Spread the love          For a debut novel Amrita Mahale’s Milk Teeth comes across as a fairly decent read. Set in Mumbai, or rather I must say the world that was once Bombay, it weaves a simple tale of friendship and love. From the changing face of a city to the changes in gen next, the book captures more than just middle class aspirations. It pulls in the right emotions, oozing out excessive nostalgia of a society that once was. Getting to the story Ira Kamat and Karthik Kini share quite a bit in common. Childhood buddies, the two grow up in a middle class housing society –Asha Nivas- in Matunga. Their mothers are friends too, thus giving them enough opportunity to play and grow up together. As years move on, the two slowly move apart, pursuing their respective careers and goals. Ira turns out to become a journalist on the civic beat, uncovering stories of corruption that is widespread around in the town municipality. Karthik lands himself a plush corporate job with a multi-national corporate. Years later they meet again and a web of emotions pull them together as they try to re-establish their friendship. Amidst this is the building they live in. Asha Nivas is caught in a tangle of re-development, and the occupants of the society are at loggerheads over the compensation they are owed from the landlord. The wind of liberalization is blowing, Bombay turns into Mumbai. The two young adults find themselves battling their own issues- Ira with her memories of a lost love and Karthik struggling to find his own true self. How do they untangle themselves from it all? Does life give them the answers to all their perplexities? Love, companionship and self-discovery, Milk Teeth may be a road already travelled. Yet it brings in an element of freshness in its writing making it a pleasurable read. Ooh and the ah! “In short, there was life beyond nostalgia. But surely there was life beyond greed too, beyond sucking your city dry….” There are words that spark an emotion, and then there are words that communicate a thought. When you combine the two you get a narrative that surely is going to be impressive. Mahale’s writing can stir in that nostalgia, irrespective of whether you belong to Mumbai or not. For, the middle class life and aspirations that have been sketched out in the book is relatable in every aspect. The detailing of simple pleasures, such as the families’ weekend outing to South Mumbai- the charm of Churchgate station and the breeze across the Oval Maidan, can well be felt. Simple straightforward dialogues between characters carry forth the story in a well-paced manner. Mahale has managed to address ideologies of globalization, feminism, religious differences and the changing value system, well within the periphery of her narration. The book does come with its own share of minor shortcomings (though I wouldn’t really want to call it one). It does wind up on a predictable note and the excitement that was generated in the first half of the book, does begin to fizzle out to a certain extent. But considering the exquisiteness in the choice of words and the descriptions throughout, I would prefer to overlook this shortcoming. Milk Teeth is a book that could stir in a whole lot of nostalgia. Read it with a relaxed mind; it would soothe you with its words, without putting much strain on your imagination. My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews The book is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book format. Disclaimer: This blog post contains an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission, if you click through and make a purchase. Spread the love