Half way through the book, I was already feeling daunted by the predictable plot and the hackneyed character development. In a word, it was a yawn. Yet, i still ploughed through the book till the very end.
Bittersweet is a tale about a fortysomething homemaker, India, who is a former award-winning photojournalist, now happily married to her husband, Dough for 17 years, at least she thought they are. They have four happy kids and a regular home life that is admirable to everyone and for 17 years India has led a monotonous life, though she still feels there is always a place in her heart for photography but for the sake of her family, she knows she has to compromise. Instead of bracing her way in the deserted jungles or war zones, she is now taking pictures of her kids' soccer games and doing car pools. A conflict arises when she is tempted to take up an assignment but Dough has been adamant of not letting her do it and he also makes it clear that it is the deal that she made once they got married, ie she was to be a stay-at-home-mum. India feels stabs of pain when Dough says to her point blank that he doenst love her anymore and there is no point in romance after being married for years and her role is to take care of his kids and nothing more. India is torn. This is when Paul Ward, a wall street tycoon, comes into the picture and offers her a good solace she has been wanting to get from her own husband. The camaraderie that they shared over the summer has blossomed into many friendly phone conversations and heart-to-heart talks. Paul is especially against the way Dough treats India and he not only offers her a shoulder to cry on, he is fully supportive of her pursuing her dreams, which only makes India more courageous to stand up to Dough when they have arguments. Though they both have secretly developed feelings for each other, they brush it aside and prefer to do the right thing which is to stay faithfully married to their spouse. Then Serene, Paul's wife, dies in an airplane crash. Paul retreats into his yacht and spends months on sea to mourn for his loss. More phone conversations ensue. India is sure by now that she likes Paul more than she thought and Paul, haunted by nightmares and plagued by survivor guilt, makes it clear to India that he could never be "her light at the end of the tunnel". India, in the midst of a divorce crisis with Dough, feels devastated and knowing that her little fantasy of being with Paul is now shattered has been a double blow to her. They still stay as friends and when Paul decides to come to visit India after months of sailing, the chemistry sparkles once again between them and Paul and India take the plunge into this relationship and are so loved up for A WEEK when Paul, suddenly freaks out and thought it is a mistake to start the relationship with India. He is constantly gnawed by his conscience for surviving Serena and the haunting dreams he has make him feel like a betrayer. At the same time, the prospect of rising four potential juvenile delinquents puts him off too. So he leaves India and tells her not to call him anymore. This time round, India is completely crushed, even more so from her previous marriage to Dough.
India, now divorced with four kids, with her ex-husband in the midst of marrying his new girlfriend, Paul's leaving is an insult added to the wound. All the emotional torments she has undergone have toughened her up especially after she survives a car crash. She becomes a renewed person and she channels her energy into taking care of her kids and taking up assignments. By happenstance, she meets Paul again during her assignment in Rwanda, they both agree to rekindle their friendship. From the conversations they have, it is evident that India has grown up more mature and she talks about how her right guy would be the one coming though the hurricane for her. Paul, obviously still very much in love with her, is in self-denial again saying his perfect woman is his late wife, Serena, while battling within himself to say it is her, India. After the assignment is done, both go back to their separate lives until one day Hurricane Barbara threatens to hit her place and Paul comes through the storm to find her. The story ends in both embracing each other, standing in the storm. Pretty predictable, no?
I give it three stars even when I think the plot is cliched and it is so predictable. Having said that, there was some surprise thrown in here and there for good measure and it makes reading this book a good experience though I have to say it is definitely not a page-turner. I love the portrayal of India in Bittersweet by DS in the later part of the novel when she has come to her senses. All the while, she is the one doing all the giving and loving but in return she gets a broken heart. Now she is more assured of herself and knows she deserves better, which makes her even more dazzling to Paul. India is one strong character that many career-women-turned-homemakers would be able to relate to. I am not at all warmed up to Paul's character in as I think he is indecisive for a man of great achievement and living in self-denial has made him look weak.
Overall, it is an okay but not a compelling read.
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