I couldn't help kinda sorta feeling that this book was intentionally crafted to appeal to Sarah Waters fans. But my feeling could be attributed to the fact that I had Waters' 'The Little Stranger' next on my queue, and was impatient to start it.
The Sandalwood Tree isn't as good as Waters - but it's still an enjoyable book; I very much enjoyed the vivid depictions of rural India. However, I felt that the connection between the American woman in India in 1947 and the Victorian lady in the same location in the mid-1800's was a bit forced (the various discoveries of the earlier woman's letters &c became progressively less believable).
I also personally would have preferred more glimpses of events from a local's perspective, rather than only from the foreigners' - it would have made a nice contrast. The focus on the Americans' marital troubles got a bit Lifetime-y at times, and detracted from the more interesting (to me) social issues that were also brought up by the story.
(Oh, just a note - I love the cover. It looks like an ad for a Merchant Ivory movie... it's why I picked it up.)
The Sandalwood Tree isn't as good as Waters - but it's still an enjoyable book; I very much enjoyed the vivid depictions of rural India. However, I felt that the connection between the American woman in India in 1947 and the Victorian lady in the same location in the mid-1800's was a bit forced (the various discoveries of the earlier woman's letters &c became progressively less believable).
I also personally would have preferred more glimpses of events from a local's perspective, rather than only from the foreigners' - it would have made a nice contrast. The focus on the Americans' marital troubles got a bit Lifetime-y at times, and detracted from the more interesting (to me) social issues that were also brought up by the story.
(Oh, just a note - I love the cover. It looks like an ad for a Merchant Ivory movie... it's why I picked it up.)
I love books that take place in foreign lands and this one occurs in India, both in 1947 during partition and 1856-58 during the Sepoy Uprising. The two time periods are united by the occupants of the same bungalow and the journals which are hidden and then found. Yes, there are love stories, but this is not a romance. In fact, you might say it is a mystery within a social studies book written by someone whose writing earns her 5 stars from me.
Two women. Two lives linked by joy. One is born in India and sent to England for her education. The other is born in England and loves books more than people. Their story is told by Evie, who in 1947, is sent to India with her husband, Martin, where he is gathering research for his doctorate in history.
For Evie, the story of Felicity and Adela brings relief from her troubled marriage. For her, the move to India is meant to be a renewal of the love that drew her and Martin together yet the gap seems only to widen. Immersing herself in discovering more about the women who lived in the same cottage in 1856, Evie cannot let this story be and she searches for more than the letters she first found in their kitchen. And, she finds it, bit by bit.
The author paints an incredibly graphic picture of life in India as the British prepare to leave India forever. The people and their lives, the landscape, the climate, the culture and the color are painted with an incredibly amazing palette. It's all pulled together in a seamless whole that I couldn't put aside until I finished it. I so wanted to hellp Evie with her marriage and longed to meet not only her but also Felicity and Adela who lived so many years ago. This is a read that should not be missed. It's a trip this reader cannot forget.
For Evie, the story of Felicity and Adela brings relief from her troubled marriage. For her, the move to India is meant to be a renewal of the love that drew her and Martin together yet the gap seems only to widen. Immersing herself in discovering more about the women who lived in the same cottage in 1856, Evie cannot let this story be and she searches for more than the letters she first found in their kitchen. And, she finds it, bit by bit.
The author paints an incredibly graphic picture of life in India as the British prepare to leave India forever. The people and their lives, the landscape, the climate, the culture and the color are painted with an incredibly amazing palette. It's all pulled together in a seamless whole that I couldn't put aside until I finished it. I so wanted to hellp Evie with her marriage and longed to meet not only her but also Felicity and Adela who lived so many years ago. This is a read that should not be missed. It's a trip this reader cannot forget.
Good book, kept me reading until the end
