmani to pay rent on the land. However, the rent had to be paid, and Rukmani readily gathered pots, shirts, and even her wedding sari to sell at the market. She was successful in bringing home some money, but the family still ended up surrendering the farm. This was the farm that Nathan was completely devoted to, and where Rukmani had established her very own family! Yet, even with this disparaging reality, Rukmani packed what was left of her possessions and readied herself for the grueling journey ahead. Rukmani's heart and will to survive allowed her to not accept the misfortunes that besieged her, but instead gave her the strength to cope with them.

This small but unforgettable paperback written in 1955 offers a compelling tale of Rukmani, a twelve-year-old peasant girl embarking on a marriage to a man she's never met, which was typical for India at that time. She is gratified to find in Nathan a thoughtful and generous husband and they begin their odyssey of married life--complete with hard work and losses, anxieties and simple delights, and joys and sorrows that all readers can appreciate. Piercing want is everywhere, as crops fail, city life tramples human dignity, and the inborn humility of the masses is resigned to injustice and tragedy. This doesn't keep Rukmani from giving herself in love amidst bewildering circumstances, and setting her hopes firmly against the fatalism of her culture. This story would be well-suited for teenagers as well as adults, giving a realistic view of rural India, the basics of Hindu culture, and the stark realities of dire poverty.

This book tells the story (the melodramatic story) of a peasant, tenant farming family in rural India at the turn of the century. Rukmani, the main character, is a youngest daughter married off to a man she has never met. The marriage turns out to be a good one and the couple have many children. The family experiences unspeakable tragedy as a late monsoon and one son's involvement in labor organizing catapults them even deeper into poverty. It catalogues the absolute vulnerability of the poor in traditional society transitioning towards industrialization, and the anguish of losing everything for people who have almost nothing. The book was very melodramatic and depressing.

Nectar in a Sieve.
I believe there are two different interpretations in this ambiguous title, just like the words inflammable and flammable. Before I continue, let me inform you the definitions of nectar and sieve. Nectar is a sweet liquid secreted by flowers and are consumed by pollinators such as hummingbirds and insects. A sieve is a utensil for separating the finer and coarser parts of a pulverized substance. The first interpretation is that the main character in the story, Rukmani, used a sieve to try to capture all the sweetness out of her hard, miserable life and she somehow succeeded. The title shows how this brave Indian woman tries to get the best out of every challenge and never surrender to fate. The second interpretation, the one that I believe to be true, is that in Rukmani¡¦s depressing life she tried to capture the sweet nectar by using a sieve and the results were fruitless. All her hard work and her hope, represented by the nectar, slipped away bit by bit through the sieve. There are many evidences in the book that supports and chains my idea.
Rukmani is the ¡§daughter of the village headman¡¨ but due to the reason of the dowries of her four previous sisters and the Collector in the village who seized control, Rukmani¡¦s family ¡§could not find her a rich husband, so they married her to a tenant farmer who was poor in everything.¡¨ Rukmani¡¦s social status drop suddenly from a daughter of a headman to a wife of a farmer and the marriage was considered as¡§ a poor match.¡¨ Later, to her disappointment, she gave birth to a girl named Irawaddy, ¡§after one of the great rivers of Asia, who would take with her a dowry and leave nothing but a memory behind.¡¨ Five years after the marriage of Irawaddy, she was returned to her parents for she is a ¡§barren women¡¨,¡§a failure." As the story moves on, more unexpected events came and shatter Rukmani¡¦s life. She gave birth to more children and ¡§the resources have to be shared out in smaller and smaller portions. Finally, ¡§they no longer had milk in the house and curds and butter were beyond their means except on rare occasions.¡¨ After their lives improve,¡§the rains failed¡¨ and ¡§the earth was parched to dust.¡¨Still,¡§day after day the pitiless sun blazed down, scorching whatever still struggled to grow and baking the earth hard until at last it split and great irregular fissures paged in the land.¡¨To Rukmani¡¦s surprise, her beloved daughter, Irawaddy, tried to help the family financially by becoming a prostitute. As a result, she gave birth to an albino child as ¡§fair as a blossom¡¨ and whose hair was the ¡§color of moonlight.¡¨ It was a great humiliation to the family and the source of gossip around the neighborhood. Due to the problem with the lack of rain, another merciless impact hit Rumani, her ¡§last child, conceived in happiness at a time when the river ran gently, had been taken¡¨ by death.
These are just a few examples of obstacles such as poverty or disasters Rukmani encountered throughout her life. Many more heartrending events happened afterwards. To me, Rukmuni courageously used a sieve to try to capture the nectar, or precious objects in life but no matter how hard she tries, the sweetness seeps out and all that is left is bitterness and despair.

