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By: CHCH 523
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2024-04-29 21:30:04 |
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Mixed reviews for this one. We felt there was a lot going on within the book which made it a bit hard going, however all appreciated the main character and the depiction of life for women in India at that time. |
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By: ASHB 016
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2024-03-13 19:29:15 |
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We all enjoyed this book - generated lots of discussion. |
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By: GORE 001
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2024-03-07 12:29:17 |
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Very mixed reactions from our group. Some found it very wordy and the "detective" element rather unbelievable. The capture of Parveen and her unlikely escape, added nothing to the story nor to the issues that were clearly addressed - equality, women's rights, class, colonialism etc. No one would be inclined to read another in the series. |
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By: MANGWH 005
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2024-03-04 12:34:26 |
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All loved this as a light read in the style of Agatha Christie. |
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By: PIOPIO 001
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2024-02-25 16:48:59 |
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Our group all enjoyed this book. We found it easy to read, insightful and well researched. The only negative was that it felt modern, perhaps not reflective of the 1920's. Inspiring! |
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By: DUNED 089
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2023-11-09 10:02:02 |
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This book rated high amongst our members. As well as being a good mystery, we all gained an interesting glimpse of life as a young woman lawyer in 1920s Bombay. A well researched novel that entertained as well as educated us on life 'as it was'. |
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By: NAP 005
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2023-10-30 18:12:48 |
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Enjoyed by all. Included a number of different cultures in India in the early 20th century, concentrating on matters relating to women. Led to lots of talk about so many of the issues covered in the historical novel. Author had obviously done a lot of research. |
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By: TURA 002
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2023-07-12 10:24:53 |
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We all enjoyed a glimpse into another culture that we knew very little about. All agreed it was a slow start but it definitely picked up towards the end. |
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By: PAIHIA 001
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2023-04-10 12:52:55 |
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Easy read, good story. We enjoyed the view of India, and the history, and the mystery. |
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By: AUCK 443
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2023-03-27 11:30:45 |
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Interesting, but would have preferred the story to be sequenced in time. Impressive research on legal matters in colonial India. Too long to get to the murder and nothing about how the 3 wives managed after leaving - that would be a good sequel. Legal drama and cultural background well done. Readers frustrated by constant and misplaced flashbacks. |
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By: GOVER 003
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2023-03-06 13:10:03 |
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Most of the group enjoyed this book. It was a good mix of a crime novel plus information on the customs of the different racial and religious factions of the population in 1920s India, particularly Parsi, and the place of women in these factions. |
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By: MARLB 001
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2022-11-25 14:25:38 |
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We loved it, especially those of us who had spent time in India. A mystery - an added bonus. More like this please! |
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By: AUCK 256
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2022-11-08 16:37:56 |
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We all really enjoyed this book. Learnt a lot about India - colonisation, ethnic groups within India and their differences. Well-written. |
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By: WELL 104
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2022-10-12 12:55:13 |
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All members thought this book to be excellent. Well-written, informative with shockingly accurate details of women's lives in 1920s India. We thought the strands of the plot were woven together seamlessly - the law, the mystery, the lives. Parveen was believable and engaged our sympathies from the start. The contrast between her family and Cyrus's was stark. We wondered if life for strict Parsis has changed much over the years |
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By: AUCK 199
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2022-09-30 11:18:57 |
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The group was impressed with the wealth of information in this book over the various cultures in India, the English colonisation, the situation at the start of the 20th century and, in particular, the matters relating to the situation of women in that world. The writing was excellent and the structure of the novel was interesting and lucid. One of our members said that it was ruined by the murder mystery aspect. |
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By: AUCK 422
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2022-09-04 10:40:31 |
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A well thought out storyline, generally well written, with a good pace and interesting details. Insightful and sensitive descriptions of various religions, especially the Parsis. |
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By: ASHB 008
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2022-05-06 13:31:47 |
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We loved the book! |
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By: CHCH 312
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2022-03-30 14:11:57 |
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An interesting book with cultural insights into Indian life. Some in our group found the beginning hard going - but worth pushing on. |
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By: CHCH 297
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2022-02-08 10:09:47 |
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We all loved the book. Many layered and felt realistic of the time. |
