The Bandit Queens: did she or didn't she?

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff is a story of one woman’s determination to live life as she sees fit. Geeta’s no-good, abusive husband disappeared five years ago. Everyone in her village thinks she killed him. She didn’t but no matter how much she protests, the rumor still flows from people’s lips. Since her husband has left, she has built a life as a self-made “widow” that has a few perks. No one messes with her. No one threatens her and no one has tried to marry her. Freedom looked so good on Geeta that other women in the village started asking for her help to get rid of their own no-good, abusive husbands. Her reputation seems to be a double-edged sword and she must now protect the life she has built. How far will she go to protect herself and the life she has built? 

The Bandit Queens is filled with very dark humor and even darker depiction of the reality of life for women in India. The powerlessness they feel as they have nowhere to turn to for help. The acceptance of domestic violence where men could do no wrong and women are always at fault. It is no wonder that these women are looking for a way out, any way out. Throughout the book, Geeta looks to the story of Phoolan Devi, the real life Bandit Queen, who was convicted of killing 22 men, serving prison time before being elected to the Indian Parliament. Did Geeta follow her example? The women in her village seem to think so. Overall, The Bandit Queens was a mixture of mystery, thriller and a detailed social commentary on the very real circumstances for women in India. I recommend The Bandit Queens. 

The Bandit Queens is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Taste of Ginger: one's journey to find home

The Taste of Ginger by Mansi Shah is a story of one woman’s journey to find where she is truly home. Preeti Desai, a first-generation immigrant, hasn’t lived the life her parents mapped out for her. She seemingly bucked every tradition her parents hold dear. She was barely on speaking terms with her parents when she moved in with her white Christian American boyfriend. Even after the relationship ends, the only thing she has going for her is her prestigious career at a Los Angeles law firm. When a family tragedy brings her back to the city of her birth, she learns more about the complicated past that her parents left behind and their reasons for moving to America. As she realizes the family’s battles with class, tradition and sacrifice, will she discover what home truly means? 

It’s not good when my first thought after finishing a book is “I really wanted to like this story.” It came so highly recommended that I was looking forward to it. However, Preeti is such an unlikable character with no redeeming qualities or even growth. She whines about everything! She is selfish, immature and self-absorbed. There are pages and pages where Preeti is essentially arguing with herself. The internal monologues were way too often. It was hard to believe she was supposed to be a professional woman of 30 and not a teenager. The story overexplains just about everything that it felt like a condescending lecture, especially about the cultural differences between America and India. The author wasn’t nice about either culture. It’s hard to say but I do not recommend The Taste of Ginger. 

The Taste of Ginger is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Such Big Dreams: breaking free and living life on your own terms

Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel is a  story of a savvy former child of the street who discovers a chance to live her life on her own terms. Rakhi is a twenty-three year old who is haunted by the grisly events that led to the loss of her best friend. She is constantly reminded that she doesn’t belong, that she is a charity case as she lives in a Mumbai slum and works as a lowly office assistant for Justice for All, a struggling human rights organization. Hidden behind her façade hides a fierce intelligence and sharp wit with an even sharper tongue, Rakhi doesn’t allow anyone to play her for a fool. She knows that everyone underestimates her until a new intern enters the office. Alex Lalwani-Diamond is the family friend of Rubina Mansoor, a fading former Bollywood starlet. Alex is Indian-Canadian on his way to Harvard for graduate school. Ambitious, persistent and a bit naïve, Alex convinces Rakhi to show him the “real India,” which seems harmless at first. As Rakhi’s past and her aspirations collide, she comes face to face with difficult choices and the moral compromises that one often makes in order to survive. 

