I have picked this audio on a whim from the library, thinking I might as well read Tom Clancy. When I realized this book is definitely current on techI have picked this audio on a whim from the library, thinking I might as well read Tom Clancy. When I realized this book is definitely current on technology, where the sign of something really bad is having no Wifi signal nearby, I got suspicious. My husband informed me that Tom Clancy is dead (confirmed by Wikipedia). It turns out the author is Don Bentley. Now, someone explain to me, how is it that TOM CLANCY is printed in letters way bigger than the title or author on the cover? [image]
As far as the book. If it is not clear by now, I knew nothing about Jack Ryan. He is apparently Jr. and taken over daddy's spy business because he is now president and does not have the time. I am fine with that, not too much baggage I should know in advance.
I liked the setup. The North Korean dear leader is lying injured in secret and one of the ruling elite is trying to stage a coup. Jack finds himself in the middle of the plot, trying to rescue a princess the sister of the leader, who is the key to stop a nuclear war with South Korea. This leads to a complicated military operation in North Korea, with Jack and two wise-cracking snipers, plus a bunch of well-trained, cool navy seals. (or perhaps marines. can't tell the difference)
There is a lot of well-described action. The first part of the book details an elaborate North Korean plot, the second the American plot in North Korea. The technical details and military jargon are spot on, as the author is a former Apache helicopter pilot. The book often reads like a movie script, with short dialogue and long action sequences one could picture in a James Bond movie.
I have enjoyed the action, but the ending was way too abrupt. One moment our heroes are about to die, then a rescue arrives. We aren't even told what the rescue did. Just cut to epilogue. Did Bentley just reach the word count? The epilogue is short, lame, and seems to have been written in a hurry.
Some threads only exist for plot convenience. Isabel only appears in the story to make a link from Jack to the North Korean leader's sister. She is dropped like a dead ferret. At the beginning, the North Koreans appear to be tracking Jack, but later no Korean has a clue who he is. Jack is billed as a spy but apart from the contact he makes by chance with the sister, he acts as a military grunt in a spec ops mission. The spy intrigue is completely missing from the second half.
Overall, enjoyable and very knowledgeable action but lacks attention to plot resolution. The abrupt end brought it down from four stars to three....more
We have been watching the excellent Shogun miniseries. I highly recommend it to everyone. The FX website also has in-depth articles of the history andWe have been watching the excellent Shogun miniseries. I highly recommend it to everyone. The FX website also has in-depth articles of the history and culture behind each episode, which I also highly recommend. I have learned a huge amount about samurai culture and Japanese history since we started watching.
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I am still on hold for the Shōgun audiobook (I was warned the book is long and tedious), so I listened to this 1937 work of the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu, on whom Shogun was based. It is quite the scandal in my opinion that this is the latest popular history book in English on the subject. Written in 1937, it lacks the standards of modern historians, and it is infused with the sexism and racism of the time.
Sadler was largely translating and compiling Japanese historical sources, but did not attempt to evaluate their historical reliability or bias, thus while overall his account is correct, the details are suspect. He writes one continuous story without references to his sources, and relates many details, dialogue and anecdote as fact, much of which is likely legend or rumor. It does make for a good listen though, as he injects his own sly and often colorful phrases, and practically worships Ieyasu.
The book has detailed descriptions of many battles, political intrigues, and lots of Japanese names, but very little cultural background. Since by this time I have done much reading on the FX website and Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugaw...), I could understand much of the context and some of the names. If you have no background, I suspect much of this is very hard to follow, but you could simply read and look up things as you go.
The best part of the book is the detailed picture of Ieyasu. He was an incredibly skilled politician, warrior and diplomat. He was down-to-earth and no-nonsense, ruthless when he needed to be, merciful when it suited him. He was very patient and bided his time; but could also move with great swiftness and decisiveness. There were many stories of his wisdom, fairness, and forgiveness. He had a great judgment of people, and his retainers were fiercely loyal. He himself was absolutely loyal to the previous Taiko (military ruler) until his death, but had no compunction putting the Taiko's heir out of his way later, nor sacrificing his own son to gain power. Sadler includes his will, which is a great insight into his thinking.
Hiroyuki Sanada plays this complex character to perfection in the series.
