what the body remembers
by shauna singh baldwin

With her father in debt and her mother dead, it is with elation that 16-year-old Roop learns she is to become the second wife of Sardarji, a wealthy Sikh landowner whose first wife, Satya, has failed to bear him a child. Roop believes that the strong-willed Satya will treat her as a sister, but their relationship swiftly becomes ominous and complicated, especially when tensions between Hindus and Muslims set in motion the turbulent period of India’s history known as Partition.

This well-crafted novel, by Shauna Singh Baldwin, was the winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2000 for best Book in Canada. In What The Body Remembers, a 16-year-old girl is thrilled when she learns that she is to become the second wife of a wealthy Sikh whose first wife has failed to bear him an heir. The conflict between the teen and the Sikh’s first wife mirrors the historical conflict in India between the Hindus and Muslims during the turbulent period of the Partition.

I second that motion jill. This book really makes you sit down and think about society and the power of humanity. It was captivating.

this book was beautifully written, poetic, powerful, and vivid. i was addicted to it in the last half and found it occupied my mind even when i wasn't reading it...it made me think about the things that my body remembers and how it shapes me each day. it was a powerful story.

i heart this book