Nectar in A Sieve was originally published in 1954, seven years after India's independence from Britain and the economic and social upheavals that resulted. This context is in the story through the construction of a tannery and hospital and the changes they bring. The story follows Rukmani from her traditional marriage through the birth of her children and grandchildren. Tied to the land, Rukmani and her family suffer drought and bad weather and obligations to their landlord. She learns to "Bend like the grass, that you do not break," and survive injustices and devastations. An eloquently written deeply human story, simply and beautifully told.

The novel Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya follows the long and tragic life of a young woman, Rukmanni, who is thrown into this type of life at the early age of12. The book follows her from her wedding day until the end of the troubles she endures in her life.
It is hard not to enjoy the strong and caring character of Rukmanni, who despite the troubles thrown to her, maintains a optimistic and controlled manner even in the worst circumstances. She is a wonderful wife and mother to her family ; she puts the well being of her children and husband before herself and would do anything to ensure there success. She also holds her friends and neighbors high, and help them when it is possible. When Rukmanni leaves to live with her husband Nathan in a small village, she meets the neighboring women, Kali, Janaki, and Kali. Their relationship, though it takes a turn later on, is kind and warm, since they are like a new family to here because she has moved far from her original home. In this new village she works on the rice fields with her husband. Though the land is not theirs, they live in a house near by.
She enjoys her peaceful life until things start to change.First, a giant tannery is built in the middle of town, bringing in more people and noise to the once peaceful village. Rukmanni absolutely despises the tannery. Then two of her sons leave to work there. A few years later, they get a surprise visit from their already-married-off daughter, Ira. She has been unable to bear children for her husband, so he has decided to leave her. She is forced then to live with her mother and father, along with her younger brothers. Later, worst of all, their is a great flooding of the village. Their rice is destroyed and they go into poverty. The lack of food and money leads to the death's of their last two sons and her daughter prostituting to earn money to live. When there are first signs of fate turning good, even more troubles come their way. Despite all this, Rukmanni keeps her head and remains a strong and unbreakable spirit.
All in all, this was a wonderful read. The book was very detailed and made you feel like you actually knew Rukmanni. Also, coming from a completely different lifestyle, I enjoyed learning about this cultures way of life and cultural values. It is not a very long book page wise, but it is a long story with many interesting events. Like all books, it is not a book for everyone, but if you enjoy historical fiction novels and tales of people who overcome their hardships to have a better life, you will absolutely love this book.

Wow. Traveling along the main roads in India, I passed through several remote farming villages. I watched pregnant women in saris working in the giant daunting fields with many children at their feet, the small mud-straw huts in the background. For a brief moment, a woman here or there would glance up with large, dark, unblinking eyes and look into mine. Although fiction, Nectar in a Sieve is an amazing work that gave me a tiny glimpse into the stories behind those unflinching eyes.

Kamala Markandaya did a great job in writing Nectar in a Sieve. He really brought the characters to life. I really felt the pain that they went through. Rukmani got married at a very young age, went through starvation, watched her daughter go through prostitution for money, and watched some of her sons die because of starvation.

This book was really moving. I learned a lot about my life reading it. I appreciate my life and the food I eat more. I am thankful for what I have.

Kamala Markandaya did a great job in writing Nectar in a Sieve. He really brought the characters to life. I really felt the pain that they went through. Rukmani got married at a very young age, went through starvation, watched her daughter go through prostitution for money, and watched some of her sons die because of starvation.

