Book Review: The Legacy by Katherine Webb

Genre: Literary fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins (Harper Paperback)

Pub date: 1 September 2011

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

(This is a short review of a book I read a while ago and made notes on. I don’t have this book with me now, so you’ll notice the review is a little thin on the details.)

Synopsis (From GoodReads)

When they were children, Erica Calcott and her sister, Beth, spent their summer holidays at Storton Manor. Now, following the death of their grandmother, they have returned to the grand, imposing house in Wiltshire, England. Unable to stem the tide of childhood memories that arise as she sorts through her grandmother’s belongings, Erica thinks back to the summer her cousin Henry vanished mysteriously from the estate, an event that tore their family to pieces. It is time, she believes, to lay the past to rest, bring her sister some peace, and finally solve the mystery of her cousin’s disappearance.

But sifting through remnants of a bygone time is bringing a secret family history to light—one that stretches back over a century, to a beautiful society heiress in Oklahoma, a haunting, savage land across the ocean. And as past and present converge, Erica and Beth must come to terms with two shocking acts of betrayal… and the heartbreaking legacy they left behind.

Review

Erica and Beth have come back to their family home after many years. They spent many summers there with their harsh grandmother, difficult cousin Henry and Dinny, a traveler boy. But not all their time at this old house was happy. For both of them it brings back memories of a difficult time there when their cousin Henry disappeared.

This family tragedy has marked Beth, and her recent troubles have made her even more frail. Erica, the younger sister doesn’t quite remember all that happened that year, but she is sure that there is more under the surface. The sisters must make a decision about the house. Do they want to live there or sell it and give the proceeds away? Beth doesn’t want to be there and gets more nervous the longer they stay there. But Erica starts to go through old photographs in an attempt to uncover her family’s secrets.

The other story that we get to hear is about their great-grandmother Caroline. Caroline came over to America in the early 1900s and married Corin. She is very much in love with him, but her life is so different from anything she could ever have foreseen. The two stories stand on their own and I found them both intriguing and completely engrossing. What is great about the story is the way the two of them run in parallel and come together.

I was totally immersed in both stories. I wanted to find out what Caroline had hidden from her family for so long. And I wanted the sisters to uncover more recent secrets and perhaps find some comfort in finding out what happened. The characters in the story are interesting ( and there are many of them) and I loved getting to know them. The underlying mystery was also brilliantly told and expertly revealed. I can’t wait for Webb’s next book.

Verdict

Highly recommended. Fans of literary fiction and readers who enjoy stories about unraveling family secrets will love The Legacy.

Rating: 4*

*See my Rating policy

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© Stargazerpuj and Stargazerpuj’s Book Blog, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Mini Book Review: The Good Muslim by Tahmina Amam

Genre: Literary fiction

Series: A Golden Age #2

Publisher: Harper Collins (imprint)

Pub date: 2 Aug 2011

Source: Publisher

(This is a short review of a book I read a while ago and made notes on. I don’t have this book with me now, so you’ll notice the review is a little thin on the details.)

Synopsis (From GoodReads)

In the dying days of a brutal civil war, Sohail Haque stumbles upon an abandoned building. Inside he finds a young woman whose story will haunt him for a lifetime to come. . . . Almost a decade later, Sohail’s sister, Maya, returns home after a long absence to find her beloved brother transformed. While Maya has stuck to her revolutionary ideals, Sohail has shunned his old life to become a charismatic religious leader. And when Sohail decides to send his son to a madrasa, the conflict between brother and sister comes to a devastating climax. Set in Bangladesh at a time when religious fundamentalism is on the rise, The Good Muslim is an epic story about faith, family, and the long shadow of war.

Review

The Good Muslim is the next part of the story that continues from A Golden Age. The Golden Age was the story of a family in the midst of the Bangladesh’s war of independence. The Good Muslim follows this family after Bangladesh has become an independent nation. Rehana’s children Maya and Sohail was very active during the war. They were reactionaries who believed in their cause and fought for it, much to Rehana’s discomfort and in spite of her fear for their safety.

Many years later, Maya and Sohail are rather different people than they used to be in those reactionary days. Once they come back to their home in Dhaka at different times, they are no longer able to get back to their old friends, parties and what they now see as a frivolous way of life. Sohail has become a part of a puritanical religious group. His son Zaid is growing up without any contact with the outside world and “normal” way of life. Maya is fighting the fight by providing medical help to women who have been affected by the brutalities of the war. Rehana is riddled with illness and is no longer the strong mother who supported her children’s reactionary ways. While the story deals with the fundamental conflict between brother and sister, this is really Maya’s story.

The country is also is a state of chaos that no one will admit to. During the war of independence there were rapes, and untold abuses and war crimes have been swept under the carpet to create the image of a shining prosperous new country.

While The Golden Age was Rehana’s story, The Good Muslim is Maya’s story and we see the world through her eyes. She feels rage for the women who were abused and are now forgotten and is perplexed by the person her brother has become.

