It's hard to believe, but this is my first 5-star book of the year. Phew. A 700+ page epic spanning 7 decades with three generations of incredible characters in South India. Shedding tears over a fictional character is completely valid.
The story starts with Mariamma, who was wed at the age of twelve to a forty-year-old man around 1900. In every generation of her husband's family, there is a pattern of death by drowning. This tragic fate seems to pass down to their children like a curse. Their marriage endured through thick and thin. Mariamma is such a strong main character who becomes a respected matriarch of the family. Throughout this epic emphasis is on strong hierarchies of caste system, colonization and the incredibly diverse culture of India.
Digby Kilgour enlisted in the Indian Medical Services hoping to develop as a surgeon and disembark in India, a different place from Glasgow. There is a lot going on in this story as different characters deal with the intertwining storylines and histories. The way the characters intersected in the story timeline left a strong impression on me. Mariamma jr bears an uncanny resemblance to her grandmother. She began her neurosurgical training and discovered her family-inherited disorder with distressing revelations hidden. In summation, it's a satisfying ending.
🍂 What defines a family isn't blood but the secrets they share.
Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙
*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store