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Faint Promise of Rain
It is 1554 in the desert of Rajasthan, and a new Mughal emperor is expanding his territory. On a rare night of rain, a daughter, Adhira, is born to a family of Hindu temple dancers. Fearing a bleak future, her father—against his wife and sons’ protests—puts his faith in tradition and in his last child for each to save the other: he insists Adhira “marry” the temple deity and give herself to a wealthy patron. But after one terrible evening, she makes a bold choice that carries her family’s story and their dance to a startling new beginning. Told from the perspective of this exquisite dancer and filled with the sounds, sights and flavors of the Indian desert, Faint Promise of Rain is the story of a family and a girl caught between art, duty, and fear in a changing world.
332 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2014
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538 people want to read
About the author
Anjali Mitter Duva
1 book27 followersAnjali Mitter Duva is an Indian-American writer raised in France. She is the author of Faint Promise of Rain, and co-founder of Chhandika, a non-profit organization dedicated to India’s classical dance form called kathak. Anjali was a finalist for a 2018 Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship. She is also a frequent speaker at conferences, libraries, schools and other cultural institutions. Educated at Brown University and MIT, she lives near Boston where she is working on her next book and runs a teen book club and the Arlington Author Salon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
February 21, 2018
The world of 16th century India was admittedly foreign to me before I read Duva's gorgeous novel. That mattered little, however, because she's a master of drawing the reader into the world of her characters, the dance, and the changing area near the citadel of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. I can still picture the places--the temple, the modest home in which Adhira grows up, the desert camps, the market and citadel.
The novel and everything that happens within it center around Adhira, a mystical child who was born into a family of Hindu temple dancers, called devadasi. Ahdira embodies the dance and what it represents, but is also subject to the hard lessons of being tied to a wealthy patron. The book transcends the story of the temple, wrapping the reader in a story of family and how, just as with families today, the relationships between family members are sometimes tenuous, complex and fraught with both love and drama.
It's rare when I read a book that makes me care so deeply about so many characters. Faint Promise of Rain does that for me in spades. I felt Girija's worry and pain, Gandar's blind devotion and the folly of his choices, Hari Dev's struggle and his kind heart, Padmini's sadness and Mahendra's desire and disillusionment. I felt anger when bad things happened to the family, and deep conflict when they acted in ways that only hurt themselves. I wanted them to be loved, to succeed, to be happy. And Ahdira! I felt her magic weaving through me with every word.
These are characters I will remember and think about for many years to come. Duva's debut novel speaks volumes about her talent. I can't wait to read her next book!
The novel and everything that happens within it center around Adhira, a mystical child who was born into a family of Hindu temple dancers, called devadasi. Ahdira embodies the dance and what it represents, but is also subject to the hard lessons of being tied to a wealthy patron. The book transcends the story of the temple, wrapping the reader in a story of family and how, just as with families today, the relationships between family members are sometimes tenuous, complex and fraught with both love and drama.
It's rare when I read a book that makes me care so deeply about so many characters. Faint Promise of Rain does that for me in spades. I felt Girija's worry and pain, Gandar's blind devotion and the folly of his choices, Hari Dev's struggle and his kind heart, Padmini's sadness and Mahendra's desire and disillusionment. I felt anger when bad things happened to the family, and deep conflict when they acted in ways that only hurt themselves. I wanted them to be loved, to succeed, to be happy. And Ahdira! I felt her magic weaving through me with every word.
These are characters I will remember and think about for many years to come. Duva's debut novel speaks volumes about her talent. I can't wait to read her next book!
March 29, 2017
A beautiful story of tradition, love, heartache, betrayal, compassion, redemption and above all - family.
The theme seemed to be about the conflicts that happen when following tradition, while being true to yourself, as well. Each family member was carefully thought out and very well developed. Each had a conflict to solve with great personal growth.
