Unaccustomed Earth

 For my last book in the Southeast Asian Reading Challenge, I finished The Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpah Lahiri. This is Lahiri second collection of short stories and in my opinion a much strongely written and diverse enteries than her Pultizer Prize winning collection in Interpreter of the Maladies.

Description: Eight stories that take the reader from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand as they enter and uncover the lives of sisters and brothers, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons, friends and lovers.

Review: My main complaint about short stories is one of its trademarks: brevity. By the time I get comfortable with the plot and warm up to its characters, the story is over and I feel cheated. Perhaps, I'm reading them wrong and should not approach them in the same way as I normally do with any fiction book. Writing a short story must be very hard and it takes a rare and particular talent to write captivating short stories. The author must perfectly craft every word, every sentence, in order to develop character, plot and intrigue in a limited space.
 Lahiri's eight stories featured in Unaccustomed Earth are much lengthier than most short stories I've read, but I welcomed them. I felt they gave her much needed room to explore not only the different themes, but also a showcasing the various relationships throughout her stories. Lahiri's stories always feature characters of Bengali descent who reside in America but they are far from formulaic. In the title and personally my favorite story, Unaccustomed Earth, Brooklyn-to-Seattle transplant Ruma frets about a presumed obligation to bring her widower father into her home, a stressful decision taken out of her hands by his unexpected independence. In another, the alcoholism of Rahul is described by his elder sister, Sudha, who struggles with her own disappointment, guilt, bewilderment and sense of duty. And in the loosely linked trio of stories closing the collection, the lives of Hema and Kaushik intersect over the years, first in 1974 when she is six and he is nine; then a few years later when, at 13, she swoons at the now-handsome 16-year-old teen's reappearance; and again in Italy, when she is a 37-year-old academic about to enter an arranged marriage, and he is a 40-year-old photojournalist. Lahiri's stories are surprising, aesthetically marvelous and shaped by a sure and provocative sense of inevitability. Her skill of storytelling is enchanting and I look forward to whatever she publishes next.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong languge, underage drinking, and semi-explicit sex scenes in a few stories. Recommended for teen readers interested in multicultural fiction and adults only.

If you like this book try: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhmpah Lahiri, Bittersweet by Roopa Farooki

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The Corner Shop

  While searching for authors to read for the Southeast Asian reading challenge, I came across Roopa Farooki's name. Her debut novel, Bittersweets, was critically acclaimed and won the Orange Prize Award, an annual award given to female writers throughout the world. I actually wanted to read Bittersweets, but it was checked out from the library at time so I opted out to read The Corner Shop.

Description (inside panel): There are only two tragedies in life. One is not getting your heart's desire - and the other? Getting it. Fourteen-year-old Lucky Khalil loves three things: football, Star Wars and Portia, the girl who works in his grandfather's corner shop. In that order. But Lucky has a destiny – worse than a destiny, he has a dream. He dreams that one day, his lucky left foot will win the World Cup for England . It torments him, because it tastes real, because when he wakes he weeps with disappointment that it is just a dream.Meanwhile, Lucky’s mother Delphine seems to have had all her dreams come true.
  But Delphine feels increasingly trapped in her apparently perfect marriage and gilded lifestyle. She fantasizes about rediscovering the freedom of her youth, but rekindling a relationship with her maverick father-in-law, Zaki, is only going to end in disaster.Zaki, a charming gambler who loved and lost Delphine long before she married his sensible and successful son, feels equally trapped in the corner shop that he has unwillingly run for years for his family's sake. He wonders whether the time has come to abandon his middle class responsibilities, to try once more to achieve his own long-forgotten dreams.

