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Flame Tree Road
From the acclaimed author of Teatime for the Firefly comes the story of a man with dreams of changing the world, who finds himself changed by love
1870s India. In a tiny village where society is ruled by a caste system and women are defined solely by marriage, young Biren Roy dreams of forging a new destiny. When his mother suffers the fate of widowhood—shunned by her loved ones and forced to live in solitary penance—Biren devotes his life to effecting change.
Biren's passionate spirit blossoms as wildly as the blazing flame trees of his homeland. With a law degree, he goes to work for the government to pioneer academic equality for girls. But in a place governed by age-old conventions, progress comes at a price, and soon Biren becomes a stranger among his own countrymen.
Just when his vision for the future begins to look hopeless, he meets Maya, the independent-minded daughter of a local educator, and his soul is reignited. It is in her love that Biren finally finds his home, and in her heart that he finds the hope for a new world.
1870s India. In a tiny village where society is ruled by a caste system and women are defined solely by marriage, young Biren Roy dreams of forging a new destiny. When his mother suffers the fate of widowhood—shunned by her loved ones and forced to live in solitary penance—Biren devotes his life to effecting change.
Biren's passionate spirit blossoms as wildly as the blazing flame trees of his homeland. With a law degree, he goes to work for the government to pioneer academic equality for girls. But in a place governed by age-old conventions, progress comes at a price, and soon Biren becomes a stranger among his own countrymen.
Just when his vision for the future begins to look hopeless, he meets Maya, the independent-minded daughter of a local educator, and his soul is reignited. It is in her love that Biren finally finds his home, and in her heart that he finds the hope for a new world.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2015
202 people are currently reading
1576 people want to read
About the author
Shona Patel
5 books119 followersShona Patel, the daughter of an Assam tea planter, drew upon her personal observations and experiences to create the vivid characters and setting for her critically acclaimed debut novel TEATIME FOR THE FIREFLY. Her second novel FLAME TREE ROAD was published in June 2015. An honors graduate in English literature from St. Xavier's College (Calcutta University) Ms. Patel has won several awards for creative writing and is a trained graphic designer.
Please visit her blog at www.shonapatel.com
Please visit her blog at www.shonapatel.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
October 4, 2015
What the heck! It started out so good....but that ending. SO bizarre. This book was so enjoyable til halfway or even almost two-thirds of the way through, and then it really goes downhill fast. Multiple narrative mistakes and, frankly, a very unenjoyable ending for the main character & his family. Nitin becomes a completely irrelevant character; Estelle gets SO much "screen time" as a character but Maya, in contrast, gets hardly any emotional depth; and even the mother just fades more and more out of the storyline and her situation is never resolved. I expected more to be done for the widows by the end of the book, since that was the driving motivation for the main character. By the time he actually accomplishes anything (builds the school for girls), it gets hardly any treatment and then quickly gets passed from the MC into others' hands anyway, as if it isn't the whole point and purpose of his life.
Really didn't like the author's choices of tragedy--the death of Maya I understood, but the rest with his daughter and in-laws was too much. I felt like this novel started out in one place and lost its footing halfway through; it reads as if someone else grabbed the book in unfinished form and tacked on their own ending to it. Even in tone, style, and emotional depth, it just isn't the same as it is in the beginning, and what started out a strong story premise fails to deliver in its resolution.
Really didn't like the author's choices of tragedy--the death of Maya I understood, but the rest with his daughter and in-laws was too much. I felt like this novel started out in one place and lost its footing halfway through; it reads as if someone else grabbed the book in unfinished form and tacked on their own ending to it. Even in tone, style, and emotional depth, it just isn't the same as it is in the beginning, and what started out a strong story premise fails to deliver in its resolution.
May 14, 2015
In her debut, Tea Time for the Firefly, Shona Patel touched on the plight of widows in India of the last century. In the second, Flame Tree Road, she takes that topic a step further and makes their welfare the spur that motivates her protagonist, Biren Roy, to get a top-notch British education, and become a lawyer. Early on, Biren sees first-hand what befalls those unfortunate women who become widowed and are cast aside, particularly in the character of Charulata, widowed at just thirteen: how she loses her place and voice and is shunted to the outskirts of Indian society, becoming almost a ghost. His own mother, when widowed, can no longer visit her best friend, can no longer eat with the family, no longer cook for her sons, or enjoy the same foods, and is forced to live in a shed, with little contact with her small sons.
The initial setting for Flame Tree Road is rural; villages, teashops and waterways make up the locale where the first part of the story unfolds. The flavor and pace are an immersion in 19th century rural India’s color and atmosphere. We meet the men who ply the rivers and streams, making their scant livings moving supplies and people—earthy locals, Dadu, Chickpea and Kanai, who gather at teashops to smoke bidis and bemoan their lack of sons, and the burden and expense of useless daughters.
“I have three daughters!” grumbled Dadu. “I had to sell my cow to get the last one married off. Marrying off daughters will pick you clean, like a crow to a fishbone.”
Patel lulls the reader with charming scenery and characters who are filled with good intent toward each other, and which belie the violence and betrayals of the story’s end.