The protagonist was a girl decended from a family of religious dancers. These dancers facilitated worship and reinacted ancient stories about the Hindu gods. At age 10, Adhira became a temple dancer and at age 13, she was required to live at the temple with other dancers and give herself to a wealthy patron. (I thought it was interesting that it was important to keep herself pure, but it was acceptable for an older, wealthy man to pay to have sex with her.)
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator had a lovely, melodic voice. This added to much to the enjoyment of the book and helped me to understand the pronounciation of the Indian names. Since I was not reading a written account, it was hard to keep track of all the characters and the storyline at first without being familiar with the Hindu religion or 16th Century Indian history. Also, I was a little confused which names were male and which were female. However, after I got further into the book and knew the characters, this was not a problem.
I just loved the descriptions, it felt as if I could hear, see and smell everything!
I found "Faint Promise of Rain" to be a very enjoyable and spiritual experience. The book was a little long, but it needed to be that length to convey all that happened to Adhira and every family member.
The theme seemed to be about the conflicts that happen when following tradition, while being true to yourself, as well. Each family member was carefully thought out and very well developed. Each had a conflict to solve with great personal growth.
The protagonist was a girl decended from a family of religious dancers. These dancers facilitated worship and reinacted ancient stories about the Hindu gods. At age 10, Adhira became a temple dancer and at age 13, she was required to live at the temple with other dancers and give herself to a wealthy patron. (I thought it was interesting that it was important to keep herself pure, but it was acceptable for an older, wealthy man to pay to have sex with her.)
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator had a lovely, melodic voice. This added to much to the enjoyment of the book and helped me to understand the pronounciation of the Indian names. Since I was not reading a written account, it was hard to keep track of all the characters and the storyline at first without being familiar with the Hindu religion or 16th Century Indian history. Also, I was a little confused which names were male and which were female. However, after I got further into the book and knew the characters, this was not a problem.
I just loved the descriptions, it felt as if I could hear, see and smell everything!
I found "Faint Promise of Rain" to be a very enjoyable and spiritual experience. The book was a little long, but it needed to be that length to convey all that happened to Adhira and every family member.
September 18, 2018
This is a beautifully written book with an intriguing and original story. The plot is amply available.
I had two concerns. 1) statutory rape is accepted and it is not punished, there are at least 2 instances of this in the book, and 2) domestic violence was too readily accepted while it's shameful. I can hear all the reasons about the time and place but it's disturbing nevertheless.
I'll say this: I'd definitely read other books written by this author.
Two quotes:
Hari Dev knew he should be home by dark. It was not the darkness itself that he worried about, nor the crawling creatures that emerged from the sand, but Bapu's anger and Ma's sadness, one growing louder just as the other grew quieter day by day, as though it were imperative that their combined volume remain constant.
He did, in fact, appear to have become someone else, but it was an act. In this way, my two brothers collided, one trying to save me and to lose himself, one trying to let go of me and to find himself.
I had two concerns. 1) statutory rape is accepted and it is not punished, there are at least 2 instances of this in the book, and 2) domestic violence was too readily accepted while it's shameful. I can hear all the reasons about the time and place but it's disturbing nevertheless.
I'll say this: I'd definitely read other books written by this author.
Two quotes:
Hari Dev knew he should be home by dark. It was not the darkness itself that he worried about, nor the crawling creatures that emerged from the sand, but Bapu's anger and Ma's sadness, one growing louder just as the other grew quieter day by day, as though it were imperative that their combined volume remain constant.
He did, in fact, appear to have become someone else, but it was an act. In this way, my two brothers collided, one trying to save me and to lose himself, one trying to let go of me and to find himself.
March 10, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging historical fiction which takes place in 16th century Rajasthan, a culture in a time period with which I have no familiarity so the author’s ability to comfortably set me in the middle of a desert village in 1554 was commendable. I listened to the audio version, expertly narrated by Meetu Chilana which, I believe, added to my enjoyment of the story. Hearing a native speaker 1) pronounce the foreign names and places and 2) create a non-english Indian language rhythm with an english narration was very engaging.
