Quite a short and interesting book set in a wealthy family, involving an aunt who returns to haunt a young married woman. The chapters alternate between the protagonist and her teenage daughter. I thought it was just ok rather than really good.

This is a pleasant book which tells the story of a woman at various stages of her life. It is light on detail, almost more of a short story than a novel and it could be set anywhere and virtually anytime. I would prefer to have had the characters more fully drawn.

A strange story about marriage and the roles of women in Bengali society. Somlata marries into a formerly wealthy family existing in reduced circumstances and driven to pawn the family gold to pay for the extravagant display of the wedding. Somlata finds her position difficult to adjust as the family squabbles constantly and her new mother-in-law presses her to make her husband be more productive. Pishima is her great aunt-in-law and dies soon after the wedding but she is far from gone. Instead her ghost urges Somlata to hide a box of gold jewellery so keep it safe from the rapacious family. Somlata hides the gold and is terrorised by the ghost of the former child bride but the pressure inspires her to take the family to task.

It's sometimes amusing but the tone is confusing and I had the constant feeling that I was missing something. I found Pishima's backstory tragic, married at seven and widowed by twelve. The ending undid most of the good work done by the earlier story.

Familial Drama…
Familial drama in this short but sweet tale of three generations of women. A celebration, perhaps, of the power that they hold and the way in which they manage to keep family together despite outside influence and the general chaos that often surrounds them. A tale of life, love and family togetherness.

Fresh, compelling and surprising! A perfect summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

Sorry I found this dull in the extreme. As its written in the first person it was hard to tell if it was the voice or if it was just poorly written but either way it annoyed me more than engaged.
Sorry not for me.

A pleasant book with a story that ambles along but doesn't really go anywhere. I enjoy books set in India so for that reason it was a good read.

This book wasn’t what I expected. Nevertheless it was enjoyable and I found the culturally specific content to be both interesting and educational. I would definitely recommend it.

A fun quirky read. Strong intelligent protagonist. a very heart-warming, enjoyable read. Would definitely pick up another book by this author.

What an absolutely delightful quick read this was! I read this in a weekend and it was delighful!

This book squeezes so many topics within its small size. An aunt dies yet her ghost stays back to haunt her in-laws family for letting her stay a child widow all her life. A patriarchal society dealt with by a poor woman who is wed into a family of Zameendars (Land owners) and so much more in between. Perfect if you want a quick and humorous read.

What a lovely little novel that is full of entertainment. I love exploring Indian cultures so this was the perfect read for me. Full of humour and some tender moments that make you smile. Loved it.

Who wouldn't love this book!? The characters make you feel you are part of their lives, you experience their highs and lows just as you would in your own lives with the hope that the ending would turn out well for them, after all a fairy tale always does doesn't it? Set in wonderful Delhi this is a fabulous book, humorous, poignant and a true reflection of modern life. A great read - highly recommended.

How do you review a book when you have no idea what was going on?

Somlata is a young lower caste girl married into the upper class but destitute Mitras family. the family are so dissolute they don't even consider the possibility of getting a job. Somlata is also terrorised by Pishima, an elderly bitter widow. When Pishima dies suddenly her ghost urges Somlata to hide her jewellery, jewellery that the rest of the family covets. From then on Somlata is haunted by Pishima's ghost which seems to wish ill on the family but perversely it seems to empower Somlata to galvanise her husband into opening a shop.

I liked the write no style, very different to that in a western novella but I have to say I failed to understand the point of the novella, for that reason I split my rating between four for the writing and two for the plot.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I started to enjoy this book and liked the situations the characters found themselves in, but the sudden jump to a chapter about the daughter without explaining who she was and the very sudden ending meant I was left pretty unsatisfied. This could have been excellent if it had been fleshed out a bit more.

My review online on my blog

This is a short and punchy novella set in India which shows the women in an increasing amount of control. Somlata marries into a prestigious Bengali family but soon discovers that her husband (and none of the other men) have any idea of how to live in the current era rather than wallowing in their past glories. None of them work - or would ever consider working - and the whole family lives on the sale of land and gold jewellery (the women's dowries...). When maiden aunt (the family member they all seem to have to obey) Pishima dies she seems to decide to haunt Somlata - although she does reveal the whereabouts of a hidden jewellery box - and, possibly, even become reborn in Somlata's daughter, Boshon. Somlata, meanwhile, sets about using the gold she has been entrusted with to set up a business which will give the family both an income and, more importantly, a work-ethic.

This book shows an interesting development in the lives of women in a traditional society. Pishima, a child bride widowed before she was even a wife, has no power outside the family but controls them through sheer bloody-mindedness and the rumours of her mysterious horde of gold; Somlata, from a less 'worthy' family, is a quiet force of change bringing the family into a much more modern world where entrepreneurism and hard work are more useful than a proud family name. Boshon, finally, is a thoroughly modern girl who is determined to make her own way in the world without the need for a man. This book is short in length but opens up a whole world of thought.

A nice short novel about Bengali women and the family they live with. A young bride married into money yet finds out the family are selling gold and land rather than working to pay their way. Living in a large house with many of the family, atmosphere is taut, when an aunt dies, the ghost is out to cause trouble so, she works hard to encourage her husband to work and earn his own money
A interesting look into the life of others in a different culture.

I loved the writing in this short novel. It was incredibly compelling. I really enjoyed the window into another world and culture that is so different to mine.

This is a book about strong women, particularly the main character, and full of humour that runs throughout the tale.

On the downside I found parts of the tale confusing, as I lost track of who I was reading about in places, but that really was a small negative. I think an appendix explaining some of the Indian terms would really help for the uneducated such as me.

Over all a real gem.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review this novel. I did not get to the end because once again I initially thought I was reading a true account. When I found this not to be the case I gave up, sorry.

I really struggled with this; I thought at first it was just a bad translation, but no, it is simply not sufficiently compelling to want to finish. Which is just as well as it finished so abruptly, I was certain it was only half a book. I didn't like the characters particularly, but neither did I find anything to dislike either. All told not to be recommended.

This book started well and full of promise but was like one of those battery toys when the battery suddenly runs out of charge! Nothing!