Leia C

I have enjoyed the story of Patsy and her young daughter Tru. The book gives another view of the reasons for immigration to the U. S. And the unrealistic expectationsof how their lives will be better in America.

It reminded me of The Leavers by Lydia Ko, which I read about a year ago. Both books show the underground economy in all it's ugliness. They can both serve as eye openers to anyone willing to see the truth of it.

Overall the characters are well drawn and I came to care about them. The themes of motherhood, sexuality, mental illness and racism are difficult subjects to read about at times in this book and may be uncomfortable subject matter to some readers. I would be cautious with my recommendation of the book to friends.

I did enjoy seeing Patsy become a more mature and realistic woman working for a better life.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the need for education of women in modern day India. It is a grim story about real life poverty and the class distinctions that guide so many lives.

The young girls and their families are very engaging and talented in their different ways. It helped to have the list of the girls and their family relations at the beginning of the book to refer to.

It reminded me a bit of "The Fruit of the Drunken Tree" by Ingrid Contreras. That story had a major character trying to provide for her family while living in the slums of Bogota, Columbia.

I enjoyed the book and will be on the lookout for similar stories.

I did not expect to be so entranced by this book. The variety of characters and the exotic setting, 1930's Malaya, was a positive aspect for me.

Books that draw me in to an unknown time and place are high on my list for readability.
The young orphaned Malay houseboy stole my heart immediately and I was impressed with the writer's ability to draw the disparate characters together by the end of the book.

The mystery aspect of the novel was intriguing and kept me involved until the very end.

I will probably recommend this book to others as unexpectedly good.

I enjoyed the overall story of this Middle Eastern family as they dealt with the impact of war on their lives over 50 years. I am a fan of these types of stories and also enjoy immigrant stories as well.
The family tree in the front was helpful in keeping track and I liked the author’s use of the individual’s stories to show time passing.
It is a book that I will pass along to other family members that I feel will enjoy it as well.