Library Media Queen: Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet

"I tell you, Jeeta, your tongue is too sharp and your coloring is too dark, so for your sake, when your time comes, say yes to the first man that says yes to you." (Mummy, p. 125)

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth Hyperion Books, New York, NY, 2006, 224 pp. $15.99 Young Adult/Peoples and Cultures/Non-Western Setting/ ISBN: 0786838574

Royal Readers isn't Mummy something! Our next story is Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet. It has the non-western setting of modern day Mumbai, India. Our author, Kashmira Sheth takes us through the life of a girl named Jeeta and her family. Sassy 16 year old Jeeta often gets into trouble with her mother who feels that she is too outspoken and independent, among other things. Although the story is set in the present, the author gives the reader an insight into cultural and generational clashes. The idea of an arranged marriage looms heavily for Jeeta, as her two older sisters-Nimita and Mohini have been married off to suitable men of their caste (socio-economic status). What is a girl to do? The East meets the West and mama knows best. Is an arranged marriage the best kind of marriage? In the western world where divorce rates are high, does the east do it better the old fashioned way?

Readers will find the landscape and marital issues enlightening. However, the author presents a problem that has plagued women of color for ages; the darkness of skin tones. In this story we learn that Jeeta is darker skinned (hence part of the title Koyal Dark-a koyal is a black bird about the size of a robin with a sweet song), which has the potential to lower her beauty and perhaps value as a wife. No matter the culture, women face so much adversity, especially over appearance. Despite the odds, Jeeta and her mother see education as important, but for different reasons. Mummy wants her to get a science degree to make a man overlook her darkness, while Jeeta wants to become a lawyer. She befriends the daughter of a judge –Sarina, and reacquaints herself (secretly) with a boy named Neel she met at the pool who turns out to be the judge’s nephew.
While the story is lush with details, it is a little bit of a slower paced read, but picks up in the end. The glossary really helps the reader to understand the backdrop and cultural references made. Ms. Sheth has done a good job with writing about a young girl coming of age dealing with gender, cultural and generational issues and realistic relationships. Teens of all cultures will be able to identify with Jeeta’s issues of growing up and finding her place in life. They will also get a glimpse of what life is like for a teen growing up in another culture.
Will Miss Jeeta find love and a possible marriage match with Neel? Are both of her sisters happy in their arranged marriages? Will Mummy and Jeeta ever agree or agree to disagree? Will we as a society stop judging ourselves and others by looks alone?Oh, yes, royal readers, be sure to join Kashmira’s weblog to let her know what you think of the story’s ending at http://kashmirasheth.typepad.com/my_weblog/koyal-dark-mango-sweet.html