Jahnavi Barua's novel 'Undertow' delves into the complexities of family relationships and belonging, set against the backdrop of 1980s Assam and Bengaluru. The story follows protagonist Loya as she journeys to uncover her family's past amid simmering political unrest. Reviewer Ashutosh Kumar Thakur praises the book's restrained exploration of love, self-awareness, and reconciliation.
Jahnavi Barua, a Bengaluru-based Indian author writing in English, presents 'Undertow' as her third novel, following 'Next Door' in 2008 and 'Rebirth' in 2010, the latter shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize and Commonwealth Book Prize. Published amid her accolades, including the Charles Wallace Trust Fellowship in 2006 and the Kalinga Literary Festival Book Award in 2020, the book unfolds primarily in Assam and Bengaluru, touching on themes of home, family, belonging, self-discovery, and self-love.
The narrative centers on Loya, a 25-year-old solitary and sincere woman with restless emotions. She leaves her mother Rukmini in Bengaluru for misty Assam, seeking her grandfather Torun Ram Goswami, whom she has never met, and her beloved Asian elephant, Elephas maximus. Arriving at the Yellow House on the Brahmaputra's banks, Loya confronts a family history marked by estrangement: 25 years earlier, Rukmini was cast out by her formidable mother Usha, with Torun remaining silent.
Barua's prose captures the setting vividly, as in this passage: “The house was high up on the hill, although not quite at its summit. It had an unobstructed view of its surroundings, and what a view it was... The Brahmaputra curved languidly along the base of the hill, its blue waters glimmering in the sunlight.” Another scene depicts Loya's arrival: “I am Mr Torun Ram Goswami’s granddaughter. Rukmini’s daughter.” The man responds with shock, pulling her inside.
The novel addresses how family dynamics shift when a member marries an 'outsider' against cultural norms, exploring mending estranged ties, old hurts, grudges, ego, and new anxieties. It highlights lessons from family—love, trust, loyalty, honesty, ambition, rejection, betrayal, and selfishness—and their influence on human interactions. Core to the story is self-awareness and the redemptive power of love, friendship, and renewal, with the Brahmaputra as a silent witness to the family's troubles and Assam's deep-rooted identity.
Thakur's review, published on October 14, 2023, notes the book's universal appeal, evoking emotions through lyrical passages and skilled storytelling, without sentimentality. It portrays characters' perspectives, including Loya's search for comfort and Torun's guilt, building a layered tale of hope and closure.