Review: Aspirations and family ties are examined across three generations of the Khalil family in Farooki's enjoyable novel. Lucky Khalil is a talented young soccer player with his sights set on taking the World Cup home for England. His father, Jinan, is the serious-minded, hard-working son of a Bangladeshi  immigrant, married to Delphine, who feels her perfect marriage is confining. The patriarch of the Khalil family, Zaki, is a shopkeeper and gambler with wanderlust and an attraction to his son's wife. As you discover earlier on in the book, Delphine is approximately fifteen years older than Jinan and Zaki was once her lover. 
 When Delphine gives in to Zaki's advances, family bonds are stretched to the breaking point and the character's true colors appear. As each of the characters advance in their ambitions, the cross-purposes of their desires and responsibilities blend intricately and threaten to crush the family. 
   The Corner Shop is clearly a character driven novel. Each character struggles with attaining their dreams or rather the mere idea of what their dreams should be. Reality and aspirations clash. With the exception of Jinan, who achieved his dreams and is happy with the results, it was interesting how other Khalil family members felt trapped yet at the same time freed by their dreams. Before being a contender of England's football (what we in the US call soccer) team, Lucky is already plagued by a nightmare of failing his country. Delphine who came across as a modern day Madame Bovary is tired of her "perfect marriage" where she is adored and respected by her husband. Delphine wants more of the romantic notion of a marriage rather than the banal day to day moments with her husband. Zaki is suffers from the Peter Pan complex who abandons his conventional shopkeeper's life and responsibilities when things get too complicated for him and abruptly leaves to search for something fulfilling. 
  I like how The Corner Shop avoids the overly discussed theme of being immigrants adjusting to a new lifestyle and zeroes in what we all, regardless of our cultural, religious, social backgrounds may be, think of: what, exactly, leads to a more fulfilled life? Though told mostly in the omnipresent third person narrator, there are sections where the narration style breaks and some of the characters narrate their side of the story, which can be challenging to follow and interrupts the pace and tone of the book. For the most part I enjoyed the flawed characters, but the twisted love triangle between Delphine, Zaki, and Jinan was hard to wrap my head around and just felt wrong. All in all, a nice quick read for fans of Jhumpa Lahiri and Zadie Smith.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language as well as allusion to sex. Recommended for older teens interested in multicultural fiction and adults.

If you like this book try: Interpreter of the Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, White Teeth by Zadie Smith

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Toads and Diamonds

 So far for my Southeast Asian Reading Challenge I have been reading books that are targeted to an adult audience. I thought I would try reading some books for children/middle grade and YA books. I came across Toads and Diamonds, a fairy tale retelling set in pre-colonial, fictional India and thought it looked interesting. I've read good reviews on the book so I decided to give it a shot.

Description (from inside panel): Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Yet she is granted a remarkable gift: Flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks.

It seems only right to Tana that the goddess judged her kind, lovely stepsister worthy of such riches. And when she encounters the goddess, she is not surprised to find herself speaking snakes and toads as a reward.
  Blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem, however. Diribani’s newfound wealth brings her a prince—and an attempt on her life. Tana is chased out of the village because the province's governor fears snakes, yet thousands are dying of a plague spread by rats. As the sisters' fates hang in the balance, each struggles to understand her gift. Will it bring her wisdom, good fortune, love . . . or death?