Educated first, at Saint John’s Mission, a Catholic school for boys, Biren receives the broad education that separates him from the superstitions, outdated beliefs, and narrow expectations of his childhood country environment.
“There were twelve new students in Biren’s class, aged eight to ten. None of them had ever lived away from home and they all had the same look of terrified kittens abandoned under a bridge.”
“Back in the village, he would never have had the opportunity to learn leatherwork, carpentry, or metallurgy, as they were the occupations of the lower castes.”
“Performing simple physical tasks gave him a powerful sense of joy that was no different, really, from singing a powerful hymn in church. It would only be many years later, after studying the Bhagawad Gita, that Biren would learn that he had accidentally stumbled upon the spiritual principal of Karma yoga.”
Biren travels next to England, to attend Cambridge, where he hopes to “study law, and effect change from the inside”. There he meets Estelle, a young woman pressing the barriers of female equality by wearing pants, riding a bicycle, and secretly attending lectures dressed as a man. One of several great love stories embedded in the novel, the depiction of the relationship that develops between these two characters is subtle and skillfully written on an emotionally honest level.
Back in India, Biren searches for and finds a job with the British government, where he quickly learns he will be expected to be the middle-man between the British, and those he grew up knowing. All this puts him at odds with the locals, and leads to considerable stress and disillusionment. The British are depicted as both benefactors, and at times, totally clueless (as no doubt they often were, in this ancient society, with its invisible (to them) layers and incomprehensible customs). This is done well, with an even-handed, God’s eye view, enabling the reader to see and sympathize with all sides.
Patel administers an eye-watering and subversive poke-in-the-eye at blind adherence to religious form and traditional observance in the somewhat rushed ending. It would have been interesting to see this developed further. I suspect the publisher (Mira, a division of Harlequin) of maybe being not much interested in seeing its authors take the time (or word count) to write about such issues, a result of this current environment, no doubt, where commerce drives art. Patel’s work displays both the insight, and the skill, to handle deep topics. It’s a pity that authors of novels which are to be read by women are perhaps not encouraged to delve too deeply into important subjects, and ironic, as well, given that the main theme of this one is women’s suffrage. One has to ask: why is an author like Khaled Hosseini, who writes about his native Afghanistan and whose themes center on family, given reviews by the likes of the Washington Post, and The Guardian, and granted years (five, to be specific) to write his novels? His work is no more (or less) important than Patel’s. Could it be because he is a man? Do we take the writing of men more seriously?
The end of Flame Tree Road, though rushed feeling, was nevertheless interesting – there is some ambiguity about an important character’s demise, one that left me wondering if a murder hadn’t been committed. I would have liked to know more about all these characters. The end left me with questions.
But, that kind of echoes real life, where tragedy and loss so often occur unexpectedly, and like Biren Roy, we are left with few explanations, and nothing but the determination to pick ourselves up and continue on.
Steeped in history, and told in a mix of narrative, diary entries, and correspondence, Flame Tree Road covers the decades between 1871 and 1950, though most of the action takes place in the 19th century. 393 pages.
I highly recommend it to lovers of history, India, and good yarns.
The initial setting for Flame Tree Road is rural; villages, teashops and waterways make up the locale where the first part of the story unfolds. The flavor and pace are an immersion in 19th century rural India’s color and atmosphere. We meet the men who ply the rivers and streams, making their scant livings moving supplies and people—earthy locals, Dadu, Chickpea and Kanai, who gather at teashops to smoke bidis and bemoan their lack of sons, and the burden and expense of useless daughters.
“I have three daughters!” grumbled Dadu. “I had to sell my cow to get the last one married off. Marrying off daughters will pick you clean, like a crow to a fishbone.”
Patel lulls the reader with charming scenery and characters who are filled with good intent toward each other, and which belie the violence and betrayals of the story’s end.
Educated first, at Saint John’s Mission, a Catholic school for boys, Biren receives the broad education that separates him from the superstitions, outdated beliefs, and narrow expectations of his childhood country environment.
“There were twelve new students in Biren’s class, aged eight to ten. None of them had ever lived away from home and they all had the same look of terrified kittens abandoned under a bridge.”
“Back in the village, he would never have had the opportunity to learn leatherwork, carpentry, or metallurgy, as they were the occupations of the lower castes.”
“Performing simple physical tasks gave him a powerful sense of joy that was no different, really, from singing a powerful hymn in church. It would only be many years later, after studying the Bhagawad Gita, that Biren would learn that he had accidentally stumbled upon the spiritual principal of Karma yoga.”
Biren travels next to England, to attend Cambridge, where he hopes to “study law, and effect change from the inside”. There he meets Estelle, a young woman pressing the barriers of female equality by wearing pants, riding a bicycle, and secretly attending lectures dressed as a man. One of several great love stories embedded in the novel, the depiction of the relationship that develops between these two characters is subtle and skillfully written on an emotionally honest level.
