Helpful Score: 1
Overall this was a good read. I haven't lived in India in the 1970s, but the author manages to capture what it was like to live in India during that era. The story goes back and forth between the main character who now lives in the USA, and her life as a young college student back in India. I thought those sections were written well. I won't give the shocking event that takes place back in India although you could probably guess from the title of the book and the cover picture. I was disappointed that the author didn't include the reactions of the main character's adult daughter and the conversation between the main character and her older brother regarding the shocking event. Those are such crucial conversations. Instead, the author writes up to the point where the character is about to tell her daughter the secret, then the next time she returns to that time period, the conversation has already happened. It's a big letdown. You're waiting to hear what the main character and the brother say to each other because he was crucial in keeping the secret for 30 years. You want to know how he reacts to her finding out the truth. But you don't get that satisfaction. I found that annoying. It felt like the reader was being teased.
The book doesn't resolve what's at the core of the story either. You're left wondering if a certain character will live or die. I wish she had resolved it one way or another.
The book doesn't resolve what's at the core of the story either. You're left wondering if a certain character will live or die. I wish she had resolved it one way or another.
