Avishi: The Ancient Disabled Heroine Today's Readers Need
- Aaron Channel
- Jul 16, 2019
- 2 min read
“Avishi: Reimaging Vishpala of the Rig Veda”--Saiswaroopa Iyer’s subtitle seems to tell it all.
Iyer’s goal to transform sacred, ancient text into an easy reading piece of fiction has both pros and cons. Granted, Iyer’s literary tone is smooth and surprisingly accessible, despite the subject material not being in any way light. Also, the author’s prose truly does convey a strong sense of being well-researched--a feat which many historical fiction books fail at quite miserably. The reader will walk away from this book with a deeper sense of understanding about some basic cultural trends from the Vedic time period, such as opposition to what we now understand as marriage.
On the other hand, Iyer seems so determined to remain true to the original text that, in places, the work can be hard to follow. This is especially true in the first quarter or so of the book, when a mass of characters enter in steady succession. Indeed, this book has so many characters total that there is even a list with accompanying descriptions posted before chapter one, just so people can keep them all straight. This may, for some, detract from the main story-line.
Regarding plot, in an internationally ableist society, the concept of a female warrior overcoming a massive disability and going into battle with a prosthetic leg was a very attractive pitch. Indeed, it was why I bought the book and, in that respect, I was more than a bit disappointed that the majority of the story takes place during a time when Avishi is every bit as able-bodied, (actually, in some ways has more physical advantages,) than those around her. When she does eventually lose her leg, there is extremely little exploration of the emotional or psychological impact that this would have on her. Even the post-amputation healing process, which would be very drawn-out and intensely painful, to a large degree, is skipped over.
All in all, the book is a worthwhile read if the time period of the Vedas and Indian history in general interest you. But, especially for disabled readers, do expect some hiccups.
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