The story is bleak and shows a realistic side of the problems. It is highly emotional and throughout Maya has to make some difficult and sometimes impossible decisions, with devastating results.

Verdict

Highly recommended. I do suggest that you read the books in order to see how the characters change over the course of the years.

Rating: 4.5*

*See my Rating policy

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© Stargazerpuj and Stargazerpuj’s Book Blog, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Book Review: Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

Genre: Literary fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins (Harper Perennial)

Pub date: 7 Jan 2011

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

(This is a short review of a book I read a while ago and made notes on. I don’t have this book with me now, so you’ll notice the review is a little thin on the details.)

Synopsis (From GoodReads)

Rebecca has come to Athens to paint. Born and raised in the south of France, Rebecca’s mother abandoned her and her sister when they were very young, left to be raised by her loving yet distant grandfather. Young and lost, she seeks solace in the heat of Athens. George has come to Athens to translate language. Dropped off at a New England boarding school when he was a child, he has close to no relationships with anyone, except the study of ancient language and alcohol. Henry has come to Athens to dig. An archaeologist, Henry is on-site at Athens during the day, and roams the Agora on the weekend. Three lost and lonely souls whose worlds become inexorable enmeshed with consequences that ripple far among the ruins of ancient Athens

Review

This book was one among the favorites of book bloggers last year. And I when I read the book I completely understood why. Everything Beautiful Began After is a story of despair, loneliness and finding hope in unlikely places. Rebecca, George and Henry are all in Athens searching for something and dealing with their own darkness, despair and regrets. Something in each of their childhoods has affected the way they deal with life.

The story unfolds slowly, going back and forth and we get to know the characters more by the things they do rather than the things they say. The writing gives Athens a magical glow – a place where possibilities are endless if only the people knew how to use them.

A part of the story is told in the form of letters, telegrams and photographs. This not only gives the reader s personal glimpse into the very minds of the characters, but these devices on the page make for interesting design choices.

The story is beautifully written, and is complex and layered. It is a story of coming of age, growing up, seeing  and accepting things as adults. It’s also about falling in love madly and giddily – with a person, a place… And the things that you learn from them.

Verdict

Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction. It’s a touching hopeful story set in magical places.

Rating: 5*

*See my Rating policy

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© Stargazerpuj and Stargazerpuj’s Book Blog, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Book Review: The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar

Genre: Literary fiction

Publisher: Harper Collins (Harper)

Pub date: 3 Jan 2012

Source: Publisher

Synopsis

Armaiti, Laleh, Kavita, and Nishta were inseparable in their university days in Bombay in the 1970s. Spirited and unconventional, these women protested and fought for their political and social ideals. But 30 years later, a lot has changed and not all of them are even in touch any more. When Armaiti calls and tells them that she is dying and wants to see her friends one last time, their world becomes shaky. Memories of the past come flooding back – and all of them have to face some truths that they’ve brushed under the carpet for many years.

Review

I’ve been hearing about Thrity Umrigar’s books for a while now, so when I got a chance to read a review copy of her latest (Thank you, Harper) I jumped at the chance. I’m so glad that I did and I will definitely be tracking down Umrigar’s backlist.

The World We Found  is the story of enduring friendships, and a subtle portrait of modern India. Friendships that are forged in school and university are strong and from what I’ve seen, are the ones that stay with you. These are the people who really know you and have seen you grow and change from an idealistic awkward young woman (with terrible dress sense) to who you are now (with maybe not much better dress sense).

Armaiti married an American and moves to the US many years ago. She is now divorced and dealing with a debilitating disease. Laleh is married to her college sweetheart Adish, and enjoys a fulfilled life with him. Kavita is single, taking care of her mother and has secrets that she has been scared to share with her friends for many years. But Nishta has disappeared from their lives completely. When Kavita and Laleh finally track her down, they realise that Nishta’s life has moved so far away from theirs that they are stunned and outraged. Nishta married her college sweetheart Iqbal, who is no longer the liberal socialist he once was. He has changed beyond recognition and Nishta is a prisoner in her home. The friends have to find a way to convince Nishta to remember who she really is and break free.

There is quite a lot of drama and thrill in this story, but really it’s more about friendships – the bond between the four women, the larger group that also includes Adish and Iqbal, Laleh’s relationship with her husband (who is such a good friend to her) and how time has shifted the balance in all these relationships.

Umrigar’s writing is subtle and gentle and deals with the divides in India – the conventional and the progressive, the fundamentals and the liberals, the class divides, the rich and poor and the resentment that builds up from these differences. Each of the characters is finely developed and we understand (even if don’t agree with) the choices that they make.

Verdict

Highly recommended. Fans of literary fiction, Indian fiction, stories about enduring friendship, women’s fiction will all love this delicately told tale.

Rating: 4.5*

*See my Rating policy

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