Scan barcode
lizaroo71's review
3.0
Lalya Roy is raised by her grandfather, Dadamoshai, during the 1940's in India. Layla is raised to be independent and to think for herself, which makes her difficult to prepare for marriage (in a culture where women and men are party to arranged marriages).
Layla meets her match in the erudite Manik Deb. The two are drawn to one another like a magnet and it is a series of events that finally brings the two together. Manik takes a position in Assam on a tea plantation. When Layla arrives, she must assimilate to life away from Dadamoshai and the insular culture of the tea plantation.
There is beautiful scenery in this book. An area of the world that is made tangible in Patel's writing. There are many issues addressed in the book: the role of women in society; British colonialism; the caste system of India; communism and the rights of workers. Many times Patel inserts scenes that feel too neat and trite and simply added for the sake of illustrating a point about any of aforementioned issues.
I liked the slice of history and I found the story interesting.
Layla meets her match in the erudite Manik Deb. The two are drawn to one another like a magnet and it is a series of events that finally brings the two together. Manik takes a position in Assam on a tea plantation. When Layla arrives, she must assimilate to life away from Dadamoshai and the insular culture of the tea plantation.
There is beautiful scenery in this book. An area of the world that is made tangible in Patel's writing. There are many issues addressed in the book: the role of women in society; British colonialism; the caste system of India; communism and the rights of workers. Many times Patel inserts scenes that feel too neat and trite and simply added for the sake of illustrating a point about any of aforementioned issues.
I liked the slice of history and I found the story interesting.
ivanssister's review
3.0
I had free money to spend, and this book caught my eye. It was a sweet story, very of a time and place. Not the greatest story ever told, but worth the time to read.
dentaldiva's review
3.0
good story but very slow reading. lots of fluff and unnecessary stories that failed to contribute to the overall direction of the book.
hhm013's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ppmarkgraf's review
4.0
A bit of a coming of age story set in a historical fiction setting. Overall, I enjoyed reading about a time and circumstances that were challenging to the main protagonist. I get the opportunity to meet the author on March 14th, so that may also have added to my reading experience.
zehra_nk's review
3.0
In the first half of the book, I strongly disliked Manik Deb. First, he compares his wife to a train bogie, then he compares her to a cigar and then he leaves her waiting in the middle of the night to engage in debauchery. But I understand that without a trace of these characteristics, he wouldn't be reminiscent of a man from the 1940s.
An enlightening read nonetheless, with vivid portrayals of the history of tea plantation in Assam and parts of East Bengal (now Bangladesh) in British India.
An enlightening read nonetheless, with vivid portrayals of the history of tea plantation in Assam and parts of East Bengal (now Bangladesh) in British India.
melissarochelle's review
3.0
A love story between two non-traditional Indians who move to an Assam tea plantation. I saw the author speak a few years ago and she was so charming as she discussed the basis for her novel: her parents.
bookluver1's review
4.0
My book group chose this book as a club read. It is beautifully written, about a time and culture I have not experienced (India in the mid-1900s.) The author based the characters on her own family. As a first-time novelist she has done a beautiful job. The writing is beautiful and is great world-building. However for me, the story moved too slow for me to finish. Everyone else in my club loved it. I give it four stars for that reason.