Review: Set in the fictional Indian land of Hundred Kingdom, Toads and Diamonds is a retelling of Perrault's fairy tale "The Fairies". I haven't read the original fairy tale so book's plot was new and welcoming to me.
 Stepsisters Diribani and Tana are struggling to keep their household together after their father's murder. He was a jewel merchant and Tana hopes to follow in his footsteps, but these dreams are swept out of reach when both girls make separate trips to get water from the local well. Each sister meets a snake goddess, Naghali, who bestows upon them a unique gift before asking them what their heart desires. Diribani is gifted with gems and flowers that drop from her lips when she speaks. Tana returns with an even stranger gift of snakes, frogs, and toads. The awe over Diribani's gift from people both humble and expected from the upper class who take note, but it's refreshing to see the matter-of-fact welcome that Tana's snakes receive from the townspeople who are trying to save their crops and vermin infested homes.
  Tomlinson's memorable novel employs magic realism to explore a universal truth: an individual's gifts and talents are not always as they might seem. I liked how Tomlinson stays away from the trite and overused devices of evil step sisters pitted against one another where one is clearly evil and the other virtuous. Though they may be stepsisters by relation, Diribani and Tana don't act like it. They genuinely care for one another. Each chapter is told from their alternating perspectives so we can see how they individually deal with their "gift". Dirbani and Tana's voices and personalities are distinct. The author's lavish details starkly contrast the two girls' lives and personalities while emphasizing their strength, purpose, and enduring love for each other, despite their predicaments. I was able to connect more with Tana who is crafty and skillful than Dirbani who came across as too much of a dreamer. 
  I thought the book's description is a bit misleading. I expected the romance element would play a bigger part in the story, but it doesn't. There are touches of it, but they remain in the background and aren't developed which was disappointing. Tomlinson she creates a vivid setting of her fictionalized India, drawing references from both village histories as well as the Mughal Empire. I took me a while to get use to her world, which isn't a bad thing necessarily, but the complexities of the cultural backstory and slow pace will most likely pose a challenge to readers. I still enjoyed it and will recommend it to readers who would like multicultural fiction and a different spin on your average fairy tale.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: Beast by Donna Jo Napoli, Ash by Melinda Lo

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Black Butler Vol 5

  Did you know that the word "curry" is actually a misnomer introduced by the British in attempt to generalize Indian food? Curry is common referred as the sauce of the dish. For example, Chicken Curry is a chicken dish with a curry (sauce made of spices). A dry chicken dish has no sauce, and therefore it has no curry. In Southeast Asia, people use the word 'masala' to describe a mixture of spices. A masala could be a dry powder or a wet combination of herbs, spices, vinegar, etc. You're probably what curry has to do with the fifth volume of Black Butler, right? Well, Sebastian, the otherworldly butler, participates in a curry contest in a large part of this volume. See, I told you this manga is deliciously bizarre!

Description: For Sebastian Michaelis, the word "impossible" is just not in his vocabulary. Everything demanded of him inn England is well within his grasp and easily handled. Does his talent also extend in all things foreign? With a Royal Warrant on the line, Sebastian is in a curry battle. Can he defeat Agni, the Indian born butler who also possess supernatural abilities? May the best butler win!

Review: Volume 5 showcases the absurdity yet also flashes of seriousness that makes this series a joy to read. As the fourth volume ends, Indian Prince Soma and his butler have fought and gone their separate ways. Ciel commands Sebastian to enter the curry contest in order to get the coveted Royal Warrant for the Phantomhive corporation. For the first time Sebastian is faced with a real challenge. He has to not only figure out how to make a curry, but also beat out Agni's most famous curry and win the challenge. Many funny situations ensue when Sebastian tries his hand at cooking. He uses Prince Soma as a taster. 
  The big curry contest goes as planned and it ends as expected. Prince Soma finally meets Meena, the servant girl that he wants to take back to India, but his plan fails. As if a light bulb goes off in his head, Prince Soma realizes what he selfish jerk he is and tries to patch things up with Agni. 
The last chapter was probably the most interesting in the entire volume as Soma and Agni stay on in England and Agni, in spite of being warned, tries to turn himself over to justice. As I mentioned before, the other staff of Phantomhive are incompetent and pretty useless, however, we get to see them a bit more humanized. We get to learn a bit more about Ciel's staff and how very odd it is that before this they all had no one and nothing before taking up their jobs. As always, the art work of Black Butler is gorgeous and amazing. This volume ends with a strange circus coming to London and I'm sure there is something dark and sinister about it. Looking forward to the next crazy adventure that lies ahead. 


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some violence and some language. Rated OT for Older Teens.