This book was really moving. I learned a lot about my life reading it. I appreciate my life and the food I eat more. I am thankful for what I have.

Set in a small village locate somewhere in India, Kamala Markandaya's Nectar in a Sieve is a gripping novel that tells a story of a woman's struggle to find happiness and her own inner strength in a changing India. At the age of twelve, Rukmani was married off to a tenant farmer named Nathan, whom she had never met. Frightened at first, Rukmani soon adjusted to her new life as a farmer's wife. Over the years, Nathan and Rukmani's marriage becomes filled with love, compassion, and many children. It was not long until she found her self mingling with many of the women in her neighboring village. There she met Kali, a kind and cheerful woman who was kind enough to teach her how to perform her household duties. She also meets Kunthi, the village beauty and her friend Janaki. Unable to bear a son for quite some time, Rukmani became very depressed. Misfortune seemed to have found a great home in the lives of Rukmani and Nathan, causing as much problems as it could. A tannery built near their village would forever alter Rukmani's life, being that the change from an agricultural community to an industrial community frightens her. Unhappy and struck by poverty, Rukmani watched her first born child, Ira, go into prostitution, her son Kuti die of starvation, her teenage son Raja beat to death for stealing, and her two oldest sons, Thambi and Arjun set off to Ceylon to work in a tea plantation. Under such harsh conditions, Rukmani survived. Nectar in a Sieve is an influential, depressing, yet optimistic novel of a life lived out by one particular woman who will do just about anything and everything for her family.

Reading the novel, "Nectar in a Sieve" is an experience, but most likely not the one one would be looking for. Though it is easy reading and somewhat enjoyable, the plot of the story leaves much to be desired. Not only is the end of the novel left dangling without any form of conclusion, but even minor events throughout the story do not possess a sense of completion. The book, however, was very well written with incredible use of figurative language and was, though lacking closure, certainly a fine read.

At first glance, Nectar in sieve seemed like a very uneventful and boring book (kind of like a chick flick). This is however, not the case. Nectar in a Sieve is a classic tale of the epic tragedies and triumphs that we all share through life. The way Kamala Markandaya unfolds the story of a simple Indiana women as she travels through life has a magical pull to it that sucks you in and leaves you asking what is going to happen next

Rukmanni is a young girl forced to marry at 12 to a farmer named Nathan. Together they moved to a new village and start their new life. Having a boy to carry the family name is one of the most important things in Indian culture, and At first Nathan and Rukmanni fail to conceive a boy and have a girl named Ira. Undaunted they try again and with some help they have 5 boys. As each new baby is born they plunge themselves in to debt. With no food or money, everything seems to turn against them.

With out warning the giant iron beast of industry invaded the small sleepy village that Rukmanni and Nathan lived in and changed their lives forever. First, tons upon tons of workers came in to town and caused a lot of racket. Since those men came in to town, it caused all the prices to go up which meant that they couldn't afford to buy anything. Finally, two of her sons go to work at the massive tannery instead of helping their father on the fields. This causes Nathan much hardship. Then a few years later they get a visit from already-married off Ira to find out that she can't bear children. Worst of all there is a drought that kills the crops, and then if that wasn't bad enough, after that a mammoth flood utterly destroys their crops and most of the village. Through it all they get back up and get ready for the most terrible thing to happen to them.

Nectar in a Sieve is an emotional trip through the life of, Rukmani, an Indian woman. Begining in the present, she takes us through her life; sharing with her readers the hardships, sacrifices, the joys, and the family that we soon become a part of.
As Indian customs go, she is married off at the age of thirteen to a poor husband whom she grows to love. After trying for many years, thanks to the help of a white doctor, yet unknown to her husband, Rukmani is finaly able to have children. She watches the world change around her and her family into new modern business which she feels is distroying everything. Poverty and hunger stricken, she watches two of her sons die, one move far away and her daughter, unable to bear children, become a prostitue. This book pulls you so deep into the heart of Rukmani you can feel her tears when she is forced to move away from her homeland and go on a journey which eventulay takes the life of her beloved husband.
I really enjoyed this book and i reccomend it to anyone looking for a fast read of courage and never giving up.