Through the story we follow the life of Adhira as her very birth, taking place during a rain in the middle of a drought, becomes a sign of blessing. Through her eyes as the beloved youngest child, we experience her world near the fortress city of Jaisalmer during the time of the Moghal Emperor Akbar whose armies are sweeping through India. Here again we have the clash of religion and cultures; Islam vs. Hindu without the gory details.
Much of young Adhira’s family life centers on the Hindu temple as we learn about the duties, life and expectations of devadasis, temple dancers. It becomes apparent that, even as a very young child, she has a natural gift of rhythm and dance. As the temple dance master, her father’s regular presence at the temple allows Adhira to learn the storied dances of Krishna at an early age. She feels called to temple life, not knowing the “dark” side of the devadasi duties and too young to understand the sacrifices the life requires. As a life-long dancer, learning about this dance form was fascinating for me and has prompted additional research and study. As a reader, I was carried along with the tales and could hear the clinking of the bells and musical descriptions that could have, in the hands of a less skilled author, become too involved for westerners like me, who are unfamiliar with these stories. However, the author adeptly relayed the nature of the dance and storyline without making it tedious.
This is an excellent example of why I enjoy historical fiction. Learning about a foreign culture and time period, not through lectures, but through well-researched story telling that makes the reader emotionally involved in the lives of the characters is intensely rewarding. Duva does an expert job of drawing the reader/listener into the world of the devadasis, the Hindu temple dancers. Everything from their colorful costumes, jewelry and dance rhythms to their required commitment to “patrons” for financial support comes to light.
I found the story engaging, the characters well developed and the setting, which was so foreign to what I know, well played. I cared about what happened to these characters and enjoyed the interactions between them. Even now, several weeks after finishing the book, as I read the names of the various characters, I smile with remembrance, as if they are old friends which indeed they became to me. This was a truly engaging reading experience, highly recommended for anyone interested in historical or literary fiction.
The author graciously provided me a copy of this audiobook for review which in no way influenced my opinions of this wonderful debut novel. I look forward to her next work.
Through the story we follow the life of Adhira as her very birth, taking place during a rain in the middle of a drought, becomes a sign of blessing. Through her eyes as the beloved youngest child, we experience her world near the fortress city of Jaisalmer during the time of the Moghal Emperor Akbar whose armies are sweeping through India. Here again we have the clash of religion and cultures; Islam vs. Hindu without the gory details.
Much of young Adhira’s family life centers on the Hindu temple as we learn about the duties, life and expectations of devadasis, temple dancers. It becomes apparent that, even as a very young child, she has a natural gift of rhythm and dance. As the temple dance master, her father’s regular presence at the temple allows Adhira to learn the storied dances of Krishna at an early age. She feels called to temple life, not knowing the “dark” side of the devadasi duties and too young to understand the sacrifices the life requires. As a life-long dancer, learning about this dance form was fascinating for me and has prompted additional research and study. As a reader, I was carried along with the tales and could hear the clinking of the bells and musical descriptions that could have, in the hands of a less skilled author, become too involved for westerners like me, who are unfamiliar with these stories. However, the author adeptly relayed the nature of the dance and storyline without making it tedious.
This is an excellent example of why I enjoy historical fiction. Learning about a foreign culture and time period, not through lectures, but through well-researched story telling that makes the reader emotionally involved in the lives of the characters is intensely rewarding. Duva does an expert job of drawing the reader/listener into the world of the devadasis, the Hindu temple dancers. Everything from their colorful costumes, jewelry and dance rhythms to their required commitment to “patrons” for financial support comes to light.
I found the story engaging, the characters well developed and the setting, which was so foreign to what I know, well played. I cared about what happened to these characters and enjoyed the interactions between them. Even now, several weeks after finishing the book, as I read the names of the various characters, I smile with remembrance, as if they are old friends which indeed they became to me. This was a truly engaging reading experience, highly recommended for anyone interested in historical or literary fiction.
The author graciously provided me a copy of this audiobook for review which in no way influenced my opinions of this wonderful debut novel. I look forward to her next work.
