Family Matters: Rohinton Mistry

I am spending my days reading whatever I can get my hands on. ‘Family Matters’ by Rohinton Mistry is a poignant tale about a Parsi family. This one is not a must-read, but there is something about the book that stays with you. Each family has its own set of problems and probably when you compare these problems, they’re mostly in the same vein. That’s why maybe we connect with these stories at some level or the other. A Parsi family with its fair share of ups and downs. Skeletons in the closet that keep surfacing time and again in the nightmares of Nariman Vakeel..the dying protagonist of the story.
We are all flawed in many ways..sometimes by choice and sometimes by circumstances. Living with a dear one who is dying. Choosing between food and medicines for the limited amount of money available. Job frustrations. Indian families are well versed with such conundrums. This family is no different.

What I liked in this book was the grandkids’ unadulterated love for Nariman. Their inability to understand why adults behave the way they do. Their simple point of views..their gestures. We forget simplicity when we grow up. We get caught up in the humdrum of our daily lives. We forget that a smile goes a long way. That holding hands sometimes is the only way to let someone know that you’re there.

There are moments in this book. Well written ones. Ones that make you smile. Ones that make you take a pause and think. Might get a tad dull at times, but like I said…bits of it will stay with you.