Nectar In A Sieve Written by: Kamala Markandaya Reviewed by: Suzannah Gerber
Written in the early fifties, Nectar in a Sieve reflects a time of immense difficulty and change in India. The push for Indian independence from Britain was booming, and India suffered some of the worst, cultural, economic, climatic and social set backs they have ever known. This book is comprehensive to most novel-aged reading levels, and with good reason. The message of successful struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds is an age-old tale that diligently seeks out a wide range for its audience. Although graphic details are used, they enact a dramatic affect that is delightful and not gory or excessive. Immediately setting up the reader for a poignant tale of strife, Markandaya chooses the title and inscription for the book from the same Coleridge quote which reads "Work without hope draws nectar in a sieve, and hope without an object can not live." That quote could theoretically be a credo for Rukmani, the protagonist of this story, who is an Indian girl is set up in an arranged marriage at 14, and begins a life of her own with her husband Nathan, on his rented plot of land. We see Rukmani's life unfold through the tumults of India's changes, among which high birth rate, industrialization, high poverty, and white occupancy play no small part. Early on, a tanning factory is built in their primitive village asserting the white presence as an immediate a relevant issue central to the novel. The affect of the newcomers sends the limbo-like message of an India dealing with white industry and Muslim labor migration. Quickly, the factory sets the former bartering village into unrest, as we see it directly responsible for the death of Rukmani's third son, Raja; the relative exile-of-necessity of her two eldest sons, Arjun and Thambi, and for cost inflation of the village produce and goods, such as rice, which were depended upon for survival. Although politics and international affairs aren't dealt with outright in the novel, social practices of a traditional India are discussed at great length. India is known to have a class system known as a caste, in which members of society are expected to fulfill certain roles and responsibilities in the society. To go against the caste meant risking shame and exclusion not only for yourself but for your entire family. Rukmani, whose father was a member of a once, but no longer, important local authority for a higher caste, must marry beneath her into the farming caste, resulting in only mild shame but the increased hardship of a life to which she is unprepared. Caste again becomes an issue when Rukmani's sons wish to enter into industry, which belongs to another section of the caste, to which Rukmani is skeptical for many reasons. The topic of bearing male children versus females is also one key to Indian life in this novel. Daughters need dowries, which often means a life of scrimping and saving for the family until it is time for her to marry, but also male children are needed to raise and manage the land so that subsistence can be maintained. Traditions concerning wedding ceremony, how to keep and cleanse the dead, family/gender roles and respect among the villagers are thematic concerns constant throughout the book shown top us in the inner dialogue and actions of Rukmani. The key conflict for Rukmani's family is money, especially the money to afford food. The extreme and relentless poverty that repeatedly sweeps the country throughout the course of this book is an issue of befuddlement for the central white character, a doctor named Kenny, who often expresses contempt for the Indian way of life. A certain Western arrogance is communicated from Kenny who disapproves of what he terms the "Indian philosophy" of suffering hardships in silence. However, suffering in silence is exactly what Rukmani perfects. While monsoons ravage, crops fail, a landlord exacts payment, and rain doesn't fall, Rukmani, the married mother of six maintains her faith in life and humanity. She sees her sons leave after a failed union organization attempt and in desperate need of assuaging hunger. She suffers the rejection of her daughter from her son-in-law after child bearing fails, then watches her later become a prostitute in an attempt to save the baby of the family, Kuti, ultimately failing, instead producing an illegitimate albino child with little chance for survival. Rukmani suffers the knowledge of her husband's philandery and ... child with her village rival Kunthi, and still finds the love within her to struggle on to happier days. Along the way, Kenny and Rukmani establish an interesting rapport (rumored to be an affair) that shows an interesting atmosphere concurrent to the Indian fifties. The introspective juxtaposition of a reluctant philanthropist and an innocent village woman tenses as they teach each other to respect the life of one another, both being lives of loss and maintenance for different reasons. Both Rukmani and Kenny are highly adaptive and private people, bent on expediently exacting their moral sense of duty. Through interactions with each other, however, they grow as people, becoming happier and more accepting of the unpreventable changes occurring all around them. Although rampant with melodrama, and a bevy of startling plot twists, Nectar In A Sieve tells a story that needs to be told about the brutal life conditions of India. Although the characters are made into heroes, and their dead into martyrs, this is a tragic life story with a hope that trickles through it, as the title foreshadows it would. Life is rampant throughout the book, even in its darkest moments, and hope corresponds; the hope that India will one day overcome the poverty, disease and famine still crippling its people. Nectar In A Sieve is written in quickly read British style English, acceptable for most ages, and comes with a glossary of Indian terms providing the story little snippets of Indian culture in its native language for colouring.