December 28, 2017
This novel was stunning in its elegance. I had no idea what to expect from a novel about 16th century India, but the first sentence absolutely drew me in and the entire story seduced me. Told from the point of view of Adhiri, a Hindu temple dancer, the novel is about her whole family--her father who is a teacher of dance, her mother who is mostly blind, her brother who longs to become a warrior, a second brother who is cast aside because of a limp, her sister who married well but is subject to her husband's temper--and the traditions to which they are bound. With a light touch of magical realism, the novel shows what life was like for women and the lack of options (for men as well!) in those days, yet the novel is hopeful. The issues are both historical and timeless.
I'm the type of person who normally skates over descriptions in a novel, but the writing was so lush and gorgeous, I drank every word in. Few novels have I been able to picture the characters and the settings so well. I knew nothing about the subject before reading it, yet the story flowed and I feel I learned about a part of the world I had never imagined before. A gorgeous novel. Simply gorgeous.
I'm the type of person who normally skates over descriptions in a novel, but the writing was so lush and gorgeous, I drank every word in. Few novels have I been able to picture the characters and the settings so well. I knew nothing about the subject before reading it, yet the story flowed and I feel I learned about a part of the world I had never imagined before. A gorgeous novel. Simply gorgeous.
December 1, 2016
2.5*, rounded down because I just didn't enjoy the reading experience. I did like some things about this book, particularly the descriptions of the dancing and the temple ceremonies, and I appreciated the characters and how they interacted with one another. However, the style of narration was off-putting and could be hard to follow. The main character was meant to be this special snowflake, and that never came through. Overall, I felt that the book promised far more than it delivered.
August 20, 2017
Closer to 3.5 stars out of 5
I'm always interested in reading historical fiction set in places and eras in history that I have little knowledge of. Sixteenth century India definitely falls into that realm of interest. So I picked up Anjali Mitter Duva's FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN with great curiosity and a desire to immerse myself in the deserts of Rajasthan. And for the most part, both were satisfied.
FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN follows Adhira, a girl who's born on a rare night of rain in her desert village. Bearing this auspicious day in mind, her father Gandar, the head of a group of temple dancers, pledges his daughter to the temple deity, and to a life as a devadasi, a temple dancer who gives herself to a wealthy patron but never marries. This decision forever changes not only young Adhira, but also her father and their entire family. And after a shocking and painful tragedy, Adhira and those closest to her set in motion a plan that later allows her to bring her natural gift of dancing to a new audience - and to change her life once again, perhaps for the better this time.
Where FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN excels is the richness of its setting and research. Gosh, could I smell the spices at the local market, see the bright colors of the clothing, sense the air of sultriness and mysticism at the temple. Duva also doesn't shy away from the politics and war threat of the time, setting the story during a time of uncertainty for Rajasthan that augments the tension between the central characters. By the end I felt much more informed of what that area of India might have been like more than 400 years ago. The POV characters are just as fully realized, too. Duva gives all of them desires, vulnerabilities, and internal conflicts that make them incredibly relatable - which is exactly what good historical fiction should do.
The only part about FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN where I felt torn was its writing. At times it's breathtaking, especially with Duva's descriptions of dancing. They're full of movement, yet written in a way that emphasizes the story being told within each dance. But at others, it's overwritten, with the details slowing the story. I also struggled with the multiple points of view occasionally (and the head-hopping between each POV character and Adhira, when Adhira wasn't the POV). Even though they offered an overall picture of how Adhira's life impacted theirs, I would have preferred to have seen several events through Adhira's eyes instead.
Still, FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN is a gorgeously rendered, engaging tale of family and faith, told with the grace and musicality of a dancer. It reminds us about the power of choices, and that the decisions of one person - even those that she makes in her best interests - can affect everyone she loves in unsuspecting ways.
I'm always interested in reading historical fiction set in places and eras in history that I have little knowledge of. Sixteenth century India definitely falls into that realm of interest. So I picked up Anjali Mitter Duva's FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN with great curiosity and a desire to immerse myself in the deserts of Rajasthan. And for the most part, both were satisfied.
FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN follows Adhira, a girl who's born on a rare night of rain in her desert village. Bearing this auspicious day in mind, her father Gandar, the head of a group of temple dancers, pledges his daughter to the temple deity, and to a life as a devadasi, a temple dancer who gives herself to a wealthy patron but never marries. This decision forever changes not only young Adhira, but also her father and their entire family. And after a shocking and painful tragedy, Adhira and those closest to her set in motion a plan that later allows her to bring her natural gift of dancing to a new audience - and to change her life once again, perhaps for the better this time.
Where FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN excels is the richness of its setting and research. Gosh, could I smell the spices at the local market, see the bright colors of the clothing, sense the air of sultriness and mysticism at the temple. Duva also doesn't shy away from the politics and war threat of the time, setting the story during a time of uncertainty for Rajasthan that augments the tension between the central characters. By the end I felt much more informed of what that area of India might have been like more than 400 years ago. The POV characters are just as fully realized, too. Duva gives all of them desires, vulnerabilities, and internal conflicts that make them incredibly relatable - which is exactly what good historical fiction should do.
The only part about FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN where I felt torn was its writing. At times it's breathtaking, especially with Duva's descriptions of dancing. They're full of movement, yet written in a way that emphasizes the story being told within each dance. But at others, it's overwritten, with the details slowing the story. I also struggled with the multiple points of view occasionally (and the head-hopping between each POV character and Adhira, when Adhira wasn't the POV). Even though they offered an overall picture of how Adhira's life impacted theirs, I would have preferred to have seen several events through Adhira's eyes instead.
Still, FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN is a gorgeously rendered, engaging tale of family and faith, told with the grace and musicality of a dancer. It reminds us about the power of choices, and that the decisions of one person - even those that she makes in her best interests - can affect everyone she loves in unsuspecting ways.
March 5, 2018
This was a tough book for me; I know very little about India, Indian culture and the Hindi religion, so much of this book was a muddle for me as I tried to figure out just WHAT the heck was going on.
I really enjoyed the narrator - she did the voices very well and her voice was very lulling [which is why I did not listen when I was tired! LOL]. But the story was....strange and disturbing [when they marry their 9 year old to a deity, I was a bit horrified - and I think that this is due to not understanding the Hindi religion, but that was a huge shocker to me and I really struggled with many aspects of the story because of it]. And the end was very sad and left a lot of unanswered questions for me. Over all, it disappointed me and left me wondering many things.
I really enjoyed the narrator - she did the voices very well and her voice was very lulling [which is why I did not listen when I was tired! LOL]. But the story was....strange and disturbing [when they marry their 9 year old to a deity, I was a bit horrified - and I think that this is due to not understanding the Hindi religion, but that was a huge shocker to me and I really struggled with many aspects of the story because of it]. And the end was very sad and left a lot of unanswered questions for me. Over all, it disappointed me and left me wondering many things.
January 15, 2021
Beautiful descriptions of dance and Hindu traditions that made me want to go online and find videos so I could see the dances for myself. Well written and researched.
Read
February 19, 2016In 1526, Babur the Tiger, the self-proclaimed ruler of Afghanistan, moved south and conquered the northwest section of what was then known as Hindustan. Babur, although accepted as padishah and emperor, never much cared for India, but his descendants flourished there until the British moved in more than three centuries later.
Faint Promise of Rain explores the early part of this transition. Two years before the death of Babur’s son Humayun, a girl child is born to the temple dance master near Jaisalmer, a citadel in present-day Rajasthan. Adhira’s birth is considered auspicious, because it takes place during one of this desert area’s rare rainstorms. To Adhira’s father, the divine blessing placed on his child means that she will finally be the one to carry on the kathak dance tradition that has defined his life. Adhira’s mother worries that no little girl should carry the burden of such great expectations. And Adhira’s older brother Mahendra cannot sustain his own service to the temple in the face of the increasing strength and influence wielded by the armies of Emperor Akbar, Babur’s grandson. Mahendra, although a dancer by instinct and by training, becomes convinced that his duty to protect his family requires him to fight.