If you like this book try: Black Butler Vol 6 by Yana Toboso, Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizu, Godchild series by Kaori Yuki

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Black Butler Vol 4

  I've fallen a bit behind in my reading pile. Thankfully, this is a long weekend for me so I can get caught up or better yet, get ahead. Thanks to the awesome Interlibrary Loan staff at my public library, I was able to get my hands on Black Butler Vol 4 and Black Butler Vol 5! This manga series is so unusual from the ordinary manga series that I've read so far. If you are looking for something that's a bit dark, mysterious, and funny, do check this series by Yana Toboso out!

Description (from Amazon): London - the capital of the Great Empire - is once again under siege, as a string of bizarre attacks on British citizens returned from India sends rumors flying and casts a pall upon Queen Victoria's rule. Sent in by Her Majesty, young Earl Phantomhive and his most capable butler, Sebastian, follow a trail that collides head-on with an Indian youth who claims to be a prince. And this prince possesses an extraordinary butler of his own! As an intense rivalry between the two butlers begins to form, will the kitchen be the dueling duo's final battleground?!

Review: I've really been enjoying the Black Butler series. The art is amazing, the characters are consistent, mysterious, brooding, and aren't only what they appear. Each volume I've read so far mixes serious moments with humor and a thrilling and engaging plot. Although I felt the Jack the Ripper story arc ended a bit too quickly for me, I was curious which direction the author was going to take the story when she introduced two Indians at the very end of Volume 3. 
  As most of you know, Victorian England was at the height of the British Empire. Imperalistic viewpoints of class and racism are evident. The author tackles the same issues in volume 4. When we begin this volume, we are faced with a series of attacks where British citizens returning from India are stripped and hung upside-down outside Indian pubs in London. Attached to each victim is a letter insulting the English. Since these attack point out the weakness of the royal family, Scotland Yard and Earl Ciel Phantomhive are on the case to solve the mystery.
  Readers discover that the Phantomhive family works as a shadow, detective-like agency for the Queen and uses the "dark" magic to effectively eliminate the problem without bringing it to the attention of the public. We also learn about the two Indian men who take front stage of this volume, Prince Soma and his loyal butler Agni. Prince Soma and Agni work well contrasting Ciel and Sebastian. Whereas the 12 year old Earl is aloof, responsible, and introverted, Prince Soma is flamboyant, childish, and solely focused on bringing back a servant girl named Meena back to India. Sebastian is a butler with dark supernatural powers yet Agni seems to have somewhat supernatural powers of his own. 
  I was captivated by how well the author incorporates some aspects of Hinduism and Indian culture in this volume, which she brings to life as she delves a little deeper into Agni's background of how he became Prince Soma's butler. This manga is very quirky and unpredictable so the shift between a serious hate crime quickly unfolds to a cooking contest between the two butlers didn't really surprise me all that much but I'm sure it shocked Sebastian a little bit! Sebastian has finally found a competent competitor. I"m looking forward to how the cooking contest unfolds. May the best cook win! 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and violence. Rated OT for Older Teens.


If you like this book try: Black Butler Vol 5 by Yana Toboso, Godchild or the Cain Saga by Kaori Yuki

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The Girl in the Garden

  Most of the books that I've read about India have taken place in the northern region. Kamala Nair's debut novel, The Girl in the Garden, is my first venture out to Southern India which I really don't know much about. The book's description intrigued me so I decided to pick it up and read it for my Southeast Asian Reading Challenge.

Description: When Rakhee Singh is ten years old, her mother takes her from their Minnesota home to visit relatives in India. There she discovers a family secret that will haunt her. Only as a woman on the verge of marriage does Rakhee find the strength to confront the events of that summer and face the price of secrets.

