A Matter Of Time
- Publisher : Penguin Random House
- Publishing year : October 2000
- Binding : Paperback
- ISBN : 9780140263909
- Imprint : Penguin Books
- Age Group : Adult
- Language : English
A Matter Of Time is a multi-generational story that explores the intricate relationships within an extended family. The ...
A Matter Of Time is a multi-generational story that explores the intricate relationships within an extended family.
The story, set in present day Karnataka, is narrated in the individual voices of the characters. One day, Sumi’s husband Gopal walks out on her and their three daughters, without offering any kind of explanation. Surprisingly, the wife too doesn't even ask him for a reason and this unsettles the young girls. Sumi takes her daughters, Aru, Charu and Seema, to her ancestral house. Her parents, Kalyani and Shripati, live together but have not spoken to each other for more than three decades. Gradually, the mystery behind the strange and oppressive silence is unveiled. Kalyani finally starts to open up as her relationships with her daughter and granddaughters deepen. Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Aru is convinced that she is the reason because her father deserted the family. The pain of a broken home causes turbulence in her life. She struggles to understand why her mother did not stop Gopal from leaving. A Matter Of Time illustrates how Aru’s life changes in the coming months and how she forges life-changing relationships that even takes her by surprise.
Shashi Deshpande is the author of eleven novels, two crime novellas, a number of short-story collections, a book of essays, and four children’s book. Three of her novels have received awards, most notably the Sahitya Akademi award for The Long Silence. She has translated works from Kannada and Marathi into English, and her own work has been translated into various Indian and European languages. She has participated in literary conferences and festivals, as well as lectured in universities, both in India and abroad. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009. Her memoir, Listen to Me, was published by Context in 2019
