Reviews

I feel like this should've been so much longer! It's dual POV between the main character and one of her nephew decades later so we learn the beginning and the end of the woman's story but I still have soooo many questions about the middle.

molenkampa87's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.25

yyyyyy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

readingintheether's review against another edition

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3.0

Have had this one on the shelf for a while from BOTM, and glad I finally go around to it! This was quick and heartbreaking, but I think maybe it’s length made it hard to fully invest in. I’ve listened to a podcast where this author was interview upon this book’s release, and I loved hearing him commentary on the book. Even though I gave it 3 stars, I still recommend it for literary historical fiction fans who want something a little left of mainstream for the genre.

hollyrebecca's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

A stunning and gripping tale about interior life within two different time periods. I got swept up in the telling, both due to the plot and the beautiful narrative Sahota spins, and could barely put this down.

Our occasional narrator, 17 and unnamed, immersed us in the racism he endured growing up in the UK and the vices he turned to in order to cope. In an effort to recover from the vice that has him in its grip, prior to starting University, he’s sent to India to visit family. Here he has an opportunity to ground himself in the people and culture he’s been missing from his life, to learn how to spend time alone and make friends without expectations.

In the past we follow Mehar, 15, and two other girls, Harbans and Gurleen, who are married to three brothers on a farm . But whilst the brothers know who their wives are, the girls don’t know which of the brothers is their husband. Mehar spends her time with the other two wives in the China Room, unless instructed by her mother-in-law to go to a dark room and perform her marriage duties. Any instance in which she may catch sight of her husband is foiled by the red veil she must continue to wear.

For Mehar, life unravels in a misunderstanding which leads to danger, secrets and growing love. This is all told against a backdrop of the growing political strife prior to the Indian partition, which enhances the tension on the farm and leads to devastating consequences.

Sahota wrote the China Room based on an old family legend and, when combined with the use of first person narrative for our unnamed narrator, this book feels almost autobiographical in its telling. This is further indicated at through the family photo provided at the end of the novel and lends extra weight to the tale as a result.

Content Warnings

kate_cunningham's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

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