Back in India, Biren searches for and finds a job with the British government, where he quickly learns he will be expected to be the middle-man between the British, and those he grew up knowing. All this puts him at odds with the locals, and leads to considerable stress and disillusionment. The British are depicted as both benefactors, and at times, totally clueless (as no doubt they often were, in this ancient society, with its invisible (to them) layers and incomprehensible customs). This is done well, with an even-handed, God’s eye view, enabling the reader to see and sympathize with all sides.
Patel administers an eye-watering and subversive poke-in-the-eye at blind adherence to religious form and traditional observance in the somewhat rushed ending. It would have been interesting to see this developed further. I suspect the publisher (Mira, a division of Harlequin) of maybe being not much interested in seeing its authors take the time (or word count) to write about such issues, a result of this current environment, no doubt, where commerce drives art. Patel’s work displays both the insight, and the skill, to handle deep topics. It’s a pity that authors of novels which are to be read by women are perhaps not encouraged to delve too deeply into important subjects, and ironic, as well, given that the main theme of this one is women’s suffrage. One has to ask: why is an author like Khaled Hosseini, who writes about his native Afghanistan and whose themes center on family, given reviews by the likes of the Washington Post, and The Guardian, and granted years (five, to be specific) to write his novels? His work is no more (or less) important than Patel’s. Could it be because he is a man? Do we take the writing of men more seriously?
The end of Flame Tree Road, though rushed feeling, was nevertheless interesting – there is some ambiguity about an important character’s demise, one that left me wondering if a murder hadn’t been committed. I would have liked to know more about all these characters. The end left me with questions.
But, that kind of echoes real life, where tragedy and loss so often occur unexpectedly, and like Biren Roy, we are left with few explanations, and nothing but the determination to pick ourselves up and continue on.
Steeped in history, and told in a mix of narrative, diary entries, and correspondence, Flame Tree Road covers the decades between 1871 and 1950, though most of the action takes place in the 19th century. 393 pages.
I highly recommend it to lovers of history, India, and good yarns.
July 9, 2015
India, the caste system, no rights for women except through marriage.
FLAME TREE ROAD addresses these issues that were prevalent in India during the 1800's.
Biren Roy is the main character. His father died at a young age, and his mother, like all Indian widows, became an outcast once their husbands were gone. Biren's mother's plight and the plight of all Indian widows gave Biren his drive to fight for equality for women in all respects - not only marriage.
Biren warmed my heart because of his goodness and his passion to help the women of India. Biren luckily was sent to an English school in India, gained entrance to a college in London where he earned his law degree, and then returned to India to achieve his goal.
We follow Biren, his family, and his career throughout the book. Biren married, and the beauty and passion of his respect for his marriage and his wife oozed through the pages.
FLAME TREE ROAD is a book that will hold your interest because of the mesmerizing aspect of India and Biren's passion for helping the women of India.
Ms. Patel's writing is beautiful with wonderful detail. Her writing flows and takes you with it.
ENJOY the depth of this book if you read it. FLAME TREE ROAD is filled with passion, love, and pain, and is a marvelous read even though it isn't always uplifting.
Ms. Patel described the lives, inequality, and caste system in India. I found the customs and culture of India extremely interesting especially the marriage proposal procedure. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
April 25, 2018
(2.5 stars) In an interview with Shona Patel, she confesses to an almost excessive amount of researching before beginning her writing. And this is obvious to the reader in all the big and small details of late 1800s and early 1900s India to be enjoyed in this book. The flora and fauna, the caste system, with communities of fishermen, weavers, potters, outcasts such as the water gypsies, family dynamics, the plight of Indian women, especially widows, the relationship of native Indians with the European colonists, engagement and marriage customs, burial rituals, etc. All this and more is a stunning kaleidoscopic look at an ever fascinating country.
As the prequel to TEATIME FOR THE FIREFLY, this story focuses on the early years of Biren Roy, who was grandfather Dadamoshai in that book which takes place in 1940s India on a colonial British tea plantation of Assam, just before India's independence from colonial rule. So in FLAME TREE ROAD, the story begins with the marriage of Biren's parents, his birth in 1872 in Sylbet, Bengal, his family life, disrupted by tragedy, his years as a student both in Calcutta and in Cambridge, England and his subsequent return to India with his law degree.
The strength of Patel's book is the lyrical ode to India. The weakness of it, IMO, is Biren Roy. Supposedly he chooses to study law because he is inspired by a desire to champion women, especially widows, who become nonentities to be shunned after the deaths of their husbands. So we follow his years in England, his friendship with a British suffragette there and interesting parallels are drawn to women's struggles even in England, which should be considered the more progressive of the two countries.
But then Biren returns home and, well, I don't see him doing all that much to promote women's causes. Yes, he wants to start up a school for Indian women but that is barely touched on. And I see him doing nothing for widows' rights. Not to mention that Biren himself is not, IMO, a particularly appealing protagonist. Throughout his life I see him as too reserved, too weak and much too passive. Things happen to him. He doesn't ever make things happen.