Against this backdrop of religious, cultural, and military conflict, Anjali Mitter Duva paints a richly colored, exquisitely detailed picture of a world in flux. At the heart of the painting stands Adhira, who through her love for Krishna and the dance slowly finds a pathway to a future that is all her own.
You can hear Anjali Mitter Duva discuss dance, Indian history, and her debut novel at New Books in Historical Fiction.
Faint Promise of Rain explores the early part of this transition. Two years before the death of Babur’s son Humayun, a girl child is born to the temple dance master near Jaisalmer, a citadel in present-day Rajasthan. Adhira’s birth is considered auspicious, because it takes place during one of this desert area’s rare rainstorms. To Adhira’s father, the divine blessing placed on his child means that she will finally be the one to carry on the kathak dance tradition that has defined his life. Adhira’s mother worries that no little girl should carry the burden of such great expectations. And Adhira’s older brother Mahendra cannot sustain his own service to the temple in the face of the increasing strength and influence wielded by the armies of Emperor Akbar, Babur’s grandson. Mahendra, although a dancer by instinct and by training, becomes convinced that his duty to protect his family requires him to fight.
Against this backdrop of religious, cultural, and military conflict, Anjali Mitter Duva paints a richly colored, exquisitely detailed picture of a world in flux. At the heart of the painting stands Adhira, who through her love for Krishna and the dance slowly finds a pathway to a future that is all her own.
You can hear Anjali Mitter Duva discuss dance, Indian history, and her debut novel at New Books in Historical Fiction.
November 19, 2014
"Faint Promise of Rain" takes place in 16th century India. It is a time of great change in the country with a new ruler coming to power. The story follows Adhira, a young woman born into a family of dancers who tell epic stories and myths through their dances. The exotic setting combined with a fascinating main character makes for a great story.
I loved reading about Adhira and her close knit family. This book shows a lot of the changes that the family goes through as their country is changing around them. I loved reading about how they coped with everything. Adhira's family are all Hindu temple dancers and as Adhira finds out after she is tied to a wealthy patron, their lives are not always their own. I was not really familiar with the lives of these temple dancers before reading this book so I really ate up all of the detail that the author provided.
The description of the time and place that Adhira's family lives in really made this book stand out for me. I love reading about India but I did not know much about the time in which this book takes place. The author provides a lot of great description in a relatively small amount of space that really pulled me into the story! Overall, if you're looking for a good pick for historical fiction lovers, this might fit!
I loved reading about Adhira and her close knit family. This book shows a lot of the changes that the family goes through as their country is changing around them. I loved reading about how they coped with everything. Adhira's family are all Hindu temple dancers and as Adhira finds out after she is tied to a wealthy patron, their lives are not always their own. I was not really familiar with the lives of these temple dancers before reading this book so I really ate up all of the detail that the author provided.
The description of the time and place that Adhira's family lives in really made this book stand out for me. I love reading about India but I did not know much about the time in which this book takes place. The author provides a lot of great description in a relatively small amount of space that really pulled me into the story! Overall, if you're looking for a good pick for historical fiction lovers, this might fit!
January 19, 2015
Faint Promise of Rain is a work of art. This finely embroidered, literary novel brings together a slice of India’s history, the traditions of Hindu temple dance, a poignant family saga and gripping stories of love and loss. It was a book I savored reading slowly, one that pulled me entirely into its exquisite world and taught me reams about Indian history, folklore and religion. I was especially fascinated by the look it gives at the treatment of women and the blurred lines between the sacred and the lurid. A must-read for hopeless romantics, history buffs and all who appreciate fine writing and prose.
