"Amla, from the Sanskrit amlaki, is the edible fruit of the Indian gooseberry tree (Phyllanthus emblica). The fruit is round, greenish-yellow in colour and hard to touch. Ripe amlas have a unique taste that is astringent, sour and distinctly bitter all at once."
This comic is about the author who grew up in Kerala, India and had a best friend Maya who was a year older and a foot taller than her and was her constant companion and one she played with all the time. Most of the playtime was spent around a gooseberry tree in Maya's backyard. And when it came time to making pickles, Maya's grandmother paid them to gather gooseberries for the recipe. Maya's grandmother was a special woman in that she allowed anyone to come into her front door not just certain people from certain castes or certain family members. She treated everyone equally. And her pickles were the best ever.
Now the author is pregnant and her baker husband has come across some gooseberries and has given them to her to make pickles of her own. She follows the recipe just like Maya's grandmother showed her all those years ago. But the pickles don't turn out to taste the same. So, her husband goes out and buys all the different jars of pickles he can find to find the perfect pickle for her and she finds the one that tastes just like her childhood.
Interspersed between the growth of the pickles is the story of how Maya had to move away and they lost touch. Also, how she moved away from home and took a job in another city which was fearful for her to do but she managed with the help of an older woman she rented a room from. The comic follows her life until she gets to London and meets the baker.
She decides to hunt down the owner of the pickles that she so loved and finds a surprise at the other end. Meanwhile, she is experiencing the worries of being a mother-to-be. This was a sweet comic that explores the bonds of marriage and friendship, especially friendship. The writing was beautiful and the drawing was quite lovely. I give it five out of five stars.
Quotes
Sometimes a little thing is all it takes for the mind to wander into long forgotten corners,even to the most wilfully neglected ones. Before you realize it, little beads of memory begin to dance, taking centre stage in the present…that’s far removed from the past.-Devi Menon (Amla Mater p 6-7)
Link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amla-Mater-Devi-Menon/dp/0989061590/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=amla+mater+by+devi+menon&qid=1558527604&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell
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