I also found the plot development towards the end to be too "fast-forward". The years from 1904 to 1950 take up only the last 70 pages of a 396-page book which begins in 1871. That made things too sketchy, too underdeveloped. Perhaps it's because of this rapid movement of time that the author did not satisfactorily develop Biren's relationship with and care for his wife and his daughter. And then all of a sudden, on the last two pages of the book, a character we haven't seen or heard from since the early 1900s shows up as an important part of Biren's life in 1950. What? How did that happen? There were no hints prior to those last pages. Perhaps one needed to have read TEATIME to fill in the gaps here. I haven't so I was left with a big question mark.
Bottom line: India is a beautiful character here. Biren Roy not so much.
As the prequel to TEATIME FOR THE FIREFLY, this story focuses on the early years of Biren Roy, who was grandfather Dadamoshai in that book which takes place in 1940s India on a colonial British tea plantation of Assam, just before India's independence from colonial rule. So in FLAME TREE ROAD, the story begins with the marriage of Biren's parents, his birth in 1872 in Sylbet, Bengal, his family life, disrupted by tragedy, his years as a student both in Calcutta and in Cambridge, England and his subsequent return to India with his law degree.
The strength of Patel's book is the lyrical ode to India. The weakness of it, IMO, is Biren Roy. Supposedly he chooses to study law because he is inspired by a desire to champion women, especially widows, who become nonentities to be shunned after the deaths of their husbands. So we follow his years in England, his friendship with a British suffragette there and interesting parallels are drawn to women's struggles even in England, which should be considered the more progressive of the two countries.
But then Biren returns home and, well, I don't see him doing all that much to promote women's causes. Yes, he wants to start up a school for Indian women but that is barely touched on. And I see him doing nothing for widows' rights. Not to mention that Biren himself is not, IMO, a particularly appealing protagonist. Throughout his life I see him as too reserved, too weak and much too passive. Things happen to him. He doesn't ever make things happen.
I also found the plot development towards the end to be too "fast-forward". The years from 1904 to 1950 take up only the last 70 pages of a 396-page book which begins in 1871. That made things too sketchy, too underdeveloped. Perhaps it's because of this rapid movement of time that the author did not satisfactorily develop Biren's relationship with and care for his wife and his daughter. And then all of a sudden, on the last two pages of the book, a character we haven't seen or heard from since the early 1900s shows up as an important part of Biren's life in 1950. What? How did that happen? There were no hints prior to those last pages. Perhaps one needed to have read TEATIME to fill in the gaps here. I haven't so I was left with a big question mark.
Bottom line: India is a beautiful character here. Biren Roy not so much.
March 16, 2018
3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
August 15, 2015
See the full review at www.luxuryreading.com.
I was absolutely blown away by Shona Patel’s debut novel, Teatime for the Firefly, when I read it a few years ago and haven’t been able to forget her intelligent and independent heroine, Layla Roy, or Layla’s determination to chart her own life in an Indian culture based on strict traditions and expectations. The author’s use of language and imagery completely transported me to the beautiful yet savage environment of the Assam tea plantations and brought a world to life that I had never seen before. At the beginning of that novel we meet Layla’s kind and free-thinking grandfather, a man that raised Layla to be just as educated and self-possessed as any man. At a time when this way of thinking is nearly unheard of, Biren Roy has become a well-respected man known for his unwavering support of equality for the women of India, especially involving education. But how did he become this man? Flame Tree Road is Biren’s story of love, heartache and a passion born from tragedy that is just as beautiful as its predecessor.
Flame Tree Road begins in a small village in 1870s India with Biren’s family living a relatively poor yet loving and happy life. His parents have never been supporters of the country’s traditions that support cruel treatment and inequality towards women and Biren grows up dreaming of a different world. When his father dies and his mother is ostracized from everyone, including her family, and stripped from her position in society and her very humanity simply because she is a widow, smart and sensitive Biren knows his purpose in life must be to change these antiquated customs and ensure that the women of India can have a life of their own and the education they deserve regardless of their caste, their money or their marriage status.
The bulk of the novel deals with Biren’s journey to have his dream of equality and education for women realized. This takes him to England, where he becomes a lawyer and seeks to make changes within the British government that now rules over India, then back to India where he works to make sure those changes can become a reality. I hate to say it but I found Biren’s journey slow moving and, at times, tiresome. As would be expected, there are a lot of political and societal issues and delays that make this passion of Biren’s difficult to bring to fruition. While this helps highlight for the reader the odd traditions and superstitions of old-world India (to our modern eyes at least), after a while I became as frustrated as Biren clearly was at the obstacles that kept getting in his way. The relationships he develops along the way take a backseat to this journey and felt somewhat lackluster until he falls in love with Maya, the independent daughter of an Indian educator Biren works with to build a school for Indian girls, and by the time that beautiful relationship comes to be it isn’t given enough time to really flourish. Once Biren and Maya marry the story progresses at a rapid pace, covering many years in a short amount of pages, and, for me, wraps up too quickly. On top of that, I was saddened to see Biren’s life marked largely by tragedy as he lost so many of those he loved along the way. I get the idea that for a person to appreciate the sweet they must experience the sour, but it seemed like kind Biren got the short end of the stick there.
