Someone Else's Garden (Dipika Rai)

To be honest, I have finished reading it a couple of weeks ago. It's just that my internet connection was, how to put it, "dominated" by someone else.

Right, this book is epic in the sense of flavour. I love reading this book. This is the best attempt I have ever bet on escaping from Reynoldian's spaceworks (I mean works from Alastair Reynolds). It never crossed my mind to pick up a general fiction and gobble it all the way down because sci-fi and fantasy still remains my favourite pick.

All thanks to the Big Bad Wolf book sale. I guess. The general categorization of books only based on Fiction and Non-fiction has tempted me to pick up this Indian-flavoured book just because I cannot bear the look of getting empty handed before returning to the place where I came from (which is about two hours journey home)

Dipika Rai is amazing in her words. She is able to captivate me with all the adjectives and adverbs to depict the rural and sexist life on a tiny part of India. I remembered on one paragraph or phrase that mentions something like "they never knew what month they are born in, they only remember it in colours" such that the colours of the mustard field and other vibrant and vivid colours.

Remarkable.

It is a Cinderella style story but it is dense. Very dense. The love story was very briefly described but painfully ended. I never thought there was a tail trailing behind after the climax. And mind you, the tail was quite long.

If you want a quick read, this book is definitely not for you (and I am never a fan of a super page turner). If you want to sit down, have a cup of Ceylonese tea and relax under a palm tree while reading a book, this IS the book you want.

My heart cried at such beauty, nostalgic and bitter taste of India. I miss it.

Really.

The only one big no-no is the second half of the book is a bit rushed. Maybe it was me getting impatient to see her charming prince or how she tackle her prince (well, there is no real prince as such, I am just 'speaking' metaphorically). Perhaps, that wasn't a no-no, but a yes-yes that the author tempted me to read on and on without stopping.

The conflict is great, I tell you (or reassure you) but I promise you, it is very rewarding in the end.

My heart reaches out to those poor villages in India.

Love you all!

FIVE STARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!