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By: RICH 007
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2021-09-20 12:01:32 |
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This would be one of the most popular and enjoyable books this year. A story well crafted, with interesting snippets of 1920s India where the British were still ruling, plus a mystery to solve. |
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By: CHCH 194
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2021-09-14 16:34:48 |
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Everyone in the group found this a very interesting read as well as being informative. The book was well written, the storylines were interwoven well and it covered many aspects of different cultures from not such distant times. This is a great book for discussion as it provoked us into issues of gender, race, religion, culture and era. |
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By: AUCK 208
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2021-07-07 09:40:53 |
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All our group enjoyed this book. It was interesting and well-written with a good storyline. We all learned much of the Parsi Indian culture. Best book so far this year. We will look for further books by this author. |
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By: PAIHIA 003
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2021-06-09 11:32:59 |
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Enjoyed by everyone. Well-written and very interesting to learn about the different Indian cultures and customs. Created extra dimensions to the plot. |
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By: MATAM 001
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2021-05-31 13:34:24 |
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We all loved this book. Apart from the theme of a ripping good murder mystery, we had an interesting glimpse of life as a young woman lawyer in 1920s Bombay. There was an introduction into purdah, and also women's legal rights at that time. The book sparked many interesting topics for discussion, which was spirited and enlightening. |
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By: LOWER 008
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2021-05-31 13:11:31 |
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Mixed views of the book. Cultural details enjoyed - in fact the insights were the interesting aspects. Some of the questions were difficult to answer, with our ignorance of contemporary clashes between cultures. |
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By: CHCH 299
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2021-05-25 10:52:41 |
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Everyone in the group enjoyed this book. Some loved it and immediately read other books by the author, others saw it as a good holiday read but not particularly compelling. Interesting setting and plenty of information about the culture to ensure a good discussion. |
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By: AKAR 007
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2021-05-07 14:05:53 |
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All enjoyed. Learnt interesting facts. Some found writing a bit predictable. |
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By: QUEEN 014
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2021-05-07 14:01:27 |
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A nice easy read. It was Rom Com meets Murder Mystery, with an added bonus of an insight into Indian culture and traditions. Some likeable characters - would make a good film! |
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By: DUNED 063
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2021-05-07 13:59:55 |
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Good discussion on Muslim culture and women's oppression according to Western standards. We thought the ending was too abrupt, almost as if the author got tired of the story. Some of us thought the murder made the book more 'tawdry'. |
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By: TAUR 061
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2021-05-07 13:57:44 |
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We thought there was a plethora of events - a narrative 'overkill'. However, we enjoyed the journey into India and the subversive culture for females. Lots of conversation was had regarding the era, and how lucky we are to be a female in NZ in the 21st century. |
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By: CHCH 508
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2021-05-07 13:54:50 |
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Half really liked, others not so much. Some felt the mystery part not needed, and it could have had tighter editing. |
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By: CHCH 009
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2021-03-24 14:48:19 |
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An easy read, incorporating a lot of background information. |
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By: TAUR 023
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2021-03-22 12:01:34 |
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Members enjoyed this novel so much, that we request the Book Discussion Scheme consider having more novels by Sujata Massey on the book list. |
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By: CHCH 344
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2021-02-17 14:33:36 |
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Easy reading. Great holiday read. Well-written and complex enough to hold attention. |
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By: INVER 001
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2020-11-11 10:21:11 |
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Group really enjoyed this book. Found that most of us were motivated to do research to learn more about the history of India, the Parsi people etc. Characterisation of Parveen was interesting...many layers were revealed throughout the book. We were shocked by many of the cultural practices. |
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By: NELS 076
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2020-11-11 10:18:19 |
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Loved it! Interesting insights into a unique time and place. well-developed characters, and a likable 'leading lady'. |
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By: TAUR 004
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2020-10-12 11:31:16 |
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Everyone loved the book - the historical content, learning about the Parsi culture and the storyline. One member immediately read Sujata Massey's second book. |
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By: QUEEN 014
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2020-09-18 14:19:06 |
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A nice easy read. It was Rom-Com meets Murder Mystery, with an added bonus of an insight into Indian culture and traditions. Some likeable characters - would make a good film! |
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