Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The novel started out strong but disintegrated completely after the first couple of chapters and neither the characters not the story made any sense to me.

Thanks to Grove Press and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Shalini, a young woman from Bangalore, goes on a journey to a remote mountain village in Kashmir to try and track down a mysterious man from her family's past. Whilst living there, Shalini experiences the past and current impacts of Kashmiri politics and conflict and uncovers the connection these have with her past, and her complex relationship with her deceased mother.

Anyone who looks at my reading history can probably tell that I am a huge fan of South Asian fiction, but Kashmir is an area I know woefully little about other than it looks extremely pretty in Bollywood music videos and a vague knowledge of some historical tensions between Muslims and Hindus so it was interesting to learn more about the area.

Shalini isn't always the easiest character to like. By all accounts she comes from a background of comparative privilege and her actions can be incredibly selfish and frustrating at times, but for all that I felt she was a really believable character. Shalini and the other characters make weak and cowardly choices but in reality, this is often what people do.

It's quite rare to find an author brave enough to make some of the narrative decisions made in this novel, when I finished it I felt like I was in shock. Obviously I can't spoil anything, but it's been a while since I've finished a book and been genuinely taken aback by what I've read and had to lie there for a while just...processing.

The novel is well written on the whole, although the middle section does drag on a tad. It felt a little unbalanced in that sense, not enough to put me off but those who prefer a steadier pace might struggle.
 
It's tricky to go into much detail about this book without spoiling things. It can be bleak at times, but as a lens on human foibles I found it a very satisfying and illuminating read. Not an easy read for the beach by any means, but if you like novels with intense, character driven plots it's definitely worth a look.

Everything a person does has a result; it might not be intended but happens nonetheless. A person inter-relates with other so joint actions have consequences, If the result is hard or expensive to either the contributors or others what is the level of their individual responsibility? Even if they did not intend harm? Even if they did not realise the implications of their behaviour?
How does a person learn to build good relationships with others? With family, friends and community and in new places and situations as life moves on. Is this instinctive, – or something acquired in the family from your earliest years? What if, from lack of role models, you were never taught these skills?
The story of Far Fields is largely the testimony of Shalini. Some chapters will recount her present, part will be her looking back at two key phases of her life – her growing as a child and a phase in her early twenties when her actions will have wide-ranging consequences for others. Early on she lives with her parents – why there is no wider family we are never told directly. Her father earns the living; her mother homebound but “a strong woman” is dissatisfied with her life and probably suffering from unspoken (to the child) mental issues.
A chance visit by a Kasmiri salesman Bashir Amid, leads to a friendship between him, mother and child. Until her mother banishes from the house. He will return four years later in extremis. After a stay with the family of several weeks he will leave and Shalini (by then hostile) will not pass on a last message to her mother. Her mother’s behaviour will becoming increasing extreme and end in her suicide shortly after Shalini leaves college. This will trip an emotional crisis in her too. She will decide to go and seek Bashir out. She is seemingly oblivious to the fact that by going to the Kashmir Mountains she will be stepping into an area of vicious and still evolving civil unrest that involves a military presence, insurgents and “disappearances” that impact on the welfare of the whole community. Is there too much emphasis on the personal in this review, actually it a reflection of Shalini’s perspective.
She is generously welcomed by a number of people as she stumbles around in her ignorance and grief, but as a rich girl in a poor rural community she is a liability even before she trips “trouble” for her new friends. Safely away she then causes more mayhem for Bashir’s family. After, she will ask herself the level of her blame. Is there exemption for someone brought up with lack of core understanding of relationships, is ignorance an excuse?
It is the measure of Vijay’s skill that he can carry the main personal issues so well, melding them with the unfolding tale – much of it told in flashbacks that interweave the telling. The images of Bangalore city and the Kashmir mountains and the life of both are secure and vivid. The emotions of the main characters are visceral and believable. He is an extremely fine story teller. But then add the deeper moral issues coupled with the focus on the complexities of evolving community breakdown to civil war – real, not theoretical. A very fine book indeed, well worth the read. Vijay is on my check list now of writers to look out for more!

The Far Field is a thought-provoking and beautifully written novel which follows a young woman Shalini through a journey of self-discovery. It is a multifaceted, character driven story exploring themes such as relationships, empathy, conflict, grief, privilege, and politics. The story unfolds slowly and transports you to Kashmir, the prose is beautiful and the author depicts the conflict between Hindu and Muslim people with humanity and compassion.
Shalini’s story was unsettling and at times heartbreaking, there were moments where I felt like shouting aloud at her and was frustrated with many of her actions, however, I also felt compelled to continue reading as we follow her journey trying to make sense of the choices she’s made.
I immensely enjoyed this debut novel and definitely look forward to reading more by this author.