This book was phenomenol. It blew me away. I didn't think I'd like it at first (foreign books don't usually appeal to me). But once I started, I wanted to keep reading. I loved every minute of this wildly refreshing book. Rukmani is a superb main character and how sweet she is. Her husband, Nathan, is great too. I checked this book out at the library, but now, I want to buy it. This book is captivating and naturally beautiful. It doesn't matter who you are or what books you like to read: "Nectar In A Sieve" is exceptional. A book that is filled with tragedy but in the end, gives you a surplus of hope deserves to be read by everyone of all ages.

Nectar in a Sieve is a beautifully written masterpiece delicatley describing the story of a peasant woman in India. The story follows her struggle to fight for survival and the welfare of her loving husband Nathan and many children against all odds. The main character is more than easy to compare youself with, with certainly makes the book more readable though tragic.

Kamala Markandaya has done an impressive job in writing the novel "Nectar in a Sieve" for young readers. It's a story about a young girl named Rukmani who gets married at a young age to an elderly man. Its how this young girl grows up facing struggles and hardships. It shows the power of standing up in the difficult times. the author has done a marvelous job of incorparating history and culture of India. The feelings and emotions are explained clearly of the desire for a better place to live. It reflects upon the real lives of the people. Living in the rural area makes it challenging for the family to survive an dfinrd all the necessary resources, which is food. The starvation leads one of the infant chlidren to die while another child dies from an accident. Rukmani deals with the problems with courage and bravery even after her husband passes away. This novel demonstrates that there is always hope left in the time of darkness. An excellent novel that teaches the simplest lessons needed in life.

Nectar in a Sieve is about a Indian woman, Rukmani, living in a rural village. The novel depicts Rukmani's ability to survive despite harsh effect of modernization. Firsty, I will start with the good points. Living in a modernized country that has a myriad of luxuries, and the book reveals that in other parts of the world life is not as luxurious. In fact, Rukmani suffers everything from the famines that devastate the family to the loss of her husband.
This book had the potential of being one of the greats, but its weak plot line left much to be desired. The plot moved along slowly as expected events such as famine, a stretch of penury, and the death of the husband occured. Most of these were anticipated leaving little excitement or tension in the plot.
Over all, this book almost perfectly demonstrates the effects of village life on the characters and gives me a reason to be grateful. However, the plot is a flaw that makes the novel boring at times.

Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya is the struggle between life and death in a poor society. The main character, Rukami, married Nathan, a tenant farmer. In her culture, to have a boy is the most important thing to any women and family. Rukami's first born was a girl named Ira. After many attempts to conceive a boy, Rukami needed someone to turn to for help. She turns to Kenny, a white doctor who assists and helps the people of her village. He helps her overcome her infertility and they become friends. Rukami and Nathan eventually conceived a son and named him Arjun. After him, Rukami has 5 more boys. With each birth, food becomes scarcer.

Share a journey with Rukmani, an impoverished Indian woman who is sent off into marriage with a man she had never met and faces a rural society that must make room for industrialization and modernization. Each planting season is a life and death challenge where they must face hunger and the wrath of nature's elements. She cannot turn away as she watches her children starve to death. What more could someone possibly go through before losing all hope? The book reveals the extreme limits of one woman's fortitude in facing a world that cannot feed or shelter her.

