This review was a long time coming. I read the book in December, but Christmas and then a bout of Covid made me put aside writing the review till now. In fact I wanted to read the book as soon as it came out, but for some reason put off buying it. It however kept showing up on my feed as a recommended book from an author I follow and I kept being intrigued by the blurb, till I finally gave in and downloaded it.
Blurb:
“Find your father.” That was her mother’s dying wish. Despite her grief, twenty-two-year-old Maya sets out on a quest that takes her from sunny California to the busy, smoggy streets of Kolkata, India, to unfold events that took place six decades ago.
In 1940s pre-independent India, Chandana is a scrappy teenager brought up by the kindness of her relatives. Amid a country dominated by foreign rule and a budding revolution, she must abandon the simple pleasures of childhood with her best friend Saira, picking up odd jobs to supplement her family’s meager income.
Courageous and driven, Joyoti cares only about two things: food for her family and freedom for her country. Spying on the British Commandant while working as a hostess allows her to fulfill both her needs. But the famine ravaging Bengal and her ill-fated attraction to a British Captain force her to walk a dangerous path.
Spanning 1940s India and 2000s California, Joyoti is a saga about three headstrong women whose lives intertwine through loyalty, love, and sacrifice.
My review:
When Sunanda J. Chatterjee comes out with a new book I buy it without a second thought, because I know it will be good. But even then, ever so often she manages to surprise me with her stories. Joyoti is one of those stories.
This is raw and real and gripping. As the blurb says, its a story that moves through time, from pre-independent India to modern day California. The story weaves between these two periods of time, throughout the book, but it is so seamless that you don’t feel any threshold between the eras.
Joyoti is so real. She is not a perfect heroine. She has her vulnerabilities and yet she is strong. She is woman! Though I did read the book in one sitting, (or rather lying down), there were times when I just had to come up for air, because I was so engrossed in the story and so deeply enmeshed in the emotions, that I had to take a breather.
This book is not romance, nor is it a thriller. It is …. a story! A story superbly told.
I really wish I could take a look into the author’s brain and find out how she comes up with all these fantastic plots for her stories.
Do put it on your TBR list for this year. I promise you will not be disappointed.
I haven’t heard of Sunanda Chatterjee, but this book does sound very interesting! I think I will look it up soon!
She writes very well. The first book I read of hers was “Fighting for Tara”. I was blown away by the plot.
You know it’s a good book when you forget to breathe…
Or to eat. Or take bio breaks. And best of all is when a book you read while ill can transport you into a world where you are not ill at all, and you are so engrossed in the story that you can manage to forget your misery for a little while and enjoy reading.
I’m glad this book did that for you, Sunita. I’m glad you’re feeling better, now, and I hope that COVID didn’t hang around with any long-term symptoms.
Thanks Holly. The book sure did help. The covid symptoms were much milder this time, so that was good.