Such Big Dreams is the debut moral of Reema Patel. A moving story of survival and the cost of one’s ambition and power. Ms. Patel’s descriptions are powerful and honest as she reveals the different sides, the different “classes” of India. She peels back the hypocrisy of the rich who build luxurious mansions on the land of former slums and then gets on a soapbox about affordable housing and the state of the people in the slums. I thoroughly enjoyed Rakhi’s character, a young woman who lived a hard life that was not of her choosing. I couldn’t imagine being a seven year old and surviving on the streets and yet that’s where Rakhi’s story begins. She is a survivor and I hoped and cheered her on as she tries to rise above her lot in life and works for a better life rather than resolve that she was born there and would probably die there. The author’s note after the story adds to the emotional power of the story’s events. My one complaint is the author’s use of Indian words and phrases without an indication of the translations or meanings. Overall, I enjoyed Such Big Dreams and highly recommend it. 

Such Big Dreams is available May 10, 2022 in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Meet Me in Bombay: a beautiful love story set in WWI era India

Meet Me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft is the story of love, war and the promise to see each other again. The story opens on New Year’s Eve, 1913 and Madeline “Maddy” Bright has returned to colonial India after years in England. While at a stifling party, she heads outside for fresh air and sees a man who takes her breath away. She is unable to meet him but a surprising package arrives, introducing her to Luke Devereaux. Through his letter and his guidebook, Maddy begins to explore Bombay in ways she has never seen before. Soon they meet face to face and fall in love so easily. While the bold and charismatic is new and refreshing among the British elite that she’s used to, Maddy captives his heart with her beauty and vivacity. Everyone around Maddy enjoys seeing the two together, everyone except her mother, who prefers the devoted Guy Bowen for her daughter. Only the outbreak of World War I could bring to a halt their lives together, Luke has no choice but to join the fight and while they are continents apart, separated by the horrors of war, they find themselves bound by Luke’s promise that they will meet again in Bombay. 

Meet Me in Bombay is beautifully written and breathtakingly romantic. Ms. Ashcroft’s descriptions of India are so vivid that you can almost hear the sounds of the bazaar and smell the spices from the local cuisine. The encounters between Luke and Maddy are so touching and romantic, you can’t help but smile and sigh as they fall in love. The horrors of war are devastating and heartbreaking. You will cry with Maddy and her family and friends as they learn of their loved ones who are injured and will never be the same or won’t be coming home at all. The story has a The Notebook feel but oh so better. I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up late into the night and read a good three-quarters of it before I forced myself to go to sleep. But first thing in the morning, I grabbed the book to finish. From the opening paragraph to the closing epilogue, Meet Me in Bombay will pull you in and you will not want to put it down. It is full of love, family expectations, and hope against all hope, set in the beautiful country of India.  I highly recommend Meet Me in Bombay. 

Meet Me in Bombay is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Shadow Among Sheaves: a love story inspired by the Book of Ruth

Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens is a historical romance inspired by the love story of Ruth and Boaz of the Bible. The story opens in July 1861, Rena is an Indian woman who is traveling with her mother in law, Lady Nell Hawley after the deaths of her husband, Edric, and father in law, Alistair. Rena and Nell find themselves in dire straits as people refuse to help the women. The Indian Mutiny of 1857 is still fresh in everyone’s mind and Rena is seen as the enemy. In desperation, Rena picks up grains which have fallen on the ground when she is caught by the estate’s steward, William. He takes pity on her and allows her to gather what she can carry. When the lord of the Manor, Lord Barric, sees Rena in the fields, she allows her to take whatever she needs. Soon Barric helps the women when so many had turned their backs. As the attraction between Rena and Barric is undeniable, will they allow love to blossom? Or will society and prejudice keep them apart?

I loved Shadow Among Sheaves. It was a great story with a great twist on the story of Ruth and Boaz. Having read their story so many times, I never imagined that Ruth, as a stranger from a strange land, could have suffered the prejudice that Rena does. However, it makes sense that she would have. And Barric is the caring yet stern landlord that Boaz may have been, Their story felt very real for 19^th century England and is very relatable to today’s social and racial climate. I highly recommend Shadow Among the Sheaves.

Shadow Among the Sheaves

is available in paperback and eBook

The Girl from the Tea Garden: life in British India

The Girl from the Tea Garden by Janet MacLeod Trotter is the third book in the India Tea series. The story centers around Adela Robson, an Anglo-Indian girl, who dreams of life on the stage. When she meets the handsome Sam Jackman, she sees her dream coming more of a possibility. She seems to be at the height of society until she meets a charming yet spoiled prince and everything seems to fall apart. She soon finds herself in England, a country she doesn’t know. Will she have the courage and bravery to see through the bad times? Will she be able to return to her true home?

