#BookReview ; The Liberation of Sita by Volga

Valmiki’s Ramayana is the story of Rama’s exile and return to Ayodhya, a triumphant king who will always do right by his subjects.
In Volga’s retelling, it is Sita who, after being abandoned by Purushottam Rama, embarks on an arduous journey to self-realization. Along the way, she meets extraordinary women who have broken free from all that held them back: Husbands, sons and their notions of desire, beauty and chastity. The minor women characters of the epic as we know it – Surpanakha, Renuka, Urmila and Ahalya – steer Sita towards an unexpected resolution. Meanwhile, Rama too must reconsider and weigh out his roles as the king of Ayodhya and as a man deeply in love with his wife.
A powerful subversion of India’s most popular tale of morality, choice and sacrifice, The Liberation of Sita opens up new spaces within the old discourse, enabling women to review their lives and experiences afresh. This is Volga at her feminist best.

The Liberation of Sita is a mythological fiction with feminist twist written by Volga, translated from Telegu by T. Vijay Kumar & C. Vijayasree & published by Harper Perennial, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. The author’s real name is Popuri Lalitha Kumari & Volga is her pen name. She is a noted feminist writer in Telegu. She has nearly 50 publications including novels, short story collections, poems, etc in Telegu. She has won several awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award. She is currently the executive chairperson of Asmita Resource Center for Women, Hyderabad.

The story revolves around Sita & her path to self-realization while enduring whatever difficult situations came in her way. The author inculcates a more human nature into the character of Sita than the kind of godly woman she has been portrayed till date. It also narrates several incidents including but not limiting to her kidnapping, abandonment, etc. The stories focus on several women characters who help Sita realize her true self worth. To read this phenomenal book, get it here

As soon as I put out on social media that I am going to read this book, I received several messages from my friends to relish this book as it is one of their best reads. As I finished reading this book, I can only say that all that hype was justified. The author has been able keep the flow of the stories in sync with the feminist narration. Different the women characters who are generally sidelined in mythological depictions have been brought into focus by the author. The journey of Sita from an innocent princess to that of a woman who knows her self-worth is inspiring. The title, language & cover are all brilliant. A book not to be missed.