A gentle love story | Review of Once Upon a Summer by Manjul Bajaj

Discover the gentle love story in "Once Upon a Summer" by Manjul Bajaj, set against historical and cultural challenges.

Every memorable love story, especially one that endures, hinges on a serious hurdle, whether social, political, or rooted in class. In stories set in colonial times, the romance between an Indian man and a British woman serves as a powerful narrative device. This dynamic appears in Gulshan Nanda’s Palay Khan (later adapted into a film) and Ruskin Bond’s A Flight of Pigeons (filmed as Junoon), where the backdrop of rebellion or unrest amplifies the tension and heightens the dangers of the relationship.

Manjul Bajaj’s Once Upon a Summer follows the same course, but unlike the two novels mentioned above, it is far removed from the upheaval of rebellion. It tells a gentler, more restrained love story between an Indian syce (stablehand or groom) and the daughter of a senior British official. Here, class and racial identity create the central stakes.

The novel begins in 1950s New York, where the narrator, a Manhattan-based publisher (whose identity and connection to the protagonists, Azeem and Madeline, are not revealed here, as that would be a major spoiler), tells a story that begins in the early 20th century.

This narrative takes readers across continents and decades, offering glimpses into the political and social climate of the period. It shows how Azeem, a stablehand in Nainital, could captivate and transform Madeline, an English girl, defying the rigid boundaries of their world. Both characters are endearing, and the fact that they are based on real-life figures makes readers connect with them even more.

Their journey stretches from Nainital’s hill station to Quetta, Aden, Baghdad, Portugal, and finally the United States. Differences in colour, class, race, and upbringing make their union unthinkable to society, with each step toward one another shadowed by risk.

Author Manjul Bajaj