Review of Salt and Pepper

[Manik Chaturmutha]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Salt and Pepper" by Maria Akhanji.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Salt and Pepper by Maria Akhanji is a tale overviewing the dark cultural and religious taboos. It also reveals the miseries women face because of them. Ranya, a six-year-old girl, lives in Dubai with her parents and elder siblings. She often visits Bangladesh. Ranya is mistreated and abused by her father, and her mother stays aloof in a self-obsessive manner. Her family's behavior breaks her. However, in her teenage years, she hopes to find an escape by moving in with her brother's family in London. But there, she discovers that even though her brother is kind toward her, he holds misogynistic views. She wants to get out into a new world where she won't be mistreated. Ranya feels like salt and pepper inside her family as no one cares about her except her elder sister; she is taken for granted, and she wants to outgrow that feeling as she grows up. One thing that helps Ranya never give up is her educational aspirations. Will she be able to put her studies to good use and get out into the new world without getting trapped inside a misogynistic society, or will she be forever trapped in it?

I loved the portrayal of the problems faced by cultural minorities in a foreign land. The descriptions of religious cultures and the orthodox mindset of society are fascinating. Likewise, the character building is authentic, and Ranya is a strong character filled with hopes amidst the disappointing moments she faces. She sticks to her willpower to get out of her stuck situation. Moreover, the other characters are also portrayed clearly. Readers can easily peep into their thoughts. The writing style is authentic with a spectacular image-building capability, and the title chosen is fascinating and well justified. Also, the storytelling ability of the author is effortless. Furthermore, the suspense element of what the future holds for Ranya is very gripping, keeping the readers on their toes till the very end of the book. Lastly, the sufferings of women in a patriarchal society bound by cultural and religious norms are shown very clearly. In addition, the never giving up spirit of the female protagonist is very motivating, and it is one of the fine specimens of dark cultural novels.

I didn't find any grammatical or spelling errors in the book. The book was exceptionally well-edited, and I have no negative remarks about the book.

I would give the book 4 out of 4 stars because of the writer's storytelling and character-building ability.

I would recommend Salt and Pepper to the readers interested in an overview of dark religious and cultural backgrounds and the feminist genre. In addition, I would suggest this book for the author's authenticity in image and character building. Finally, I would recommend this book to readers who want to read something with strong female leads and want to understand the sufferings faced by women in the patriarchal society.

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Salt and Pepper
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