BOOK REVIEW: TABLE FOR ONE BY SUMAA TEKUR

 BOOK BLURB:

An Indian woman living alone in India is rare.

An Indian woman living alone in India by choice is rarer.

An Indian woman living alone in India by choice when her parents live in the same city is rarest.

Sumaa belongs to that rarest of breeds to join a tiny clutch of emerging single-person households in the country, ticking all those boxes—woman, single, and ‘past her prime’.

This book is a reflective and an honest take on the culture and politics of an Indian woman living alone through her thirties. With her youth fading and her biological clock running out of battery, the only proposals crossing her desk are the building committee welfare bids for choice of apartment elevation, paint colour, and flowerpots next to the car park. Even there, the judgemental eyes of curious neighbours ask: ‘What? There’s no man in the house to make decisions?’

Rich with anecdotes, this book peels the complex layers of patriarchy, hypocrisy, and the changing social tides that leave both women and men a little more clueless by the passing day. It advocates living alone as a wholesome experience of self-discovery and for women to normalise it like marriage or living with family or roommates. While doing so, in no way does the book claim that living alone trumps co-living (okay, it actually does)!

BOOK REVIEW:

BOOK REVIEW:

Solo living is not an easy ride but Author Sumaa Tekur advocate it as an essential life experience to meet yourself. Solo living was not imposed on her due to circumstances but she willingly made this choice for her. This solo living journey has transformed her life and became a big part of her self-discovery journey. Author has tried to cover every aspect of solo living, firstly the importance of embracing the sweet stillness of solitude , then facing the fears confidently and learning the lessons that comes with this kind of living arrangement. Author also talks about importance of wisely selecting our social exchanges, the importance of meaningful friendships and letting go the ones which are not serving the purpose of meaningful friendship anymore , and finally building the tribe of sisterhood. I found her journey to be really inspiring and bold.

If you’re choosing to live alone as a celebration of your independence, this is the book for you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sumaa Tekur is a writer and editor with stints in publications like The Times of India, Deccan Herald, Femina, and DNA. She holds two master’s degrees in journalism and was awarded the Commonwealth Press Union Fellowship in 2005. Sumaa lives in Bengaluru with her books, paints and canvases, lamps, and drums. Her solitude is shared only with the mango tree next to her window, her stable, all-weather companion. This is her second book.