Tag: Book review

Camilla Gibb’s — Sweetness in the belly *****

After Lily’s parents are murdered in a Moroccan alleyway, she is brought up by the Great Abdal—a Sufi saint’s disciple—so that Lily has no affiliation with England. She trains as a nurse and moves to Ethiopia where she lives with Amina while working with Doctor Aziz. Soon the pair form a bond, but political upheaval separates them when Lily flees to England, a country she has never known. While Amina searches for her husband, Lily desperately searches for Aziz.

Ami MacKay’s — The Virgin Cure *****

When Moth escapes the cruel servitude of Mrs Wentworth, she ends up in a brothel where the madam sees her as an innocent prize. Although she is warned of the dangers, she is anxious to escape from the hard life she has endured.

I couldn’t help see a parallel between this story and the skewed belief in some countries that a virgin will cure someone of AIDS.

If you enjoy this book, don’t miss MacKay’s The Birth House which is equally as good.

Sujata Massey’s – The widows of Malabar Hill

In Mumbai in the 1920’s, Perveen works with her father in his law office—the only female solicitor in the entire city. When the Muslim women on Malabar Hill become widows, only Perveen can enter their secluded section of the house to explain a document they’ve signed giving away their wealth. This not only leads to a murder, but unwelcomed events surface from Perveen’s past failed marriage before she finished her degree.

A tale of intrigue with insight into both Parsi and Muslim lives of the era.

Indu Sundaresan’s — The splendor of silence

Once Sam completes a rescue mission in Burma during 1942, he heads to Rudrakot after a plea from his mother back in Seattle, to find out what happened to his brother. In Rudrokot, he boards with the local Tamil political agent where he is drawn to Mila, the agent’s daughter who is expected to marry the state’s prince. Battling the loss of his brother, his growing love for Mila, a wound from his time in Burma, and the prejudice the British and Indians hold against mixed relationships, Sam discovers he cannot win all he desires.