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India, 1905 - A belief in not only reincarnation and karma but also in the castes. Castes reflect the social status of the people of India, and there are only 4. Hopefully you are born into the highest class, the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudra. The Untouchables fell outside of the four castes. Everyone knew the outcastes to be impure, subhuman, lower than animals and rodents and insects.
This is the story of one such family born into the outcaste class. They live within a village set aside for their social class. One class can never interact with another, especially the outcastes. When Virat leaves for work each day, removing dead animals from the other areas, he is forced to strap a broom to his back, which he uses when walking the road, bending down and then walking, to sweep away his footprints, evidence that he walked there and was not worthy to walk to ground; a metal cup over his mouth to keep an Untouchable's contaminated breath off roads where high caste feet would tread; and a drum to warn members of pure high castes that a polluted, worthless one was headed their way, calling out "Untouchable coming! Untouchable coming!" This is the only time Untouchables are allowed to enter the other class areas. Their job is to remove the dead.
When his only son, Ashish follows him to work one day, he makes the mistake of crossing over the bridge to the pure high caste, the Brahmin, and though the day is hot, Ashish grows thirsty and reaches for a cup at the well. Before he finishes the cup, he is beaten within an inch of death and left at the well, punishment for polluting the water supply.
When Virat finds his son, he is moved to find help, especially when his efforts and his wife, Latha, do nothing to bring Ashish back to health. Fearing he will die, Virat makes a plea to the landowner, Mammen Samuel, whose land the well was on, to help heal his son. Since Virat doesn't have money to pay for medicine or doctors to help Ashish, Mammen Samuel is only to happy to help as long as Virat is willing to pay his debt. What he fails to realize is that debt will never be able to be paid off. Now Virat, Latha and Ashish belong as property to the landowner, who believes that what he is doing is being a great Christian man.
Ashish finds help with the English doctors at a clinic, and even though they aren't sure that they can save Ashish, the order Mammen Samuel to leave the boy in his care. Something he isn't at all willing to do. Not only that but Dr. Moore, won't release Ashish to Mammen Samuel without his parents being there. Even though Dr. Moore believes he is helping all he did, was increase the debt the family now owest to Mammen Samuel by four times the original amount. Now what will they do to save their family and be able to pay off the debt?
In the latest novel by Kay Marshall Strom, The Faith of Ashish, is heart-breaking and shocking. When you see how people were treated back in the early 1900's in India, it leaves you angry and compassionate to help those that these people believe deserve nothing except death. Death in hopes that they can come back into a higher class or at least as an animal.
I received this book compliments of Abingdon Press for my honest review and was riveted because even though I knew from history about this classes of people in the Hindu religion, reading about a life affected by this made it hard to endure, yet you have to. 5 out of 5 stars~!
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 25, 2012
I got this as a free nook book, I believe. I thought it was well-written but I couldn't finish it; it was just SO depressing. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened to Ashish and his parents and if they ever managed to improve their lives, but it kept getting worse and worse and I couldn't take it anymore and stopped reading halfway through. It's a very stark portrait of a time and place that was terrible for outcastes and women particularly.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.a-roze
Posted April 21, 2012
I usually am an avid fan of cultures from different countries, the people and their habits. For some reason I just couldn't get into this. I remember the first couple chapters were very slow and repetative but we all have different tastes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 18, 2012
Thanjs to heart-to-hearts excessive plot spoiling review there is no need to buy the book. Thet ruined it by revealing every detail in the book. We really dont care that you got the book for free. Stop ruining books for other readers. It is rude and inconsiderate. Read other reviews and learn how ti write one.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mrsmmg
Posted June 25, 2012
Great story line, love the cultural references
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Posted April 21, 2012
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Overview
Virat and Latha named their son Ashish, for he is the light and glory of their world. Yet a simple drink of water from the wrong cup changes them forever.
Virat, Latha, and Ashish are Untouchables in 1905 India, members of a caste who must never contaminate the world of the other, higher, castes.
When ...