The House of Rani Kapur

I loved this book. I started off by being drawn to the cover and then I was drawn into the sites and sounds and smells of India. I have never been to India and probably never will. But I can imagine the heat and the flies and the smell of the rubbish and then to be able to smell the jasmine and all the spices.
This was a book of escapism, not just for the characters but for the reader and that is what books should be about. It was one of those books that just kept me reading.
Harrish Hope and Hope House were appropriately named. There was always hope in every situation. For a fifteen year old Rani carried a lot of baggage with her, how would many have coped after what had happened to her before Harrish found her and took her to his house.
Difficult to review without giving anything away. Just read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.

A fabulous book.
I love any book based in India you settle in the hustle and bustle of the way of life.
Two characters that were fabulous.
The story gets you right at the beginning.

The sights, sounds and smells of India come alive in this easily readable novel by A.K. Karla. The lives of the main characters, their challenges and their struggles, friendships and emotions are beautifully described and identifiable. The goddess Parvati watches over all in the House where life is celebrated.and guided by hope.
This book is a gift for the senses and very recommended.
Thank you NetGalley and Matador Publishing for an ARC of this book for an honest book review.

The House of Rani Kapur is an exotic tale of life in India, described in rich, lush detail. There is a full cast of characters who enter and exit in the life of Rani; all interesting and colorful. Hints of the otherworldly and mystical surround Rani and life at Harish house, although there are contrasts between the glamour and the reality. Rani herself remains distant—maybe that was the author’s intention—but she is loved and admired by everyone around her. Definitely a good read.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

The descriptions in this book totally transport you to the setting of the novel. In India during Partition. I love books that depict a different culture to my own and this was exceptional in that regard. The story of Rani, found as a child raped and orphaned in a filthy ditch, her rescue by Harish Hope and the new course of life she then follows was fascinating, and beautiful. Only her super fast conversion to Christianity was slightly surprising and a little unconvincing. But the story concerning her upbringing in a ‘house of ill repute’ and the portrayal of those both living and visiting there was very revealing and sensitively written. She even managed to make you feel sympathy for what seemed to be the most unlikeable of characters. Recommended.

With such lush descriptions of India, this book places you right into the humble, brutal beginnings of the life of mystical Rani and her experiences first at Harrish House, and onwards through a challenging life. An amazing read! Totally recommended reading!

** spoiler alert ** I wanted to enjoy this book, parts of it I did, but I never was completely drawn in or connected with the main character Rani.

The book is set in India but the main character rarely leaves her home so though we get a sense of the seasons and the general attitudes towards women we don’t get a very large or detailed view of the wider landscape.

Rani is an interesting character but I found her aloof and hard to relate to. I enjoyed her wit at times and that she knew what it was she wanted. I also felt that the book barely acknowledges her attack at the beginning yet at the end we circle back to it for a poignant scene about healing and closure. Where did it come from almost know where else in the book does she greatly reflect on this attack. In many ways I found this book glossed over some of the heavy issues brought up such as Rani’s attack, homeless ness, prejudice against women’s

Further more the plot of going to England with her son to reclaim the family title, greatly intrigued me and I expected to see this play out and to have lots of enjoyable interactions unfold from it, we got one brief glance at the English family but then that was it. Perhaps another book is to follow exploring this journey and i would read that.

I enjoyed some of the side stories with extraneous characters, Sami and his bird, but also felt myself saying why is this here. I found Gopal ominous at first but then just pointless.

Overall I found this book fell flat for me.

Thank you Matador and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

The House of Rani Kapur is an utterly gorgeous novel. The writing is beautiful, the setting is vibrant and the characters are all totally unique. It's difficult to go into too much detail without giving the plot away, but it' definitely worth the read!

I chose this book to read because I am fascinated by other cultures and countries. So one set in India was an obvious choice for me.

I wasn't disappointed. It's an easy read in many ways, and straight away you are in India, experiencing the sights, sounds, smells and culture..

I really like the main character - and near the end was the introduction of another character, who is to be one of the main characters in another of the author's books - which I have waiting to be read. I liked this small thread of continuity and connection between the books.

If you want a book that pulls you in and along the story, and you're interested in learning more about other cultures, this is certainly worth considering.

Read this after reading Mr. Gupta's Hardware Store which was excellent. Enjoyed this immensely. I hope it develops into a TV series. Well developed, interesting characters and an excellent time and place to set the story.

This book follows the story of Rani Kapur, the English Teacher's daughter, who was rescued from a ditch following a vicious gang rape. Her rescuer was Harish Hope, and his servant/lover George.

She was taken to Hope House where the women nursed her back to health. This house was a brothel and Rani is given the choice of earning money to pay for her keep.

We follow her thoughts, her relationships with the people of the house and her new found religion.

I quite enjoyed the story but I found the characters a little two dimensional (or at worst stereotypical) which made me feel removed from them and their experiences.

A pleasant summer read with an element of fairy tale about it.

Great characters in an interesting setting. I like Karla's writing style and imagination, and stayed engaged. I look forward to the author's future work.

I really appreciate the free review copy for review!!