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This is a niche book. Recommend if you want to know more about the Shogun's history and are willing to do some additional research....more
Perveen Mistry is simply not that interesting when she stays in Bombay and tries to be Miss Marple. The strength of the previous books was the subjectPerveen Mistry is simply not that interesting when she stays in Bombay and tries to be Miss Marple. The strength of the previous books was the subject selection: the revealing cultural oppression of women, their defenselessness; and in the second book, the insight into the politics of maharanis in purdah (seclusion from men) and British domination of “independent” Indian princedoms.
The Bombay Prince endeavours to depict the protests during the visit of Edward, the crown prince, to India in 1921. During the riots, a young student girl is killed, and Perveen starts investigating. Unfortunately, the investigation does not carry the story very well, and the weaknesses present in the previous volumes become more noticeable. Massey’s writing is rather pedestrian and pedantic, using language taken from 21st century official documents rather than common contemporary speech. The writing often seems rather naive, clichéd and young adult. She often details mundane, boring office tasks or errands which add nothing to the story. Perveen endangers herself in really stupid ways, even after she should know better. The Prince’s visit is rather glossed over, I did not feel that I got into the history as much as in the previous volumes.
As the only female lawyer in Bombay, Perveen Mistry finds herself hired by the British imperial government to negotiate with a local princedom’s two cAs the only female lawyer in Bombay, Perveen Mistry finds herself hired by the British imperial government to negotiate with a local princedom’s two competing maharanis (queens), who are observing that pesky purda that prevents them from talking to men. She gets way more than she signed up for: court intrigue, poisoners, kidnapping, treason, deep family secrets, and the baffling mystery of the old queen’s moonstone necklace…
Perveen has to surmount challenges of unsurpassable roads and deep distrust to even get in to see the queens. Once there, she finds an impoverished court ruled by a cantankerous old maharani, a 10-year old maharaja, and his mother, the younger widow maharani. The late maharaja died a year ago from cholera, and his older son, the current maharaja’s brother, in a hunting accident. The younger queen is worried for her son’s life, who already survived one poisoning attempt. Perveen finds herself caught in court intrigue, and can’t leave fast enough after she herself barely escapes poison. The action is just getting started: the young maharaja is missing and Perveen is accused of kidnapping him….
The story again highlights the vulnerability and seclusion of women. Even queens are repressed by outdated traditions and overbearing mother-in-laws.
Massey also examines the predatory relationship of the British government with the so-called “independent” small Indian princedoms. While they technically could rule their land as they wished, the British would retain rights to approve uses of military, foreign affairs, and any inheritance disputes; even marriages of monarchs! If a ruling family died out, the British would simply take over the country; and underaged rulers belonged under British guardianship. This is the excuse Massey uses to get Parveen to the scene; a decision over the young maharaja’s education evolves into saving his life and appointing an appropriate regent.
Faster paced and more thrilling, this story is more in the vein of a traditional mystery-thriller, yet provides a unique historical perspective, and a rare insight into the world of women in India in the 1920s. I am interested to see where Massey takes Perveen next....more
Sujata Massey examines the plight and utter lack of protection of Indian women from abuse and exploitation, through a slow burning suspense mystery miSujata Massey examines the plight and utter lack of protection of Indian women from abuse and exploitation, through a slow burning suspense mystery mixed with a doomed love story. The story runs on two threads: one is a murder mystery involving three secluded Muslim widows, and the other is our female investigator’s own harrowing story. It is set in India, the mystery in 1921, and the family drama in flashbacks in 1917-18, in the Parsi (Zoroastrian) community.
I will try to shorten this by putting details in spoiler tags.
Perveen Mistry is as privileged, free, and unconditionally loved and supported by her parents as a contemporary young woman could possibly be. (view spoiler)[ Her family lives in Bombay and are Parsi, who follow the Zoroastrian faith devoutly, but without orthodox customs. Her parents make Perveen’s education her top priority. She is not taught cooking or housekeeping; she is expected to get a law degree and join her father’s law practice. She is free to go anywhere in daylight, as long as it is not unchaperoned with a man who is not of her family. (hide spoiler)]
When Perveen falls for a charming and handsome man from Calcutta, her parents even support this highly unusual love match, despite some serious misgivings about the unknown family whom they are unable to investigate thoroughly. While Perveen is initially happy, things get desparate quickly. (view spoiler)[ She finds her mother-in-law difficult to please. Then she finds out that her in-laws’ family strictly observe the orthodox custom of secluding women during their periods and two days after as “unclean”. Perveen finds herself locked up alone in a stinking tiny room for 10 days a month, and she is not even allowed to clean herself when she most needs it! No amount of begging moves her implacable mother-in-law, and her own husband does not dare to stand up to her. Things get worse when Parveen finds out that her husband fills the time of her seclusion by hiring prostitutes, and gets a severe beating when she dares to call him out. (hide spoiler)] She flees for her life back to her parents.