The Girl from the Tea Garden is set at the end of British rule in India, the turbulent political and social times are heavily felt as well as the outbreak of World War II. I enjoyed seeing World War II outside of the events in Europe. The author touches on events which occur in India during the war. I enjoy reading books which take the reader to a different part of the world and tells a story of what happened there while the war was going on. When I requested this book, I wasn’t aware it was the third in the series. However, the story was great to read and if there were any references to the first two books, they were subtle enough that it didn’t take away from the story. Now having read this book, I would like to read the first two and then read this one again. The author’s descriptions of the time and places were exquisite. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will enjoy The Girl from the Tea Garden.

The Girl from the Tea Garden

Is available on Amazon

In paperback and on the Kindle

The namesake: family and traditions

The namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is the story of one family’s life in America and one man’s journey to coming to understand his name. It is a story about family, tradition and change. The book was named into a film in 2006 starring Kal Penn and Irrhan Khan. 

Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli are immigrants from Calcutta in 1968. Ashoke is attending an American university pursuing his doctorate in physics. The story opens as a very pregnant Ashima tries to recreate the comforts of home in her new country. When she goes into labor, the experience is shocking for her as American hospitals are very different than she expected. After their baby boy is born, they are forced to give him a name for the birth certificate. They are accustomed to giving a child an official name years later. They name him Gogol, after a Russian author that Ashoke feels a close kinship with. With the addition of a daughter, Sonia, in 1974, the family settles in their new American life. Ashoke and Ashima are slow to assimilate with in regards to foods and clothes while their children are very much American teenagers in clothes, friends and eventually lovers. Problems begin when Gogol is 18 and he wants to legally change his name. His father refuses to tell Gogol the reason behind his name for many, many years. With his new name, Gogol begins to lead a life very different from his parents’ dreams. As Gogol seeks to become independent, his rebellion grows. It isn’t until tragedy strikes the family that Gogol realizes that he is caught between two worlds. Two worlds he didn’t know that he wanted to belong to. Remembering the story behind his name, Gogol finally begins to father’s footsteps into the past.

The namesake is more than just a story about an immigrant couple who has children who become Americanized. As I read, I see many aspects of all times of families as the younger generation questions or rejects the traditions and the parents desperate to hold on. I also see how some of the older generation hold on to traditions simply because it’s how it has always been done. Sometimes without trying, the generations comes full circle. I highly recommend The namesake as look inside the life of a family during times of changing values and traditions. 

More awesome books from the "If you were me and lived in..." series

I have some more great books from the “If you were me and lived in…” series. 

First, we visit the land of South Korea. In this book, the readers are introduced to the county and its culture. We learn about its capital city, Seoul and the currency that is used, the won. Popular foods and favorite activities are introduced. Foods like bulgogi and kimchee. Activities like taekwondo, the martial art of South Korea.

Second, we learn about the country of Turkey. There are some fascinating facts. Turkey’s most famous city, Istanbul is the only city to sit on two continents: Asia and Europe. We learn about the Hagia Sophia, a famous church by Emperor Justian in 390 which was later turned into a mosque by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet and it now a museum. There is a discussion about the popular food items and the country’s favorite sport.

Third, we travel to Kenya whose capital is Nairobi meaning “cold water” in the Maasi language. We learn about the Maasi Mara National Reserve where many native animals are protected. We learn about the Mombasa Carnival where there is music, floats and a parade.

Lastly, we visit India. The second most populated country in the world located in South Asia. There are 100 different languages spoken in India. We visit the Taj Mahal, the famous monument to Shah Jehan’s wife. We learn about the different spices in Indian food: cumin, curry, cinnamon and chilies.

I can’t recommend these books enough. They are a great learning tool for any family and classroom!

All the “If you were me and lived in…” titles are available on Amazon for $9.99