Milk Teeth - Book review

Milk Teeth by Amrita Mahale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amrita Mahale’s debut novel ‘Milk Teeth’ is about life in Mumbai and resembles Mumbai’s favourite fast food ‘Bhel Puri’, essentially a mixture of soft and crunchy, sweet, sour and tangy.
In this book she has dealt with Romance, Riots and Redevelopment that Bombay went through and became Mumbai. While dealing with these she has touched upon relationships that are filial, cultural, heterosexual and homosexual.
She has a laid back style of narration, yet does not let your mind wander off from the story for too long and pulls you back into the thick of action before you can put the book down.
The blurb on the back cover reads ‘There was plenty of anger on offer in Mumbai and it was easy to look away. But every once in a while, someone with imagination crafted their fury like origami into something delightful’ and describes the book perfectly.
You will find the rich boy meets middle class girl resulting in culture conflict and then there is the story of the ambitious middle class wanting to keep up with the Jones’s and one cannot ignore the caste/communal angle ruling the roost in all this.
Amrita Mahale takes the reader on an exciting, thrilling roller coaster ride through the evolution of a city and its citizens who are always on the look out for adventure in eking out a life or more. Never a dull moment for long.
For a debut novel she has done an excellent job making peace with Grammar Nazis. She seems to have done her homework very well and it shows in her vivid description of various events and the characterisation of all the characters that make Mumbai what it is. Amrita has also shown that it is the citizens who make the city what it is despite the corrupt politicians.
I enjoyed the read as I could relate to the city of Mumbai through Bombay having lived here for more than six and a half decades, hence can vouch for the authenticity of the circumstances that have been wonderfully woven into the lives of the struggling citizens of this city.
Do read this book to understand what makes Mumbai tick and survive despite all the abuse meted out by all and sundry.


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