My Beloved Life

Kumar (English, Vassar; A Time Outside This Time) traces the life of Jadunath “Jadu” Kunwar in this novel, whose audiobook he also narrates. Jadu’s life begins with his remarkable birth in 1935 India, after his mother was bitten by a cobra. Kumar describes Jadu’s early years, his stint as a Fulbright historian, and his return to India to teach history, marry a woman named Maya, and raise their daughter, Jagnu. Later in the novel, an adult Jagnu, now living in the U.S., picks up her father’s tale while writing Jadu’s obituary. Maya has already passed away, so Jagnu is now twice-orphaned, from both her family and her birthplace. Reflecting on her father’s long life, Jagnu notes that throughout everything, he remained concerned about the direction in which postcolonial India was headed. She also considers COVID’s impact on India and muses on what it means to be a writer. Kumar’s narration is well paced and poignant, communicating the complicated emotions experienced after a parent’s death and pulling listeners into this layered historical tale.