Reviews

This one was sitting on my TBR shelf for a while. I downloaded it last summer onto my Kindle, but kept passing over it for other titles. I had some reluctance to read it; I wasn’t emotionally ready for what I assumed was a story of India’s caste system, which is heartbreaking in its unfairness. Boy was I wrong. This is a story of love, and of self-awareness. Of embracing ourselves and others for the flawed humans we all are, and making choices that are difficult. Like other stories, it alternates perspectives between past and present. But in this case I was equally invested in the characters of today as I was in those of yesterday. I really loved this one. If only I knew what I gem I had downloaded all this time!

claire_riach's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

jl27's review against another edition

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5.0

I was gifted this book as one of my book clubs' Blind Date Books; it isn't something I'd normally have picked for myself.

Even as a predictable story, it was lovely, and well-written; I loved the relationships between the characters, the loyalty, and the forgiveness. A lot of commenters seemed to take issue with cultural aspects of the book, but since I'm not familiar with a lot of those nuances, it didn't feel problematic for me. Maybe some of it felt a bit romanticized, but not enough to irritate me.

sbreadsfantasy's review against another edition

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4.0

I'll be the first to admit that there are some glaring flaws in the novel, from timeline to cultural/historical accuracy. It is hard to believe that Amisha's daughter, born in the early 1940s, would have a thirty-something daughter in the present day. It couldn't be set too far back in time, because the protagonist has a blog. I only reflected upon these details after reading the novel, and it did not impact my enjoyment of the story.

The framed narrative aspect can be boring at times, but the inner story absolutely captivated me. Badani's characterization is amazing. Amisha is a strong woman at a time that strength was not valued in a woman. The combination of literature, forbidden love, and a tragic ending absolutely had me swept away. It was an excellent pleasure read, and I am sure I will revisit it.

hikeplayski's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was like a salve. I wanted to read a beautiful, rich story that both took me away and made me feel seen. That's exactly what this book did.

pam2375's review against another edition

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2.0

This one really made me mad and that doesn't happen too often. This is the story of a very traditional appearing Indian woman in the early 20th century India and then her modern day granddaughter. The story goes back and forth featuring the two women's perspective on specific family events, life experience etc...

Around the middle of the book the story started to derail when Grandma did something that I predicted and wanted not to happen. The deed happened and it absolutely ruined the book.

GRRRRRRRR

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