Review: The Girl in the Garden is part of a coming of age tale and part of a family drama. As the book opens, Rakhee is an adult and has been recently engaged. One night she decides that she must go to India. She writes a letter to her fiance explaining her abrupt departure and deciding that accepting the marriage proposal was a bad idea. She explains why she has been so evasive to the questions about her mother. Rakhee's letter soon becomes a confession as she recounts her youth and her travel to India for the very first time.
   The Girl in the Garden began nicely, with a quick attention grabber. Nair's use of Rakhee addressing her  fiance, who we never see or get to know, as simply "you" immediately heightens her intensity and desperation. Unfortunately, the novel's pace slows considerably when we are shown Rakhee's mundane daily activities as a young child. She sees her parents bicker, become distant, and fears that they may have a divorce. Things slightly get more interesting when Rakhee visits her distant relatives, who are mostly strangers to her, in India. In India she begins to struggle with identifying herself, not quite American nor Indian but walking that fine line but the two cultures. She also learns that her mothers has kept secrets from her and her father. Curiosity gets the best of Rakhee as she tries to connect the little bits of information she gathers from overhearing conversations.
  While I enjoyed learning about the culture of South India and getting a sense of its rich ambiance, I couldn't really connect to any of the characters. The only character that was a bit mysterious was the title character, however, her identity and story were revealed to quickly to make any lasting impression. Nair is a promising author and I would be interested to see what she writes next. Perhaps I'm so saturated with the whole "family's dark secrets/drama" plot line that I felt bored with this book. I could easily put the book down and completely forget about it. I would, however, recommend this book to readers who are interested in reading about India without wanting to be overwhelmed too much by the culture, dialect, and many characters. The book would serve as a good introduction to Indian writers and to the Southeast Asian region. As someone who is really interested in this region and have read quite a bit about it, I was left wanting more.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some minor language and allusion to sex. Marketed towards adults, however, I think older teens interested about India would find this book interesting.

If you like this book try: The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett or The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri or The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar

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In Other Rooms, Other Wonders

  I love discovering new authors, particularly those who are from Pakistan. Daniyal Mueenuddin is an emerging Pakistani writer who debuted his collection of short stories called In Other Rooms, Other Wonders in 2009. He won the Pultizer Prize for Fiction in 2010.

Description: In collection of eight linked short stories, the lives of landowners and their workers on the Gurmani family farm in the countryside outside of Lahore, Pakistan are explored.

Review: Mueenuddin takes a critical look at the lives of several social classes in his debut collection of short stories. The eight stories explore relationships among the descendants of the super-rich Harouni farming family, living near Lahore, those who work on the farm, and those who marry (often unhappily) into it. Each stories are slices of life, giving the reader a glimpse of daily life. The stories are full with indigenous detail which had me transported to my last visit in Pakistan along with subtle understanding of their characters' complex experiences and destinies.
 No one is spared criticism and heartbreak in any of these stories. Servants use their years of loyalty working for their masters in hopes of getting support in return. Women expertly use their sensuality to ensnare a well off suitor and try to move up the social and security ladder are fatalistically ironic. Blind justice and characters who can almost grasp happiness are also recurring features in the short stories.
  Out of all the stories, my favorites are "Lily" and "Provide, Provide". In "Lily," we see the beginning of a budding and promising relationship. Just as the "honeymoon phase" is over, we began to witness its slow deterioration. "Provide, Provide," features the cunning and ambitious Zainab who insinuates herself among the Harounis, abandoning her weakling and drug addict husband to marry a well-placed household servant, only to lose everything. Mueenuddin is a very skillful and talented writer that left me wanting more. I will definitely pick up his next work.


Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language, allusion to sex, and drug use in the stories.

If you like this book try: Interpreters of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, Dubliners by James Joyce

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Beneath a Marble Sky: A Love Story

  The Taj Mahal, located in Agra, India, is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built during the reign of Shah Jahan when the Mughal Empire ruled India. Shah Jahan was grief stricken when his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during child birth. Legend has it that his wife requested her husband to build her a memorial after she died.  The main mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. For romantics, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of an eternal love story. For cynics, it is just simply a tomb and another indication of one's hubris and selfishness. Personally, I love the love story behind the Taj Mahal, though I can see the opposing viewpoint as well. Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors brings the legend of the Taj Mahal to the forefront of his story.