And here is where we find out how little protection a woman gets. (view spoiler)[ Perveen’s parents are as supportive and as knowledgeable about the law as possible; yet Parsi law does not allow a woman to divorce, unless the man commits adultery with a married woman. Prostitutes are allowed, even if the husband gives venereal disease to his wife. And abuse only gets a woman a legal separation, and only if it is severe enough for her to lose an eye or a limb… merely being beaten blue and bloody is par for the course. (hide spoiler)] The best Perveen can hope for is legal separation, and it takes her lawyer father’s best performance to convince the jury to grant her even that.
I talked about this with my Indian friend. She says that this is still very common in India. The law nowadays allows for divorce, but it is such a scandal and so damaging to the entire family’s reputation that women are pressured to stay in abusive marriages. Women come under the authority of the husband’s family and are often abused by their mother-in-laws, not necessarily by their husbands. “It is mostly women who perpetuate the abuse of women”, my friend said. Families of the women often don’t want to take them back, as the scandal would endanger the family’s social standing and other children’s marriage prospects. If a marriage does not work, it is the woman’s fault for not being agreeable enough. While this situation is improving in cities and educated families, old customs still prevail in traditional communities.
Perveen eventually gets her law degree and joins her father’s practice. While she can’t argue cases in court, she unexpectedly finds that there is work only she can do: talking to women in purda, the traditional seclusion Muslim women observe while in mourning. When a murder occurs in the house of three widows in purda, Perveen serves as a go-between the authorities and the women who cannot talk to men.
The three women and their children are completely in the hands of men who make decisions for them and handle all affairs outside of the house. They need a male protector and a guardian according to Muslim law. They cannot access their bank account, do their own shopping, and are easily defrauded from their inheritence by those unscrupulous guardians. Add to this a rivalry of wives, status according to having male offspring or the order of marriage, and no wonder that behind those screens Perveen finds a veritable powder keg of intrigues that endanger lives and livelihoods.
The book also deals with the complicated relationship with the British imperial government, the British superior attitude towards Indians, and the growing Indian nationalist movement. Educated Indian families often send their children to study in England, or keep up ties to the British administration, while being resentful of imperial rule and secretly admiring Ghandi.
This is a slow burn but highly rewarding and educational. It made me ponder the plight of women and how much their wellfare depends on their support network....more
This is a well researched and easy to read book on the Buddha and his time, aimed at a general, Western audience, not buddhists. Karen Armstrong goes This is a well researched and easy to read book on the Buddha and his time, aimed at a general, Western audience, not buddhists. Karen Armstrong goes through what we know about the life of the Buddha (not too much) and elaborates on his teachings along the way, roughly in order of how it is presented in the Pali canon.
The strength of the book is placing the Buddha into the historical context of the Axial age, and contemporary India in particular. The Axial Age (roughly between two and three thousand years ago) brought a change in societies of significant urban and trade development, and a new anxiety over the human experience emerged. People were grappling with the effects of war, what seemed like moral decay (nothing new under the sun), and the seemingly unending suffering of human existence, especially old age, sickness and death. People were looking for spiritual guidence. The great thinkers of the age - Confucius, the Buddha, Socrates, and later on, Jesus and Muhammad - have developed philosophical and spiritual ideals seeking the ultimate knowledge, and morality as improving oneself and society.
In this context, the Buddha’s teachings about the cessation of suffering found fertile ground. He taught that any human being can attain enlightenment, and offered very specific advice on how to do this, which is known as The Noble Eightfold Path. Loving kindness, compassion, generosity and non-harming were foundational to his teachings, promoting social responsibility and community. He was the first to found a monastic order, the sangha, where monks and nuns lived together and practiced these qualities. Such life lead to happiness, and many visitors were very surprised to see the harmony and happiness of these monks who lived very simply.
