East of the Sun

It is the late 1920s. Three young English women meet on a P&O liner taking them to Bombay. Viva is short of funds and has been hired to act as companion/chaperone to the other two – Rose and Victoria (Tor) - and also a challenging schoolboy, Guy. Rose is going to India to be married and Tor is her best friend and bridesmaid.

Viva appears to be strong and capable, giving the impression of being knowledgeable about India, but she feels a fraud as she left there as a child and still carries the scars of rootlessness, abandonment and trauma following the deaths of her closest family members. She finds it difficult to open up to the others and the man who loves her.

Rose desperately misses her own family and contemplates what might have been a rash decision in agreeing to marry Jack, an officer in the Indian Army, and a man she hardly knows.

Tor is vivacious yet suffers from self-image problems after years of put-downs from her mother and disappointments in love. She is determined to enjoy life on her own terms and find someone who will care about her in spite of her perceived faults.

Guy clearly suffers from mental health issues and will become a major fly in the plot’s ointment.

The descriptions of India are excellent and all the characters are faithful representatives of their era, i.e. the closing years of the British Raj. After the frivolous “jolly hockey-sticks” attitude to life on board the ship, each woman must face often harsh realities as they come to terms with the decisions they make.

Among the supporting characters are interesting examples of those who arrogantly looked down on Indians or, conversely, tried to assimilate or bring Western style improvements and education to a not always appreciative community. 

The novel is rather long and does tend to ramble but, like India itself, it has depths, contradictions and mysteries so is overall a satisfying read.

Three-and-a-half stars

(This was another book drawn at random from my towering TBR pile and not a recent title being published 2008. Print copies may be available second-hand. It seems to have had many different editions and covers too.)

Audio and Kindle versions available via amazon.

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com




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