All of this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy Flame Tree Road. Shona Patel’s writing is amongst the most beautiful I have come across and her abilities to bring to life a brightly colored world of beauty against the ugliness of this time and place in history (at least when it comes to the rights of women and an antiquated caste system) is unmatched in my reading. She perfectly shows how this free-thinking man becomes stuck between two worlds – the old world beliefs of India and the advancements and changes of England – and I very much enjoyed seeing how Biren reconciled these two parts of his life together. He is a remarkable character and I feel quite satisfied that Ms. Patel gave fans of Teatime for the Firefly the history of one of the most enigmatic characters from that novel.
At the end of the day I think Flame Tree Road is a very solid novel that just fell slightly short of my very high expectations given how much I loved its predecessor. Regardless, I am still a huge fan of Shona Patel and will continue to read whatever she writes. Given her remarkably beautiful writing, I don’t think anyone could go wrong in picking up her novels.
I was absolutely blown away by Shona Patel’s debut novel, Teatime for the Firefly, when I read it a few years ago and haven’t been able to forget her intelligent and independent heroine, Layla Roy, or Layla’s determination to chart her own life in an Indian culture based on strict traditions and expectations. The author’s use of language and imagery completely transported me to the beautiful yet savage environment of the Assam tea plantations and brought a world to life that I had never seen before. At the beginning of that novel we meet Layla’s kind and free-thinking grandfather, a man that raised Layla to be just as educated and self-possessed as any man. At a time when this way of thinking is nearly unheard of, Biren Roy has become a well-respected man known for his unwavering support of equality for the women of India, especially involving education. But how did he become this man? Flame Tree Road is Biren’s story of love, heartache and a passion born from tragedy that is just as beautiful as its predecessor.
Flame Tree Road begins in a small village in 1870s India with Biren’s family living a relatively poor yet loving and happy life. His parents have never been supporters of the country’s traditions that support cruel treatment and inequality towards women and Biren grows up dreaming of a different world. When his father dies and his mother is ostracized from everyone, including her family, and stripped from her position in society and her very humanity simply because she is a widow, smart and sensitive Biren knows his purpose in life must be to change these antiquated customs and ensure that the women of India can have a life of their own and the education they deserve regardless of their caste, their money or their marriage status.
The bulk of the novel deals with Biren’s journey to have his dream of equality and education for women realized. This takes him to England, where he becomes a lawyer and seeks to make changes within the British government that now rules over India, then back to India where he works to make sure those changes can become a reality. I hate to say it but I found Biren’s journey slow moving and, at times, tiresome. As would be expected, there are a lot of political and societal issues and delays that make this passion of Biren’s difficult to bring to fruition. While this helps highlight for the reader the odd traditions and superstitions of old-world India (to our modern eyes at least), after a while I became as frustrated as Biren clearly was at the obstacles that kept getting in his way. The relationships he develops along the way take a backseat to this journey and felt somewhat lackluster until he falls in love with Maya, the independent daughter of an Indian educator Biren works with to build a school for Indian girls, and by the time that beautiful relationship comes to be it isn’t given enough time to really flourish. Once Biren and Maya marry the story progresses at a rapid pace, covering many years in a short amount of pages, and, for me, wraps up too quickly. On top of that, I was saddened to see Biren’s life marked largely by tragedy as he lost so many of those he loved along the way. I get the idea that for a person to appreciate the sweet they must experience the sour, but it seemed like kind Biren got the short end of the stick there.
All of this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy Flame Tree Road. Shona Patel’s writing is amongst the most beautiful I have come across and her abilities to bring to life a brightly colored world of beauty against the ugliness of this time and place in history (at least when it comes to the rights of women and an antiquated caste system) is unmatched in my reading. She perfectly shows how this free-thinking man becomes stuck between two worlds – the old world beliefs of India and the advancements and changes of England – and I very much enjoyed seeing how Biren reconciled these two parts of his life together. He is a remarkable character and I feel quite satisfied that Ms. Patel gave fans of Teatime for the Firefly the history of one of the most enigmatic characters from that novel.
At the end of the day I think Flame Tree Road is a very solid novel that just fell slightly short of my very high expectations given how much I loved its predecessor. Regardless, I am still a huge fan of Shona Patel and will continue to read whatever she writes. Given her remarkably beautiful writing, I don’t think anyone could go wrong in picking up her novels.
June 12, 2015
This was a beautifully written story of Biren Roy's life. Patel's writing truly paints a picture of a time and a place that seems both exotic and everyday. Biren Roy is a sort of extraordinary ordinary man, and it's easy to care about him. He could be called "the man who loves women," but not in a womanizing sense -- largely due to his mother's early widowhood and the ensuing events, he believes passionately in gender equality and strives toward that goal through education and bureaucracy. I think Teatime for the Firefly was probably more successful because the setting of Assam was so isolated, whereas here she tries to cover the village life of what is now Bangladesh, the busy world of Calcutta, the life of the Indian students of Cambridge... It's a lot.
