Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Tiger Hills by Sarita Mandanna

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on February 8, 2011
Posted in Books Read in 2011India  | 5 Comments

Tiger Hills is a historical fiction saga spanning three generations of a family of Coorg, India. In 1878, Devi is the first born female to the Nachimada family in over sixty years. She is a beautiful child and has the deep love and affection of her entire family.
When Devi was five years old a scandal came to her family. Gauramma leaves her husband and returns home with her boy, Devanna. Devanna follows Devi everywhere and they soon become inseparable friends. When Gauramma commits suicide, the family decides to raise Devanna instead of sending him back to his father.
There is a great ceremony in the village, called a “tiger wedding”. Devi doesn’t really understand what it is but is excited to go, none the less. When she arrives with her family she sees a big tiger hanging in the air. It is explained that the tiger was killed by Manchu and it was a ceremony to pay tribute to him as a “tiger killer.” Devi doesn’t see what the big deal is and says so, in front of everybody.
“this tiger doesn’t even have claws,” sad Devi.
It was explained to Devi that the claws had been removed to make jewellery out of them. She was quite embarrassed but Manchu was very kind to her about it. Devi then tells her mother that she will marry the tiger killer some day.
Soon after that it was decided that Devanna was to go to school at the mission and get a “white person’s” education. He showed great promise and Reverend Gundert took Devanna under his wing.
Devi and Devanna stayed close friends but as they got older, Devi started to get annoyed with Devanna. He was most interested in his books and education and Devi was not interested in that at all. Devanna had a crush on her and was convinced that the two of them would marry some day.
When they were older, Devanna went away to medical school and Devi grew closer to Manchu. They even met in secret. However, he had taken a vow with the monks and could not marry for 12 years. Devi promised to wait for him. However, the next time Devanna came home from school something happened to shake the foundation and reputation of the entire family and Devi was forced to quickly marry Devanna.
This book has been described and an Indian ‘Gone With the Wind” and “The Thorn Birds” rolled into one. I can certainly see the comparison. If you like both of those books, you are sure to enjoy Tiger Hills. Devi is quite spoiled by her family but is nothing like Scarlett O’Hara in ‘Gone With the Wind’. However, both characters are in love with a man that they can’t have.
Sarita Mandanna captures the reader’s attention from the first page. I felt a part of the village and cared deeply for what was to happen to Devi and Devanna. Mandanna’s elegant prose make the village, it’s flora and fauna, and even its weather important characters.
“Watery shafts of light spilled from behind the dark grey clouds, laminating the town in opalescence. As the morning wore on, the sun had gain in confidence, scattering the clouds and blazing forth in all its splendor.” Page 62, Tiger Hills
Tiger Hill’s is a book to drink in an savor. Highly recommended.
4.5/5
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Net Galley for the ebook galley version of this book. The book was published in the UK in April, 2010 and is set to come out in North America on March 9, 2011.
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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

The Flat on Malabar Hill by Chitra Kallay

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on July 16, 2010
Posted in Books Read in 2010India  | 6 Comments

Told in multiple view points, The Flat on Malabar Hill is about a multigenerational, middle class Indian family. Shanti and Vinod have lived in the flat on Malabar Hill in India for a very long time and are rooted in tradition. 

Their two grown sons are as different as night and day. Kishore is an overachiever who went to the U.S.A. to university. While there he meets a fellow student, Anjali and falls in love. Dev on the other hand, is in a low caste band and is addicted to drugs. He wants to marry a low caste night club singer, to the strong disapproval to his family.
Anjal was raised in the U. S. and experiences culture shock when her and Kishore move to Malabar and get married. They have a child and Shanti wants to spend a lot of time with him and Anjal. With time Anjal does develop a deep respect and fondness for Shanti. 
In later years Kishore must choose between his highly successful job in the U.S., a good education for his children, and his ailing parents. He decides to move his family back to Malabar to take care of his parents. Vinod had a heart attack and had bypass surgery and Shanti was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. 
Vinod and Shanti sign over their house to Kishore and Anjal doesn’t waste time in decorating it to her taste despite the fact that Vinod and Shanti still live there as well. As Shanti’s mind and memory begins to diminish more and more, Vinod feels helpless in helping his wife. One day he makes a fateful decision that will affect the entire family.
Chitra Kallay sure knows how to write a good story. She uses strong character development, which drives this story. I cared deeply for the characters and what happened to them. I felt like I was a welcome part of the family and their culture.
4/5
Thanks to Paula Krapf of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. for this book.
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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on January 2, 2010
Posted in Books Read in 2010Historical FictionIndiaIndu Sundaresan  | 10 Comments

Set in 16th and early 17th century rule of the Mughal Empire in India, Mehrunnisa is born to a Persian courtier to the Mughal emperor, Akbar.  The family came from humble beginnings but Akbar earned his way into the life of courtier.
When Mehrunnisa was 8 years old, she got a glimpse of Salim, the crown prince of the royal family.  It is then that she makes it her life’s goal to marry him.  She was devastated when her father told her that  that she was to marry a not so royal man but did as she was bid, as women had no choice back then.  Her marriage was not a happy one.  She had several miscarriages until she finally has a daughter.  Her husband seemed to think she miscarried and didn’t give him a son on purpose.
Eventually Mehrunnisa has another chance meeting with Salim, who is just as infatuated with her.  He has many wives but his chief wife, Jagat Gosini is the main contender to stand in the way of Mehrunnisa finally getting her dream.
This is a deeply moving story of love and the history of the Mughal Empire.  I listened to the audio version and the narrator Sneha Mathan brought the characters to life.  I felt like I was living life back in India with Mehrunnisa.  Indu Sundaresan has a way of painting the story with words.   I can hardly wait to read the sequel, The Feast of Roses.

5/5
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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.