January 2, 2015
A very beautiful debut novel. Enjoyed reading about the 16th century Rajasthan. The descriptions on dance intertwined with known mythology left me wondering where this book was leading me and I thoroughly enjoyed the way I sailed through the book. A minor complaint is that the POV was a little confusing in the beginning but I soon got a hang of it. Excitedly waiting to meet with the author soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2018
Duva has written a well-researched and richly-rewarding novel focused largely on one family whose patriarch is the dance master at the local Hindu temple. His goals for his family, resting on a long tradition, clash with the societal and cultural forces surrounding him. The recognition of this clash is revealed slowly through other characters and their actions. The narrator is the youngest daughter of the family, and this choice of an omniscient narrator can be a little confusing because she is quite young throughout the time of the novel.
The characters each seem to come to their own realizations and self awareness naturally thanks to the ways Duva has developed their characters. Her descriptions lead the reader into a world well defined by custom and social stratification that we can picture easily. I would have liked more information about the rajas and their power and less foreshadowing of the characters' future. However, the author's choices fit her very special abilities as a writer very well.
The characters each seem to come to their own realizations and self awareness naturally thanks to the ways Duva has developed their characters. Her descriptions lead the reader into a world well defined by custom and social stratification that we can picture easily. I would have liked more information about the rajas and their power and less foreshadowing of the characters' future. However, the author's choices fit her very special abilities as a writer very well.
February 10, 2020
I found the beginning of this book a little hard to follow. The author created a device whereby the baby born early in this story has the ability to go into other people's memories later on. This was the only part of the book that didn't work for me and it didn't really develop into anything other than giving the author an unusual way to narrate the book but mostly in the beginning. This conceit felt dropped as the story progressed - thankfully! The rest of the book was really well done and is a story about how women help each other in the midst of a male dominated society - mainly a Hindu society from the middle ages. I really enjoyed learning so much about Hindu religious practices and how things began to change with a bigger Muslim presence in the area.
October 29, 2016
I drank in every word of this book. Anjali does a fine job of interpreting the cultural and religious aspects of the novel for the modern American reader, so that 16th century India doesn't seem that far away. She creates a beautiful world for us, but one in which a difficult fate may trap her main character. I particularly loved the way she wove the spell of that young woman's experience of her faith -- something that is often done clumsily. The poetry of the book is scintillating. And if you ever listen to an audio book, this is the one!
May 15, 2017
I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very descriptive novel, and the descriptions are very good. Dances, ceremonies and character interaction is described beautifully. The dichotomy of who you want to be and who you are expected to be is examined as the main plot of the novel and it is beautiful.
However, the writing style was rather hard, making it a bit difficult to listen to and to follow. I lost my place a few times and needed to go back and catch up.
This was a very descriptive novel, and the descriptions are very good. Dances, ceremonies and character interaction is described beautifully. The dichotomy of who you want to be and who you are expected to be is examined as the main plot of the novel and it is beautiful.
However, the writing style was rather hard, making it a bit difficult to listen to and to follow. I lost my place a few times and needed to go back and catch up.
January 24, 2021
Set in 16th century India, Adhira and her family's lives revolve around dance and the temple of Lord Krishna. The storytelling is engaging and the Hindu stories and dances added an element of richness.
This book is all about choices Adhira and her family can or cannot make, and the consequences of those choices.
"At that moment, it was worth it to him to venture beyond his limits if it meant finding a world in which people could be something different."
Warnings for discussion of sexual assault and rape.
This book is all about choices Adhira and her family can or cannot make, and the consequences of those choices.
"At that moment, it was worth it to him to venture beyond his limits if it meant finding a world in which people could be something different."
Warnings for discussion of sexual assault and rape.
July 16, 2017
This story was different than anything I had ever read! The dancing passionately for a God was unusual and caused me to look up some similar dances on the internet. I couldn't seem to figure out how to communicate an entire story through a dance. But somehow they did! I was sorry that these women dancers had to succumb to forced marshes and liaisons. I'm thankful for how far our world has come. The brother was an incredible character and one of my favorites!