The greatest thing I love about the Buddha’s teachings is that you are not supposed to accept anything as truth: instead, you must experience it yourself. He gives you the tools, but you have to find the truth within yourself. Clinging to anything causes suffering, and that includes not just material posessions and emotional attachments, but ideas as well. In fact he says that once you have found your own way, you must discard his teachings as well. How is that for a truly empowering idea?
The Buddha as a person does not really emerge here, which Armstrong acknowledges. His life, as presented in the Buddhist scriptures, is a representation of the Dhamma; he himself is referred to as the awakened one; no longer a human being, but not a god, either; rather something else, unidentifyable. The stories of his life are symbolic and serve to illustrate the teachings.
My major problem with the book is that Armstrong does not emphasize the Buddha’s practical teachings, namely the daily practice of meditation and mindfulness. Buddhist teachings can get very complicated and difficult to penetrate, but the basic practice is very simple: sit and concentrate on your breathing. If you sit for a while, you will notice things happening in your body and your mind. When your mind wanders, notice it and bring it back to your breathing. And that’s the crux of the training: notice that your mind wanders. With practice, this will lead to noticing many more things in your life. This is a very basic practice but Armstrong does not mention it; instead she makes the concept sound very mystical by using words she does not explain, like you have to be an accomplished yogin, sit in the asana position, and practice pranayama.
I have read this with my sangha reading group. (This is not a monastic institution… just a group getting together once a week for meditation and some reading.) I originally gave it three stars, but upon discussion, I realized that I expected something different than what the book is: a historical examination of the Buddha’s life. Armstrong does this well, so I am upgrading my rating to four stars....more
All three books tackle war in an epic scale, but this last one brings it to its conclusion, along with Rin’s personal journey - which she lives out asAll three books tackle war in an epic scale, but this last one brings it to its conclusion, along with Rin’s personal journey - which she lives out as the catalyst and destroyer, a shining, burning flame that destroys and cleanses.
A major theme of this book is the more indirect consequences of war: displacement of people, the uncertainty which leaves the fields unplowed and leads to famine. It turns out that going to war with the Hesperians also cuts off the only source of grain imports… so maybe freedom is not so simple, after all.
There is so much about destruction, and Rin relishes it. From a beginning of a haggard collection of rebels, she blazes through until ultimate victory - or there such a thing? Can the phoenix survive the peace, do what it takes? I cannot give it away because it is a spoiler, but it is definitely worth finding out....more
An excellent follow-up to the Poppy War. This book is about civil war - there is no clear “us” vs. “them”, but cousin against cousin, friend vs friendAn excellent follow-up to the Poppy War. This book is about civil war - there is no clear “us” vs. “them”, but cousin against cousin, friend vs friend, North vs. South. Except for the Europeans Hesparians, with their superior military technology and arrogance, who sit idly by, egging the war on, looking for the side to use for their takeover of the empire. White and worshipping the one Creator, they spout “science” to prove their superiority, thinking of the Nikata as barely human: their brains are smaller, their “sallow” skin is a sign of sickness, they are uncultured savages. Sounds familiar? There is one thing they are afraid of: shamans - a power they don’t understand and cannot control. They want to study Rin and eliminate all shamans who stand in their way.
Rin finds herself caught up in the intrigue as a pawn to be used and passed around. She loses her power and finds it, gets weakened then strengthened by finding an anchor. She is on a quest against the treacherous empress - but who is the real enemy is not that clear after all. She thinks that following orders will absolve her from the responsibility - but finds that is not that simple.
This book has even more action than the previous one: full of battles, on water, earth and in the air - but also on the spiritual plane and Rin with her own self. The writing is vivid and gripping; the characters are deeply explored. Emily Woo Zeller’s narration is excellent.
The book ends with a war finished but with the beginning of a new one - I am excited to find out what happens next....more
This is an astonishing debut, especially in the young adult fantasy genre. Very well written, action-filled with developed characters, and a fantasy wThis is an astonishing debut, especially in the young adult fantasy genre. Very well written, action-filled with developed characters, and a fantasy world closely based on the bloody history of China. The scope is epic, there are many themes and I find it difficult to write a coherent review.
The first part takes place in, Beijing Sinegard’s elite military school. Rin, the poor orphan girl from the south, must overcome the prejudice and contempt of the rich kid kids and some of her teachers. The second part is about the extremely violent war between China Nikan and the evil Japan Mugan Federation.
