by Rashi Rohatgi
Publisher: Galaxy Galloper Press
Pages: 270
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon
Goodreads: It's 1905, and the Japanese victory over the Russians has shocked the British and their imperial subjects. Sixteen-year-old Leela and her younger sister, Maya, are spurred on to wear homespun to show the British that the Indians won't be oppressed for much longer, either, but when Leela's betrothed, Nash, asks her to circulate a petition amongst her classmates to desegregate the girls' school in Chadrapur, she's wary. She needs to remind Maya that the old ways are not all bad, for soon Maya will have to join her own betrothed and his family in their quiet village. When she discovers that Maya has embarked on a forbidden romance, Leela's response shocks her family, her town, and her country firmly into the new century.
Kritters Thoughts: In India and 1905 and there is some unrest amongst the people and this book takes an interesting view from the eyes of a sixteen year old girl who is on the cusp of a lot of change and you see how she wishes her home country to look like now and in the future.
This book was really out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed it, but it made it hard to read. Both in time and place, I didn't know anything about India in 1905 and I had to read this book nice and slow so I could hope to get the most out of it. I loved Leela as the main character and I appreciated her hope for her home country - it gave the book a positive tilt even with the amount of negativity she was surrounded by.
I would read more from this author. I liked the characters, plot and writing, so I would love to see more from this author and their voice.
I would love to read another book in this time and place, but maybe a non fiction that gives me some perspective of what is going on in this country and the ones that surround it, does anyone have a suggestion?
Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from FSB Associates. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment