Natural Elements

by Tracey M. Hook

Drama/Romance about an 18 year old student of black-Caribbean/South Asian descent who is struggling to fit into Bombay society. Geeta often feels isolated although she has the support of her mother which helps her during tough times. But her mother has a secret that will change her life. A secret that once revealed informs the heroine of her mother's long ago affair and of a sister she has never known.

Genres: Young Adult

344 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2014

About the author

Natural Elements is my first published YA novel and second manuscript. I am currently working on my third, Evan, about a teenage boy growing up in Tacoma, WA during the 1970s. My daughter Jordan was the inspiration for Natural Elements. Having the same background as the main character-being of mixed race, black/South Asian and finding very little information or books written about girls with similar backgrounds, I decided to write something she could identify with. However, the theme of the novel is universal. Natural Elements is for all the girls and women who are searching--trying to find themselves in a complicated world.

My work experience/educational background includes secondary English teacher with the New York City and Seattle public school systems, Case Manager with the New York City foster care system, BA in English Literature from The College of Staten Island-CUNY, Secondary Teaching Certification from Antioch University- Seattle, and MA in Creative Writing from City College of New York-CUNY.

Reviews

[Kate Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is in two parts; the first story is from the point of view of Geeta, a teenage girl from Vile Parle, a suburb of Bombay. Geeta is happy, popular, attractive and intelligent. Her skin is dark and this has negative connotations in the society in which she grows up. She enjoys music, spending time with friends and meets a musician who is attracted to her. The feeling is mutual but he is travelling and they must part. Her Cynthia Aunty comes to visit from U.S.A. (Cynthia and Geeta’s mother Marlene are originally from Trinidad). At the end of ‘Book One’ Geeta is aware that her mother and aunty are hiding something from her.
The second part of the story goes back in time and is from her mother Marlene’s perspective. She meets Shiva, Geeta’s father, whilst he is working abroad. He marries her against the wishes of his traditional Hindu parents and whilst she is pregnant with their child (Geeta) he returns to India to work. Marlene moves to Vile Parle at a later date but is never accepted by Shiva’s family or their social circle. Her dark skin colour, dress style, hair and career are looked down upon by Shiva’s mother who makes no secret of her disapproval of her son’s unconventional choice of wife. Shiva often works away and although she loves her daughter Geeta, Marlene becomes lonely and isolated.
Marlene makes two friends, June and Collin. Her life takes a different tack and she has to make a life-changing decision.

I really liked this book, particularly as I got further into it and it gained pace. It is full of strong female characters; assertive, sane, down to earth, practical women and their friendships and relationships. The story deals with the uncomfortable and sometimes painful coexistence of tradition, religion, sexuality, skin colour and culture. I enjoyed the inclusion of travel; particularly India, America and Trinidad and the smells, sights, weather and tastes of different places. I empathised with Marlene particularly; she is a calm, intelligent and assertive. She had a career as a ballet dancer before she got married. I thought the author describes her emotions in a different situation with great skill.

At the end of the book everything slots into place and the reader can understand what has happened. It is an emotive story and I enjoyed it immensely. In places I think that the book could have benefited from further proofreading and the copy I had was large and heavy with an unusual format (font and size), however, this did not spoil the story. I was privileged to receive this as a Goodreads giveaway. I recommend it as a good read.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

******FTC disclaimer: I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads******

I realise that criticising an author for deciding to go a certain way with a novel is futile but I'm doing it anyway. The novel is made up of two books. Book one is a YA novel and a very, very good one at that. Book two is a train wreck.

Book one is about Geeta. She is black/South Asian. Her father is a wealthy Indian. Her mother is from Trinidad. Geeta is such an interesting character. Intelligent, aware and often disconcerted.

"I'm amazed and comforted by their outrage, but the little girl within can't extinguish the memories of family gatherings where I'm introduced- 'here's Geeta, the dark one.' I used to laugh along with others until I saw the look on my mum's face. 'Why are you upset Marlene. We mean no harm,' my fair-skinned relatives said trying to quench my mum's anger. It never occured to them that more than half of India's population is as dark as me or darker. It never occurred to them to say that this is Geeta. Just Geeta."

I found this passage heartbreaking. Geeta's pain described so succinctly. Colourism revealed in all its disgusting glory. I wanted to learn more about Geeta. I wanted to see more of Geeta. Instead I got book two. Her mother's story which starts off brilliantly and quickly turns into a silly story about rejection, loneliness, lust, betrayal, awkward sex scenes, illegitimate offspring which are abandoned, then sought after. And suddenly everything is resolved. Seriously? The only factors that redeem it are the description of places, people and food and the inclusion of TE. Beautifully done.

Book one is dynamite. Book two is dreary.

p.s. It could also do with some proofreading.

[Hunter Wilde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Tracey M. Hook for recommending your novel to me. I enjoyed learning about a culture full of family and beauty, threaded together by a young girl and her experiences throughout her life. Through her friends and loved ones you gain a bigger picture of the issues she has in society. Good read!

[Mary Nee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about an Indian girl named Gretta and her life growing up. She finds how that her mother has been keeping a secret from her. The first part of the book is from Gretta's view and the second part of the book is from Gretta's mother view. Everything falls into place at the end. This book also has poems.

[Consuelo Murgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really fond of stories about mixed race people and their identity crisis. It's enriching having a mixed identity, but sometimes it can also be confusing, because when we are young the only thing we really want is belonging to somewhere.

[Tracey Hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about rating my own book, but after researching other authors who have done so I guess it's ok.

[Jesica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book about a mother and a daughter in Bombay, dealing with the constraints of proper middle-upper class Indian life.
This is a world i knew nothing about, and yet seeing it through Geeta and her mother's eyes made me feel as if I knew it as well as my own hometown.
I loved this book. It is sensitive, sensual, beautiful and nuanced. There are no bad guys, just people trying to be happy and do the right thing, while sometimes hurting other people.