The Heart is a Shifting Sea: Love and Marriage in Mumbai

Summary (from the publisher): In the vein of Behind the Beautiful Forevers, an intimate, deeply reported and revelatory examination of love, marriage, and the state of modern India—as witnessed through the lives of three very different couples in today’s Mumbai.

In twenty-first-century India, tradition is colliding with Western culture, a clash that touches the lives of everyday Indians from the wealthiest to the poorest. While ethnicity, class, and religion are influencing the nation’s development, so too are pop culture and technology—an uneasy fusion whose impact is most evident in the institution of marriage.

The Heart Is a Shifting Sea introduces three couples whose relationships illuminate these sweeping cultural shifts in dramatic ways: Veer and Maya, a forward-thinking professional couple whose union is tested by Maya’s desire for independence; Shahzad and Sabeena, whose desperation for a child becomes entwined with the changing face of Islam; and Ashok and Parvati, whose arranged marriage, made possible by an online matchmaker, blossoms into true love. Though these three middle-class couples are at different stages in their lives and come from diverse religious backgrounds, their stories build on one another to present a layered, nuanced, and fascinating mosaic of the universal challenges, possibilities, and promise of matrimony in its present state.

Elizabeth Flock has observed the evolving state of India from inside Mumbai, its largest metropolis. She spent close to a decade getting to know these couples—listening to their stories and living in their homes, where she was privy to countless moments of marital joy, inevitable frustration, dramatic upheaval, and whispered confessions and secrets. The result is a phenomenal feat of reportage that is both an enthralling portrait of a nation in the midst of transition and an unforgettable look at the universal mysteries of love and marriage that connect us all.  

 

Review: I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book from HarperCollins.

 

This work of non-fiction follows the marriages of three couples in today's Mumbai. Told in a narrative, novelistic style, this work of journalism presents three examples of modern day marriage in India. Although all three couples and their circumstances differ, this book provides an interesting look at the state of love, marriage, class, and religion in Indian today. Veer and Maya marry for love but are tested by Veer's workaholic personality and Maya's urge for independence. Shahzad and Sabeena are tested by their inability to have a child. And Ashok and Parvati are brought together by an arranged marriage but manage to find love in their partnership.

 

The stories of the three couples is beautifully told. At times it was hard to remember that this was non-fiction, because Flock has written it in such a narrative and flowing way. The author presents the couples' stories without interruption or interjection, giving this an anthropological feel. Along with Flock, readers join the couples in their homes and observe their struggles. In doing so, the shifting culture of India is revealed, as traditional ways increasingly conflict with Western culture. The city of Mumbai is ever present in this novel; the smoke, crowded streets full of stray dogs and traffic, ever evolving apartment complexes, and bustling street markets are the backdrop of all the individuals presented in this book. Through the individuals presented in this book, the reader is able to gain a feel for the city itself and what it means to live in Mumbai from several perspectives.

 

I was surprised that Flock provides no insight or reflections on her decade spent observing these three couples. She presents their stories and fairly tries to show all sides but does not comment or interject in any way. Although this does allow the reader to only observe and come to their own conclusions about what life and marriage is like in Mumbai, I would have appreciated at least an introductory or concluding section where the author gave insight into how she met the couples, what it was like being a part of their lives, and just generally gave some insight into how this book came about. The inside look these couples gave to the author was extraordinary and this book could not have happened without the author gaining their trust and spending significant time with them and I would have liked more discussion of that process. Additionally, the book is broken up into sections and at times, especially in the beginning of the book, it was difficult to keep up as the book jumped from one couple to another. In some ways, I would have liked to have one couple's whole story presented together before moving on to another, simply for clarity and understanding.

 

This was a beautiful written portrait of married life in Mumbai from the perspective of six individuals. An insightful snapshot of life in a changing city filled with contradictions, as well as a meditation on the universal themes of love, marriage, and family.

 

Stars: 4