Caught in a whorl of untruths

One cannot fail to admire the layered complexity of this beautiful novel about a flawed yet unforgettable family, writes Sudhirendar Sharma.

Set in Texas, this is the story of an Indian immigrant family of four, each of whom has broken free of the shackles of the so-called happy co-existence called family. Suresh and Lata have drifted apart after decades of marriage, and their grown-up kids, Priya and Nikesh, have set off ostensibly to find themselves. Navigating online dating, Suresh meets an attractive woman while Lata finds a professor at the college and flirts with her newfound independence as a librarian. Nikesh is in a seemingly perfect marriage while Priya harbours a clandestine affair. Each to their own, but not entirely as each one keeps a close eye on the other. Although the family is turned upside down, the glue of their relationship still sticks.

When relationships turn into rituals, a lack of imagination triggers their downfall. Even in togetherness, there remains a strong sense of loneliness. Under such conditions, a part of everybody remains hidden and acts like a virtual time bomb ticking to rip things apart. Feeling suffocated in each other’s company, both Suresh and Lata secretly hoped that there was actually someone out there in the world capable of making them feel joy, maybe even love. In divorce, they found a perfect opportunity for self-reflection and revaluation.

A bad relationship may be a two-way street, but divorce isn’t a bad marriage in the end. In this bighearted debut, Deepa Vardarajan pitches the narrative on the premise that every arrangement in life carries with it sadness and that there is a space and scope for reigniting relationships all over again. Nothing is lost till it is lost. In this witty family tale, the question that runs through is: will the loyalty that once anchored the family be strong enough to draw them back together? Will the family members rise above their personal fulfilment, family entanglements, and reignited dreams?

One cannot fail to admire the layered complexity of this beautiful novel about a flawed yet unforgettable family—the interlocking ironies and wounds and strivings for love and clarity and accomplishment and growth, all so deeply embedded in the cultural milieu of the immigrant family. Every character in this engrossing story is as distinct as real, and one can easily draw similarities from daily life. Late Bloomers is a work of delight.

In a moving narrative, Deepa Varadarajan details the internal predicaments of its characters as they come to terms with the stark realities of life. Their coming together is no less dramatic; the whole family gets to uncover one another’s secrets, confront the limits of love, and explore life’s second chances. The truth of life is unravelled to each one of them. Late Bloomers may not have a happy ending, but it is a promising beginning for the author for sure.

There is a collective learning and acceptance of common follies as a family. Everyone is found guilty of telling untruths — if not to one another, then to themselves. This is true for most of us. Most of the time, what we think of as truth is threaded with self-serving distortions.