The scope of the book is epic and explores many themes. The war atrocities that the Federation commits are brutal, graphic and so purely evil and extensive, that they are extremely disturbing and hard to take. So is the revenge that evokes images of the atomic bomb and the question of whether atrocities can be justified as revenge for other atrocities. There are discussions of torture, rape, the nature of evil, and the destructive forces of anger and revenge; the de-humanization of “them” vs us; the losing of one’s humanity from suffering cruelty; experimentation on human subjects; ethnic cleansing; the devastating effects of opium addiction.
The magical elements are based on shamanism and the ability to summon a god and use its powers. However, this is extremely dangerous to the users: gods are pure natural forces that are difficult to control and eventually make the shaman go mad; or might just go rogue and destroy everything in their path. Rin’s deity is the Phoenix which confers the power of fire - the most destructive element that threatens to consume her and everything else in its path.
Rin is a well-developed and complex character: she takes a journey from ignorant country girl to an accomplished martial artist and shaman, essentially becoming the chosen one. I was a bit repelled by her craving for power and revenge - but this is intentional and foreshadowed all through the book. Rin is surrounded by interesting mentors and team mates. One of the few mistakes of the book is to have two different supporting casts: the school mates at Sinegard are completely replaced by Rin’s psyche team when she is seng to war, and only few friends show up later in small parts. The second most important character of the book is Alton, who becomes very important as a role model, commander, antagonist, friend; and someone to admire, emulate, pity, resent, and finally, understand and respect.
This is a great fantasy book, but it is not for the faint hearted: contains lots of extremely cruel violence, and the heroes have dark sides and often don’t do the right things. I was vacillating between four and five stars for those reasons; but I will round up for the writing and the unique setting....more
What can one write about an old mythological story? Nothing much - these are treasures of human history and creativity, not something to review by a 2What can one write about an old mythological story? Nothing much - these are treasures of human history and creativity, not something to review by a 21st century reader. Yet, I have read (or rather, listened to) it, so I want to comment.
The story has love and war, epic battles, demon kings, giants, and what's the coolest, a monkey hero who can jump over the ocean. Oh yeah, baby. The war is fought for the love of Sita, the wife of Rama, the hero of the story. Sounds familiar? Oh yeah, the Greeks had one like this, too.
Now a story like this must get five stars, right? Well, I have to deduct one for that way poor Sita is treated. Rama fights for her and then sends her into exile just because some people are wagging their tongues? What what what??? Yeah, this did not make any sense to me even when I read it the first time as a child. And at that time I pretty much lapped up any myths unquestioningly.
My Indian friend told me that this story is such an awful prop to the terrible sexist attitudes in India - so just for that I need to take that star off. ...more
So I went back to the Ramayana to figure out who Kaikeyi really was. She is a minor character in the story, so I now appreciate how Patel wove a tale So I went back to the Ramayana to figure out who Kaikeyi really was. She is a minor character in the story, so I now appreciate how Patel wove a tale from the little clues to her identity. She spun the fact that she drove a chariot to battle into a story of being a princess from a nation of fighters and a sister of six brothers who taught her how to drive a chariot. She also extrapolated from the hint that she had influence in her husband's court into how she was an early feminist and leader of the women's council. While this seems like a long shot in an era where women were extremely repressed, it might not be so out of line, as I read in The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity - women often had a parallel council structure where they were dealing with domestic and women's affairs.
The comparison to Circe stands from the story standpoint, as this is a story of the Ramayana from a female perspective, and the roles are interpreted very differently from the original. However, in terms of writing, Circe is this not. I was occasionally rolling my eyes at the young adult writing style and the simplistic characterizations. However, this might only be just me being overly critical because of the comparisons to Circe. This just shows the perils of trying to talk up a book by holding it up to something that is hard to touch.
I have fallen in love with Li Du and Hamza, the Sherlock amd Watson of 18th century China that Elsa Hart created. Their adventures take them to a smalI have fallen in love with Li Du and Hamza, the Sherlock amd Watson of 18th century China that Elsa Hart created. Their adventures take them to a small village on the border of China and Tibet, at the foot of the majestic Himalayas. While their caravan is stranded in the snow storm, our intrepid detectives are busy finding out what really happened to the dead monk in the snow who had the large white mirror painted on his body.