October 3, 2017
Wonderful and lush with landscapes and lore. I can still feel the sand and hear the characters' whispers. Faint Promise of Rain was a wonderful piece of historical fiction that will take you back to the days of Indian royalty - but instead of hearing what the kings and queens do, you get to live through the eyes of the people who serve the times in different ways - dancers, warriors, priests, and medicine men.
October 11, 2017
I found this book difficult to get into at first. In fact I left it aside for quite some time before returning to it. I'm glad I did because as I continued I realized what a beautiful story it was. You empathized with the characters and felt saddened by the lives the Devadasis were forced into living.
October 13, 2017
This was a beautiful story, that tells a lot of truth about families, the confines of expectations, and the curves that life will throw at both. The setting was wonderfully evoked, and the subject of the devadasis and their sacred dance was completely new to me. I learned a lot about sixteenth century India, but also felt that it was universal in its truths about the human condition.
February 7, 2021
What a wonderful book! This was a world that I knew nothing about and yet I felt invested in the characters and could imagine it all so vividly. It would be a great read at any time, but during COVID this escape was especially welcome. I hope to read more by this author soon!
August 11, 2017
Adhira's family's story made the narrative of the history of the Rajasthan region interesting.
October 22, 2025
Beautiful story of despair, resilience and spirit. From quite resistance to reluctant defiance, beautifully threaded in mythology, faith and lots of dance.
Worth reading.
Worth reading.
January 12, 2017
Beautifully written. I knew nothing about the subject, but I was fascinated by the story.
November 20, 2016
This is a luminous journey into a long-ago time, faraway place, & little-known vocation I was fascinated to learn about. Congratulations to Anjali Mitter Duva for leaping -- bravely & lovingly -- into the 16th-century Rajasthan dance world, & also to SheWrites Press for publishing this unique story. It's quite an achievement to paint a convincing picture of a scene so thoroughly foreign to the 21st-century West. The Indian desert, temple buildings, & characters' homes all emerge into sensuous 3-D plausibility. Especially poignant are the transitory aspects: the sacred dance tradition to which the narrator's father has given his life & family is is a world -- sites, people, values -- is about to pass into history. With a new ruler, political & social changes filter out from the capital, & the main characters can see their long-held assumptions about their lives eroding. Duva adeptly brings out the parallels with our own cultural dissolution in the 21st-century: we can't help feeling for these people.
Yet I never felt completely enveloped by Duva's Rajasthan. Partly that's my own unfamiliarity with the area & its customs; partly it's her choice to give her narrator a sort of second sight which lets her write in the first person while jumping from one character's point of view to another -- to me, not quite believable. Also, although there's plenty of conflict & incident, the dramatic arc isn't as strong or the dynamics as varied as I'd have expected (& wished).
I enjoyed this book, & I recommend it.
Yet I never felt completely enveloped by Duva's Rajasthan. Partly that's my own unfamiliarity with the area & its customs; partly it's her choice to give her narrator a sort of second sight which lets her write in the first person while jumping from one character's point of view to another -- to me, not quite believable. Also, although there's plenty of conflict & incident, the dramatic arc isn't as strong or the dynamics as varied as I'd have expected (& wished).
I enjoyed this book, & I recommend it.
February 10, 2017
I couldn't stop reading this book. The tale of a 16th century temple dancer and her family is told from multiple points of view, always centred around Adhira herself, because she can access their emotions. The dance art itself is almost a character in the book, there are quite detailed descriptions of what is being expressed in the dances. Although it is a thread running through this family, some of them renounce it, and their duty, as long-held traditions change and are broken.
February 16, 2017
Compelling characters and a 16th C story that resonates with chaos and governmental change of 2017
February 7, 2017
Appealing story of Temple Dancer
This historical novel of the Hindu family of a Temple Dancer in India captured and held my interest from beginning to end. It was full of emotion, insight, magic and illusion. I look forward to more from this author. Her wording is like the dance she describes.
This historical novel of the Hindu family of a Temple Dancer in India captured and held my interest from beginning to end. It was full of emotion, insight, magic and illusion. I look forward to more from this author. Her wording is like the dance she describes.
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