Kamala Markandaya's novel is not only a pleasure to read, it is a complement to English literature. It is well written and has a beautiful story. The craftsmanship shown by the author make this book a cherished possesionwhich will certainly be revisited. A Bibliophile's MUST book!

Ruku was married very young; she was thrown into a life that she didn't possibly know how to handle. She struggled to make ends meet at home, especially when it came to feeding her many children. As you read this book, you will feel as though you can relate to some of their struggles, but more importantly, you will gain a better understanding of the poverty and misfortunes that Ruku and her family had to endure. Ruku will show you how to live through just about anything, considering how she watched her daughter become a prostitute,and some of her sons even starve to death. This is a story of survival, and also a story of strength.

Written in 1954, set against the backdrop of a remote village in post-independence India. Narrated through the eyes of Rukmani - she married "below" her at the age of 12 and moved to a tawdry mud hut with her farmer husband Nathan, who rented his rice paddies from the local landowners, as was/is tradition in most villages. Rukmani's simple acceptance of, and outlook on, life and death and all things in between - from the starvation of her sons, to her daughter prostituting to feed her infant brother - makes the book touching and oh-so very deeply profound. Dialogues between the British doctor Kenny and Rukmani provide a keen juxtaposition of attitudes between believers of fate/destiny and those that don't.

A beautifully written novel that shows tremendous insight into the lives of the have-nots in rural India.

One word.... Sentimentality. That word sums up this entire book. This book was on the 10th grade reading list and I can honestly say that I thoroughly disliked it from start to finish. It gets two stars for the language, metaphors, and descriptions within it, but nothing more.

This book is based entirely on trying to get an emotion out of the reader, which in this case is sympathy. I find sentimental writing to be very poor and I just can't get into it, but to each his own. I wouldn't object to anyone wanting to read this book as their personal tastes might allow them to squeeze some enjoyment from it but I would never go so far as to reccomend it to anybody.

Don't get me wrong. The language used throughout the novel as well as the change in perspective is a breath of fresh air compared to the meat of story itself. My belief is that the only reason this book ended is because the author could not think of any other tragic events that could occur.

--tim

Something happens to you when you read this book. It seems natural to take a close look into your own life. You imagine how one woman like Rukmani can take on all the suffering day after day, year after year. Rukmani is a woman that you wish you could be more like but fear the result of it. One can not imagine a life like Rukmani without reflecting and wondering... "What do I have to be unhappy about?" It is an affirmation that we can learn from others and that what is important in our own lives, is in fact the nectar!

My english teacher assigned this book to our class before skool let out. I thought, great another borin book, and boy was i right!! From the minute i read the first few pages in the book, i already was completly lost. It was soo unbelievably boring that i couldn't even finish it. The only good thing about it was that the chapters were really short. I advise all to steer clear of this LAME book.

unique story with many emotional ups and downs. it is actully nice to read a book with a not-so-happy ending, that does get old. i had to read this book for an english class in high school a while ago...its very eye-opening...but i don't think i would read it "for fun". unless you are into that kinda stuff. but if you are interested in the Indian culture this would be a WONDERFUL book. it is deffinatly one of the better books i have read for school. :]

The book started of incredibly boring. I thought the author used to much description of Rukmani's struggle. However in the end, I cried from an overwhelming sense of emotion. The author ended the book very well. Although some people feel that seh didn, i think that she brought up important points on how life had been for the poor people in the past in india. Many people may have a misconception of india after reading this book. But this is just a small portion of how life went on for the poor people. It isnt trying to say that india is not a good place to live because this was in the past.

To live in another country, to live in another person's skin. This is the lesson of NECTAR IN A SIEVE. It is the most valuable of life's lessons. This classic book teaches just how different our outer worlds can be, and just how much the same we all are inside of our skins, inside of our thoughts. A timeless and beautiful story of value to anyone serious about growing up and reaching out to the wider world.

This book and "Cry, the Beloved Country" are two of the best books ever, ever. Both books will touch your heart and cause you to see fellow human beings with new eyes. My highest recommendation possible for both books.