One Woman tells the story of a married couple living in a small Indian town. They’re happy together – So happy that Ponnayi frequently extols the virtues of her husband and the things she wouldn’t do for him.
The fact that they are unable to have a child together is a bad stain on their lives. And what begins as a painful letdown for them becomes a full-fledged outburst throughout their two families and community.
As they gradually become pawns in their families’ conception games, whispers and gossip spread like wildfire, and it goes beyond pressure and shame for them. By the halfway point of the novel, it’s no longer their option how they conceive, but something their brothers and parents must play as if Ponnayi and her husband Kali are chess pieces and the forthcoming Chariot Festival is the game board.
In the universe of this work, ritual and tradition are both thrilling fascinations and scary, dangerous monsters — something to adore and fear.