Hart brings the village, its inhabitants, and the unusually large number of travelers that happen to congregate under the village lord’s roof to life. We are invited to dinners, children’s plays, and games travelers play. We get a crash course on trade taxes, tax collectors, and the ways traders try to avoid them.
But the best parts are the political intrigues of Tibet and the finding of llama reincarnations. The Fifth Dalai Llama was a strong ruler, but when he died, the regent was afraid (with good reason), that the Chinese emperor would conquer the region. Thus they kept his death secret for 16 years! In the mean time, they found his reincarnation and raised him in secret. When he grew up, he had a hard time accepting his role. Nevertheless the people loved him - but he was deposed and he may or may not have died on the road to prison…. this of course led to a power keg of rival factions and beliefs.
The trouble with selecting reincarnations is echoed in the local village, where the selection led to a family tragedy. There are many other secrets to untangle, some small and personal, others leading to (again) empire-wide conspiracies.
I very much enjoyed the book - listened twice again. Li Du is a nice man with just enough secrets to not be boring - but Hamza is a fun character with even better stories.
I have read all three novels in the series at this point. While this one is good, I like the other two better....more
This delicious blend of historical fiction and mystery is both entertaining and edifying. I crave escape nowadays into other worlds in space and time,This delicious blend of historical fiction and mystery is both entertaining and edifying. I crave escape nowadays into other worlds in space and time, and how can it be more fascinating than a trip to 18th century China, involving astronomy, treachery and murder?
China in 1708 was ruled by the Manchu emperor Kangxi, the longest reigning Chinese emperor. The emperor had absolute power and was worshipped as living god. One of his divine powers was the predicting of astronomical phenomena such as eclipses. (I did not know this and found it fascinating.) Elsa Hart put this historical tidbit into the heart of this mystery.
Now, the emperor might be divine, but he relies on his astronomers to make his star charts. Which is how the only foreigners allowed within the strictly closed borders are the Jesuits. Emperor Kangxi cares very little about the Christian faith - but is very impressed with learning and science - especially with astronomical projections. This brings a delicacy to the Jesuits’ presence: while they are highly valued, officially their work does not exist - the emperor predicts using his own divine power.
The China of the time and its people are magnificiently drawn. We meet self-important, carreer- and reputation-conscious bureaucrats; a talented woman maneuvering to keep her position as first consort; the Jesuits living in China; and the emperor himself, who proves to be a formidable intellect and a fair judge, in addition to his immense power. Our main character, Li Du, is an exiled former librarian, perfectly positioning him as both a humble and learned outsider but with a wealth of insider knowledge and a keen analytical mind. Hamza, the amiable storyteller allowes Hart to weave numerous Arabian Night’s tales into the story, giving it a meta-fiction character.
The tone of the book shifts between poetic when describing landscapes and scenes in life, tension-filled in action, and mysterious when Hamza recites his stories. I enjoyed the writing, which gives homage to Chinese poetry and art in its metaphors and language.
I have listened to it twice because I kept putting off writing the review, and I decided it was better the second time, even though I knew the solution. In audio I lose a lot of detail and I enjoyed getting the finer points that I missed on first listen. In this book, the setting is the most important.
The audio is free on Hoopla for those with access through their library. Narrator David Shih is adequate but not great, nevertheless he brings out the lyrical qualities of the writing well, even if his characters are somewhat flat....more
The quirky title peaked my interest and I was not disappointed. The titular widows live in Southall, the punjabi “village” of London, which might as wThe quirky title peaked my interest and I was not disappointed. The titular widows live in Southall, the punjabi “village” of London, which might as well have been transported directly from India, so little of the Western influence prevails there. Into this insular Sikh culture arrives Nikki the “modern girl” with her feminist ideas and halting punjabi, to teach these women writing. Creative writing, she assumes, and is astonished to find out that these venerable ladies in their white widow’s dresses are almost all illiterate. She has to teach writing from scratch… but the ladies get frustrated and take up Nikki’s idea of storytelling - but orally. The only widow who can read and write transcribes the stories… and the women’s lives change.
Because the stories are about their erotic fantasies. Stories about their happy memories with their husbands, or what they wished for but never got. Intimate stories about something they never talked about before, that brings up pleasures but also pain of their past, experiences and dreams so revealing and yet universal. The women bond over those stories, realize they are not alone, and the support of the other women makes them stand up for themselves more. The stories spread in the community and make women bolder in the bedroom and everywhere else.
