Alka Joshi returns with her signature blend of rich narrative and vivid imagery. The Secret Keeper of Jaipur picks up the threads of Lakshmi’s life a dozen years after we left her in The Henna Artist. Escaping from a scandal in Jaipur, Lakshmi finds sanctuary in the foothills of the Himalayas, creating a new life with her sharp-witted adoptive son, Malik, and her doctor husband. It’s now 1969 and Malik is studying the building trade as an intern at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project is a state-of-the-art cinema. More than a thousand people flock to Jaipur’s Royal Jewel Cinema on opening night. But as […]
Read more...Tag Archives: books set in India
A History of Burning
The story begins at the turn of the twentieth century, when 13-year-old Pirbhai, the eldest son of a poor family, is conscripted British to work on the East African Railway in Kenya. The hardship the workers experienced was unimaginable. Then one day, Pirbhai commits an act so heinous it will haunt him forever and reverberate across his family’s future for generations to come. Pirbhai’s children are born and raised under the searing sun of Kampala during the waning days of British colonial rule. As Uganda moves towards independence and military dictatorship, Pirbhai’s granddaughters, Latika, Mayuri, and Kiya, are coming of age in a divided nation. Then, in 1972, under Idi […]
Read more...
South Asian Heritage Month
Did you know it’s South Asian Heritage Month? Well, now you do! South Asian Heritage Month is held annually from July 18 to August 17 to honor, recognize, and appreciate South Asian history and culture. Countries included in this region are Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. This year’s theme is “Stories to Tell,” and what better way to learn about these countries than by reading a good novel? To encourage you in that endeavor, I’ve put together a list of some of the greatest books set in these countries—won’t you join me in traveling remotely through these novels? I’ve only read a couple of […]
Read more...