The same is true with the scope of the story, which follows Biren from boyhood to old age. While some events are described in detail, others are bypassed completely or filled in with broad strokes. In some cases, that makes sense -- events in his mother and brother's lives in India while he's in England wouldn't be appropriate to relate firsthand. However, his wedding is summed up in a brief sentence along the lines of "after five days of traditional Bengali celebrations..." I wanted to hear about these traditional Bengali celebrations! Not to mention more about the briefly explored relationship between the Hindu and Muslim communities. And the inherent problems, such as disease and flood, that come with a riverside life. And the logistics of the crematoria. And what the greater effects of the British bureaucracy were. And about a million other things.
But for the most part, I loved this leisurely story of a wonderful man. (I only wish that I had remembered before I got to the supplementary material that Biren was the main character's grandfather in Teamtime for the Firefly! It makes me want to reread that one -- I bet I would enjoy it even more this time.) My biggest complaint was that the last quarter of the book felt like it was on fast forward. It took 300 pages for him to age from 8 to his early 30s, and suddenly he was 50 and then 80! I guess some people would be bored with more detail, but I so enjoyed the early parts and so much happened to him in later life that could have been explored more deeply, particularly his relationship with his daughter. A man who dedicates his life to improving women's lives and has a very troubled relationship with his daughter... fiction gold. Perhaps Patel will realize she needs to write another novel about the second half of Biren's life, just as she realized she needed to write about Layla's grandfather's life after writing Teatime for the Firefly. I'll hope!
The same is true with the scope of the story, which follows Biren from boyhood to old age. While some events are described in detail, others are bypassed completely or filled in with broad strokes. In some cases, that makes sense -- events in his mother and brother's lives in India while he's in England wouldn't be appropriate to relate firsthand. However, his wedding is summed up in a brief sentence along the lines of "after five days of traditional Bengali celebrations..." I wanted to hear about these traditional Bengali celebrations! Not to mention more about the briefly explored relationship between the Hindu and Muslim communities. And the inherent problems, such as disease and flood, that come with a riverside life. And the logistics of the crematoria. And what the greater effects of the British bureaucracy were. And about a million other things.
But for the most part, I loved this leisurely story of a wonderful man. (I only wish that I had remembered before I got to the supplementary material that Biren was the main character's grandfather in Teamtime for the Firefly! It makes me want to reread that one -- I bet I would enjoy it even more this time.) My biggest complaint was that the last quarter of the book felt like it was on fast forward. It took 300 pages for him to age from 8 to his early 30s, and suddenly he was 50 and then 80! I guess some people would be bored with more detail, but I so enjoyed the early parts and so much happened to him in later life that could have been explored more deeply, particularly his relationship with his daughter. A man who dedicates his life to improving women's lives and has a very troubled relationship with his daughter... fiction gold. Perhaps Patel will realize she needs to write another novel about the second half of Biren's life, just as she realized she needed to write about Layla's grandfather's life after writing Teatime for the Firefly. I'll hope!
March 30, 2015
I loved Shona Patel's Flame Tree Road and recommend it without reservation.
The author gave me an ARC copy of the prepublished novel in return for an honest review. I read and thoroughly enjoyed her first novel, Teatime for the Firefly, and was anxious to revisit some of her characters in Flame Tree Road. The two novels are entirely different but equally compelling.
I find Shona's writing to be filled with vivid imagery and fully developed characters who matter and are essential to the development of the story. Shona is a masterful storyteller who deftly weaves richly developed imagery and serious cultural social issues throughout her stories. I find myself caring deeply for her characters and the issues that play havoc with their lives. I've never traveled to India but Shona's writing takes me into a world which allows me to almost taste the foods, smell the fragrances, see the beauty of the flame trees and colorful saris and feel the pain of those who suffer greatly.
I have read many author's second books with high expectations because their first novels so impressed me. I seriously doubt any reader of Flame Tree Road will find it to be less impressive than Teatime for the Firefly. Each novel can stand on its own. I will re-read Teatime for the Firefly because I so enjoyed learning about Layla's grandfather, Biren Roy in Flame Tree Road. His backstory adds a new depth to Teatime and I now want to reconnect with him in his later years with Layla.
Treat yourself to reading both books. Flame Tree Road will be available the end of June. I plan to attend her book launch opening on June 30th at Poison Pen in Scottsdale and I will wear red!
The author gave me an ARC copy of the prepublished novel in return for an honest review. I read and thoroughly enjoyed her first novel, Teatime for the Firefly, and was anxious to revisit some of her characters in Flame Tree Road. The two novels are entirely different but equally compelling.
I find Shona's writing to be filled with vivid imagery and fully developed characters who matter and are essential to the development of the story. Shona is a masterful storyteller who deftly weaves richly developed imagery and serious cultural social issues throughout her stories. I find myself caring deeply for her characters and the issues that play havoc with their lives. I've never traveled to India but Shona's writing takes me into a world which allows me to almost taste the foods, smell the fragrances, see the beauty of the flame trees and colorful saris and feel the pain of those who suffer greatly.