Description: Princess Jahanara is torn between living life for herself and fulfilling her duties as a member of Hindustan's royal family, a daughter, sister, and mother. When her mother dies and promises her father to create a memorial in her memory, Jahanara tries to help her father, Shah Jahan, in his quest while also working to save the empire from civil war, and falling in love.

Review: I grew up with the legend of the Taj Mahal. In fact one of my favorite Bollywood movies is Taj Mahal from 1963 that stars Pradeep Kumar and Bina Rai. The movie perfectly captures the romance and court intrigue of the Mughal time period. Beneath a Marble Sky does the same for an audience who are not aware of this time period. 
  The novel is told from the perspective of Jahanara, who recounts her life to her two granddaughters. The granddaughters are unaware of their true lineage to the throne. Now a grandmother, Jahanara goes backward in time to explain why the girls were kept in the dark about their imperial connections. Though Jahanara is royalty, we also get a glimpse of what life is like outside the palace halls where women had influence on political decisions and the constant struggle between keeping peace and tolerance in a nation of multiple religions.
  Beneath a Marble Sky is most certainly a plot driven novel, where the time period and court intrigue takes center stage rather than a critical look at the empire. Though the novel is subtitled a love story, the love story of Jahanara is a subdued one. Keeping up Indian traditions, the individual's desire takes a second priority to family obligations. Thus the love in 'love story' is mainly a familial love as Jahanara tries to become the perfect daughter and sister. 
  Jahanara is an interesting character that appealed to both my traditional and modern viewpoints. She was active when she needed to be and pretending to be passive when it was necessary. I connected to her struggle to fulfill her family duties as well as putting herself second. Jahanara was encouraged by her savvy mother to learn the arts of influence and political strategy. Thus the young woman is able to pick up where her savvy mother left off and from behind the court scenes able to protect the throne. Jahanara becomes the emperor's main adviser instead of her dreamy and idealistic brother, Dara, who is the rightful heir to the throne. She is also a key player in the construction of the Taj Mahal, where she gets involved with a forbidden romance. I was really impressed on how Shors, a man with no personal connection to India, was able to capture the voice of a believable Mughal Princess. He provides enough rich, historical details to transport the reader back in time.
  Though the secondary characters are kind of one dimensional, I couldn't help but be caught up in the romantic tale of the Taj Mahal. The book reads quickly with plenty of situations where loyalty, family, and passion are called into question. Though not a bodice ripper nor filled with historical inaccuracies like The Other Boleyn Girl, it has plenty of melodrama and romance to keep the reader busy.  I think this book will appeal to a wide audience and does give a good sense of what it was like to live during the Mughal Empire.



Rating: 4 stars


Words of Caution: There is some language and lots of war violence. Rape and physical abuse are also alluded in the story. There is also a few sex scenes though they are not very explicit. Recommended to high school students who are interested in learning about India's history and to adults.

If you like this book try: The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

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White Tiger

  When Slumdog Millionaire was released, many people were shocked to learn about the slums of India. Unfortunately, the movie didn't shock me but rather reminded me of the poverty and injustices that ravage our society. I picked up White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, which won the Booker Prize in 2008, and expected to be hit with the same gritty issues as the Oscar winning movie. From the book's synopsis, I was anticipating a dark, psychological/morality tale. What I did read instead was a dark satire about class and social structure of the working class in India.

Description (from inside panel): Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life--having nothing but his own wits to help him along.