The book explores several clashes of the East and West morals and customs. Arranged marriages that result in suffering or tragedy, but also ones that turn out happy. The incredibly invasive scrutiny of families, neighbors, the constant gossip, competition and boasting… something that can make Indian gatherings completely insufferable. The pressure to maintain the family honor, to become a lawyer or doctor, to live up to expectations that a young person does not want.
Nikki drops out of law school and becomes a bartender, which is a constant source of family arguments. Her sister, Mindy, wants a traditional arranged marriage, which Nikki hates as a sign of oppression - until Mindy asserts that it is not oppression if it is her choice….
There is also a mystery of sorts, the teagedy of Maya, a girl who supposedly committed suicide but everyone knows that she was killed. The book deals with the issue of honor killings and the wall of silence as well - and standing up for the women in the community finally gives Nikki the life goal she was searching for as well.
The writing is well paced, mildly humorous, and the widows are fun characters. Prepare for some real naughtiness in those stories… they are NC-17. But that’s not really the focus of the book. It is about empowerment through sexual expression, and breaking out of the shackles of tradition while keeping the community and culture.
It is an easy read that ends on an uplifting note, yet thought-provoking. I enjoyed it and learned quite a bit, too....more
We are entering the heart of the nonviolent protests in the wake of Mahatma’s Gandhi’s calling to peaceful non-cooperation. The police have their handWe are entering the heart of the nonviolent protests in the wake of Mahatma’s Gandhi’s calling to peaceful non-cooperation. The police have their hands full with Prince Albert’s visit. At the same time, Wyndham nvestigates a series of gruesome killings that eventually lead to a plot that endangers Prince Albert, the British and the Indian protesters themselves. Wyndham comes to a breaking point in his opium habit, and finally confesses to Banerjee. Banerjee is alienated from his family for his refusal to resign from the police force, and is forced to negotiate with the leader of the local resistence, who is a close family friend, making his position even more precarious.
This series continus to be a fascinating historical drama....more
It took me a while to warm up, but now I love this series. This time Wyndham and Banerjee ride with an Indian prince, and fail to save him from assassIt took me a while to warm up, but now I love this series. This time Wyndham and Banerjee ride with an Indian prince, and fail to save him from assassination. They travel to the funeral, and enter an independent kingdom, its fabulously wealthy court and dynastic intrigues. The introduction to the opulent palace, the three wives and hundreds of concubines and children of the maharaja, is like something out of a fairy tale world. Mukherjee dwelves into the politics as well, as the British are trying to get the princes into a council to prop up British regime while showing Indians that they are involving natives in the government. There are also shady dealings with the East India company, who are trying to get their hands on the kingdom’s diamond mines. We also go deeper into religious beliefs, visiting shrines, and the festival of Lord Jagannath (from whom the word “juggernaut” comes from).
Wyndham and Banerjee interviews a maharani (who will only talk to a woman, so Annie helps), goes on a tiger hunt with a prince, investigates the disappearance of the top accountant, and listens to the sage advice of the matriarch of the raja’s palace. I had no idea who the murderer was, so I found the mystery fascinating, but mostly the world that Mukherjee has created, and the history of India he has wovem masterfully into the story....more
Great historical setting: 1920ies Calcutta, seat of the British government of India; political upheaval, the rise of independence movement, both of thGreat historical setting: 1920ies Calcutta, seat of the British government of India; political upheaval, the rise of independence movement, both of the violent and non-violent kind. Mukherjee paints an intriguing picture of the city, of the British privilige and racism, the snooty superiority just about any British acquired when living in India, however impoverished and low class they were at home.
Sam Wyndham is a World War I vet and an ex-Scotland Yard detective who arrives in India and immediately gets thrown into a murder investigation of an English bureaucrat. He acquires an indian subordinate, the shy young Sergeant Banerjee, and they develop a close working relationship. Banerjee leads Wyndham down the streets and culture of India, and they soon. find themselves in the middle of coreruption and political intrigue.
The murder investigation is a standard police procedural, with good turns and twists. The strength of the book, however, is the setting and the historical and political background. I got this on the Audible series sale and will continue with the next one....more
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