I have read many author's second books with high expectations because their first novels so impressed me. I seriously doubt any reader of Flame Tree Road will find it to be less impressive than Teatime for the Firefly. Each novel can stand on its own. I will re-read Teatime for the Firefly because I so enjoyed learning about Layla's grandfather, Biren Roy in Flame Tree Road. His backstory adds a new depth to Teatime and I now want to reconnect with him in his later years with Layla.
Treat yourself to reading both books. Flame Tree Road will be available the end of June. I plan to attend her book launch opening on June 30th at Poison Pen in Scottsdale and I will wear red!
April 2, 2015
I was so in love with Layla's grandfather Dadamoshai from Teatime for the Firefly, that I could not wait to read about his boyhood and early life in Flame Tree Road. What a treat, to return to Shona Patel's story world and watch these characters come alive again with such drama, with so much heart.
We get to see Dadamoshai, a.k.a. Biren Roy, in his formative years, coping with the harsh realities of his life, the fate of his parents, and his determination to bring more justice into his world, particularly for women.
Against the backdrop of the patriarchal society in both England and India, Biren Roy's thoughtfulness and deep respect toward women is so refreshing. His life is all about opening equality for women - so difficult to do in that time and place.
His love for Maya is a sheer delight, as is she herself.
Patel reveals turn-of-the-century India to us, and it is remarkable to see. She blends everything together so well -- strong characters, rich details, the culture and lore of the village people, class struggle, British influence, and the impact all of this had.
Mostly I enjoyed watching this man interact with the women in his life, and the way he grew from these experiences. On top of that, it was fun to meet many of the Teatime characters in their youth. I am so looking forward to more exploration of all these fascinating characters, in future Shona Patel books!
We get to see Dadamoshai, a.k.a. Biren Roy, in his formative years, coping with the harsh realities of his life, the fate of his parents, and his determination to bring more justice into his world, particularly for women.
Against the backdrop of the patriarchal society in both England and India, Biren Roy's thoughtfulness and deep respect toward women is so refreshing. His life is all about opening equality for women - so difficult to do in that time and place.
His love for Maya is a sheer delight, as is she herself.
Patel reveals turn-of-the-century India to us, and it is remarkable to see. She blends everything together so well -- strong characters, rich details, the culture and lore of the village people, class struggle, British influence, and the impact all of this had.
Mostly I enjoyed watching this man interact with the women in his life, and the way he grew from these experiences. On top of that, it was fun to meet many of the Teatime characters in their youth. I am so looking forward to more exploration of all these fascinating characters, in future Shona Patel books!
May 17, 2023
I’m still in my whirling emotions after finishing this book, I can’t form any coherent sentences lol.
I am a sucker for historical fiction, and you’re telling me this is Indian historical fiction? Please sign me up I don’t even have to read the synopsis.
The familiarity of the setting: from the sarees to the pujas, felt a little personal. This book is so bittersweet and it reminds me of my favourite angst sad sapping movie. The book is composed of everything: family, love, loss, ambition and so much more. My heart aches for Maya and Biren. It aches for Shibani and Shamol, it just aches for all the characters.
I enjoyed reading this book, which is something I haven’t felt in a while :’)
I am a sucker for historical fiction, and you’re telling me this is Indian historical fiction? Please sign me up I don’t even have to read the synopsis.
The familiarity of the setting: from the sarees to the pujas, felt a little personal. This book is so bittersweet and it reminds me of my favourite angst sad sapping movie. The book is composed of everything: family, love, loss, ambition and so much more. My heart aches for Maya and Biren. It aches for Shibani and Shamol, it just aches for all the characters.
I enjoyed reading this book, which is something I haven’t felt in a while :’)
August 1, 2015
Uneven writing and the protagonist's supposed efforts to effect change for women in India (from the front flap) are not believable.
March 29, 2022
I really enjoyed the middle of this book best - it started out slow, but got better, and then towards the end, it felt like the author was more setting up the characters for another chapter than leading towards a conclusion. And yes, when I checked the author's page, it turns out this book was written as a prequel to another book. Still, I found the story of nineteenth-century India and Bengal interesting and the characters stood out. I was frustrated by a couple of the storylines, especially Estelle, who appears primarily in the middle of the book then disappears until the very end. Overall, an interesting book with valuable insight into colonial India.
February 5, 2017
*This review was originally posted on Spun!
I don't usually read historical fiction but I borrowed Flame Tree Road from the library because I was intrigued by the premise. As an Indian girl living abroad, I don't know as much about Indian culture as I'd like to so I embraced this opportunity to learn a few things about India in 1870s.
I like the style in which the author addressed issues like the caste system and discrimination against women through the main character's perspective. Although Biren's efforts to effect change are often thwarted (sometimes the people he works with don't care enough about educating girls or there's resistance from the traditional), he remains hopeful and doesn't allow the mammoth nature of the task to overwhelm him. Biren is a very driven and passionate character. After his mom becomes a widow, she is treated as an outcast and this makes Biren realize that he wants to change things for the better for others like her. Flame Tree Road follows Biren throughout his life so we watch as Biren is born and slowly grows older.