Review: White Tiger is a brutal account of what it is like to be a lower class citizen in India. The India that Adiga presents here is not the lyrical, exotic India readers are use to reading, but rather it's the seedy and corrupt nation ruled by those who have money and power. The novel is told over a period of seven nights and written in a letter format to the premier of China, who is expected to visit India and a person Balram thinks can a learn a lesson about the real India. Balram narrates his childhood, how he was employed as a chauffer, and how he managed to become a business man by simply murdering his boss.
  Balram is a clever, witty, and surprisingly resourceful narrator. He managed to survive by relying on his street smarts and keenly observing how his boss manages his financial and personal affairs. Though he he is constantly degraded and viewed as invisible to his employers, Balram begins to understand how his world works. Even though he rails and rants about corruption growing in India, he allows himself to be abused by his bosses and eventually benefits from the society he grows to hate.
  White Tiger was a strange reading experience for me. I didn't like Balram though I felt bad for his situation. I would have liked a bit more of an exploration of the moral ambiguity or how he is dealing with the guilt of killing his employer. I enjoyed the novel's dark humor and Balram's sarcastic voice. While I got to know him, I didn't really get a sense of his employers who remain one dimensional throughout the book. The novel abruptly ends and doesn't really give us any hints of what will happen to Balram in the future. While enjoyable, I don't think I would have picked it up if it had not been nominated or won the Booker Prize. Part existential and part satire, White Tiger is the antithesis to the lush, exotic stories generally told in novels about India.  

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language, drug usage, and allusions to sex in the book. Recommended for adult readers only.


If you like this book try: The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri

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Tales of Asha Volume 1: Death

  I needed a mini break from reading a string of YA books. Don't get me wrong, I love YA but sometimes after reading them back to back everything tends to blur into one big mass and I have a hard time separating titles. Thanks to Joseph Lewis, I was able to escape to a different world momentarily by reading his short story collection called Tales of Asha, Volume 1: Death. I was given the book in an exchange for an honest review.

Description: The Tale of Asha series is a collection of fantasy short stories following the strange adventures of the herbalist Asha and the nun Priya as they travel across India. The collection is composed of three short stories. In the first story called "Lotus Cave", the title character Asha is introduced. She is a traveling herbalist, who is investigating a local legend about a demon who once drank up a river and the young Buddhist nun who helped restore the river but never returned from the loctus cave.  As Joesph mentioned in his post yesterday, the first story establishes the setting as well as introduces the main characters, Asha and Priya. In the second story, "The Fever Mist", Asha and Priya tend to a sick boy who is sensitive to light and sound. Only the boy's father's mysterious past can help cure his son, but the only cure could be death. The third and final story in this volume is called "The Shinning Scales", where Asha is attracted to a man who has lost his wife and is willing to do anything to keep his wife's memory alive. 

Review:  I enjoyed reading the first volume of the Tales of Asha. I absolutely loved Lewis's description of Asha's world. The words he chooses are so precise and chosen with care. I could almost hear, see, and feel the heavy rain fall and the arduous climbing that Asha takes in "The Lotus Cave". The theme of death is present in each story and takes on a different meaning to each of the characters presented in the story.
  Asha and Priya are intriguing characters who come from different backgrounds. Asha is a herbalist with a special talent due to a childhood accident. Priya is a 200 year old Buddhist nun, who balances Asha's cynicism with her world. The two work well together and have good chemistry. I had a little bit of a hard time connecting to these characters because of the third person narrative writing style. Though we are given some background information about the lives of these two heroines, I wasn't able to get into the heads of these characters as much as I would have liked to.  I did, however, get the sense there is more than meets the eye to these characters in the last and my favorite story, "The Shinning Scales", where Asha is emotionally invested with her case due to her own loneliness despite the stoic face she tends to put on.
  While  the stories are a blend of historical fantasy and paranormal mystery that is set in India, I would have loved a more developed world building. India has a rich history and lots of mythology. Perhaps it was my mistake to think that these would be included in the short story. There were many times where I completely forgot I was in India until a sari or a village name was mentioned.
  Overall, I did enjoy reading this collection and would recommend it to readers who want to read about books in a different world or society. I'm definitely interested in the characters would love to learn more about them and their world. If you would like to get a taste of Lewis's writing and a feel for the story, you can read the first story for free on smashwords.   

Rating: 3 stars


Words of Caution: There is a small sex scene in the third story, but it's not very graphic. I would recommend this title to high school students interested in fantasy short stories and to adults.

If you like this book try: Tales of Asha Volume 2 (coming Summer 2011) or Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor

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