It took me a while to get back into Jadu’s story after the rich start in Bihar. The writing is skilful and Jadu’s observations of a life time are continuously intriguing. I liked the POV of Jungu and the last section too. The in between felt a bit confusing and uneven in terms of its structure and intentions, though, overall, this book is about life and love, and is very much like them in its execution and content.

Very much a slow burner of a novel – one that initially had me conflicted but ended with me impressed with the author’s writing craft.

It starts with a lengthy third-party section told in the voice of Jadu(nath) who grows up in very humble circumstances in a small village in the Indian State of Bihar. The book begins with a family legend: his mother being bitten by a snake while pregnant with him; but for most of section we follow Jadu through his later life: at college in the State Capital of Patna where he studies history; his interactions with differences of caste and the strong sense of identity he gains from his own beginnings; visits back to his home village and the way his relationship with his parents alters; the developing politics of India (through wars with China, the founding of Bangladesh, Indira Ghandi’s state of emergency) – not least as some of his friends and later students become politically involved; a meeting with the Everest conqueror Tenzing Norgay; his own career lecturing history; his marriage and the birth of his daughter Jungu; a pilgrimage on which he accompanies his wife while his daughter is still very young (and which seems to lead to a perception of an emotional breach with his daughter which never quite heals); his parent’s death; his own brief imprisonment in the marches prior to the state of emergency; a humiliating incident when he loses his daughter’s dowry; his move to America as a Fulbright Scholar – and much more.

The style can seem very episodic in terms of Jadu’s life – moving forward from one incident to another, often with years between; and fragmentary when it features other people – many characters coming in for a brief cameo role - being described in detail and then lost from the story. Over time Jadu starts to think about whether he should move from his study of societal history (he is particularly interested in protest movements) to his own personal history and observations and help his daughter understand his life

And we increasingly sense that what we are reading would be the episodes and cameos that might feature in such a memoir – interspersed with political references that can feel slightly Wikipedia like in nature.

At times too I felt distanced a little from the story – and so was intrigued (and impressed with what I increasingly realised that the author was doing) when Jadu attends a play put on by his Professor (and one of his few real heroes in life) – a Hindi restaging of a Russian play – and we are told: "Jadu felt all this was familiar, and yet, the play kept him at a distance ….Jadu asked himself if Professor Dey wanted them to understand that the role of art was not to simply stage stories where you could, as a reader or a viewer, identify yourself with the character. The goal could well be to create a sense of alienation and even discomfort."

The story then switches to a first party account told by Jungu (Jadu’s daughter) – now a journalist with CNN based in Atlanta, having suffered a very difficult marriage in India, with her move to the US to study at journalism school as a divorced mature student largely inspired by her father’s studies there. The present day part of the story is set in the 2020 – Jadu has died from COVID in India and Jungu, still upset that she did not take a call from him on the day he died, looks back on her own life (including a new relationship she makes in America but which then breaks due to work circumstances) and her memories of her father – particularly her interactions with him once she was in America.

And, given my feelings about the first half of the book, when I read Jungu saying "There were times, however, when I felt that my father was offering me pages from his memoir." and later "He spoke as if he were reading out a Wikipedia entry.”

In the same way that her father studies and teaches history, and then looks for a way to tell his own history – but with a focus on what he can leave for his daughter to understand him; so much of Jungu’s section consists of her recounting people she has interviewed in an attempt to understand their stories – with we begin to understand at the heart of it her wanting to understand her parents and particularly her father’s story and life. And for both their deep held but often unacknowledged love for the other (and for others) is fundamental to the stories they are trying to register

And thinking of her father – his apparently simple live when measured against the political turmoil it took place against, she concludes: "I believe strongly that we are in touch with a great astonishing mystery when we put honest words down on paper to register a life and to offer witness. Everything else is ordinary."

The novel finished with two much shorter sections:

The first movingly is of Jadu in the last days of his life.

The last section by another character altogether (indirectly connected to Jungu) – a member of the Adivasi people who tells of the death of her mother (who worked running the family’s printing press business) – the daughter, who herself works in the printing press as well as sometimes as a print journalist, talks of the power of words to give hope in despair and oppression.

Note that the death of parents is an ever-constant theme in the novel as well as being a prime motivator – in the loss of both his parents – for Kumar writing it – at one point Jungu observes of Jadu: "He had tried to tell the story of our nation at a point in time; but the story he was really telling was about the deaths of his parents."

My review has I think touched only on some of the aspects of this complex and impressive novel, one which argues that any life – but particularly one marked by loving and being loved – its both complex and impressive.

My Beloved Life covers several decades of Indian history, interwoven with the personal journeys of its protagonists, Jadu and his daughter Jugnu.

The narrative starts with Jadu, born in 1934 into a life marked by cultural richness and tragic losses. The book does an excellent job of portraying Indian cultural beliefs, the impact of the caste system, and the struggle for personal identity against a backdrop of national upheaval. From Jadu's early years filled with local myths and family tragedies in Khewali to his encounters with influential figures like Tenzing Norgay and his deep dive into activism inspired by Gandhi's nonviolent resistance, the story captures the essence of a changing nation.

Jadu's later years, filled with personal loss and political strife, transition smoothly to the story of his daughter Jugnu. Living in the United States and working for CNN, Jugnu's narrative confronts modern issues and personal challenges, reflecting the global spread and influence of Indian culture. Her personal losses during the COVID-19 pandemic add a contemporary layer to the tale, blending the historical and the current with emotional depth.

However, the novel suffers from an overly ambitious scope that crams too many events and characters into its pages. The narrative felt rushed and somewhat confusing, particularly in the later parts where the timeline becomes difficult to follow. While the detailed depiction of the characters' lives is compelling, a more focused approach or a longer narrative might have allowed the story to breathe more, giving each moment the space it deserved.

Overall, My Beloved Life is a rich, multi-generational story that offers a deep dive into the complexities of Indian life and history. It’s a solid read that successfully captures the essence of its setting and era, despite its structural flaws. I rate it three stars for its heartfelt exploration of life’s complexities but suggest readers prepare for a dense journey through its pages.

My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar is the life of Jadu, from his birth to his death, along with the life of his daughter to provide contrast and detail. There is a strong opening here when Jadu's mother, whilst pregnant with him, is bitten by a snake. Nothing quite matches the intensity of this opening, and as the narrative progresses and Jadu grows up, it almost threatens to become a Zelig-like tour with great Indian figures strolling into view before moving off page.

As the narrative continues, however, you are slowly drawn into this world - with Jadu whispering in your ear, telling his intimate secrets - until by the end it is genuinely quite moving.

The writing is exquisite at all times, and there are some beautiful moments here.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.