The author's writing style is lovely and I truly got swept away by the story. All of the characters are incredibly vivid and unique so I didn't find it difficult to keep track of them. But I wish certain characters had more time on the page – for example, Chaya and Yosef.
I also don't understand why this story is labeled as a "love story" because all the romance primarily occurs in the second half of the book. In some ways, that aspect of the book made it more dull because of the long flowery passages from Biren's perspective. He tends to obsess about the appearance of Maya and I didn't find that particularly interesting. This second half of the book is also where Biren's focus shifts from effecting change to looking out for his loved ones. This is where the consequences (e.g. not being able to spend time with family) of Biren's single-minded drive to establish schools for girls are further explored.
While the ending was realistic, I wanted to read more about the results of Biren's hard work. After all the build up, I just wanted more details.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? Yes, despite its faults, Flame Tree Road is a beautiful book. If you're in the mood for a relatively slow-paced book, I'd definitely recommend it. It's also worth noting that while most of the plot twists are unpredictable, the overall plot of the book is quite similar to what is described in the blurb. Therefore, I think it would be better to read this book without knowing what to expect.
I don't usually read historical fiction but I borrowed Flame Tree Road from the library because I was intrigued by the premise. As an Indian girl living abroad, I don't know as much about Indian culture as I'd like to so I embraced this opportunity to learn a few things about India in 1870s.
I like the style in which the author addressed issues like the caste system and discrimination against women through the main character's perspective. Although Biren's efforts to effect change are often thwarted (sometimes the people he works with don't care enough about educating girls or there's resistance from the traditional), he remains hopeful and doesn't allow the mammoth nature of the task to overwhelm him. Biren is a very driven and passionate character. After his mom becomes a widow, she is treated as an outcast and this makes Biren realize that he wants to change things for the better for others like her. Flame Tree Road follows Biren throughout his life so we watch as Biren is born and slowly grows older.
The author's writing style is lovely and I truly got swept away by the story. All of the characters are incredibly vivid and unique so I didn't find it difficult to keep track of them. But I wish certain characters had more time on the page – for example, Chaya and Yosef.
I also don't understand why this story is labeled as a "love story" because all the romance primarily occurs in the second half of the book. In some ways, that aspect of the book made it more dull because of the long flowery passages from Biren's perspective. He tends to obsess about the appearance of Maya and I didn't find that particularly interesting. This second half of the book is also where Biren's focus shifts from effecting change to looking out for his loved ones. This is where the consequences (e.g. not being able to spend time with family) of Biren's single-minded drive to establish schools for girls are further explored.
While the ending was realistic, I wanted to read more about the results of Biren's hard work. After all the build up, I just wanted more details.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? Yes, despite its faults, Flame Tree Road is a beautiful book. If you're in the mood for a relatively slow-paced book, I'd definitely recommend it. It's also worth noting that while most of the plot twists are unpredictable, the overall plot of the book is quite similar to what is described in the blurb. Therefore, I think it would be better to read this book without knowing what to expect.
July 10, 2015
I was immediately drawn into the story because of the wonderful setting (Bengal) and the character of Shibani, a young, married woman with two adolescent boys and a devoted, educated and hard-working husband.
But the story quickly shifts to Biren Roy as the central character. He is Shibani's oldest son and the novel follows him from a small Bengali village to Calcutta and then Oxford.
His path in life becomes a metaphor for the ongoing struggle of women in the Indian culture. The consequences of a woman not conforming to her family's wishes, or having the misfortune of becoming a widow, are horrific and cruel. Biren's goal is to elevate the status of Indian women through education and this becomes the guiding principle of his life.
My one criticism is that the story sags a little in the second half, suffering from too much of a good thing when Biren finally falls in love.
But, Patel's writing style is soft and gentle. It's a pleasure to read her descriptions of the country and the people. She obviously knows from experience and imagination how to capture the essence of Bengal and Assam. She makes it accessible for a western reader to appreciate the beauty of the place and the people.
I enjoyed her novel, Teatime for Firefly, and found that Flame Tree Road delivers the same satisfaction of reading wonderful prose and an intriguing story. The bonus with Flame Tree Road is that Patel also completes the circle between the two novels.
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
But the story quickly shifts to Biren Roy as the central character. He is Shibani's oldest son and the novel follows him from a small Bengali village to Calcutta and then Oxford.
His path in life becomes a metaphor for the ongoing struggle of women in the Indian culture. The consequences of a woman not conforming to her family's wishes, or having the misfortune of becoming a widow, are horrific and cruel. Biren's goal is to elevate the status of Indian women through education and this becomes the guiding principle of his life.
My one criticism is that the story sags a little in the second half, suffering from too much of a good thing when Biren finally falls in love.
But, Patel's writing style is soft and gentle. It's a pleasure to read her descriptions of the country and the people. She obviously knows from experience and imagination how to capture the essence of Bengal and Assam. She makes it accessible for a western reader to appreciate the beauty of the place and the people.
I enjoyed her novel, Teatime for Firefly, and found that Flame Tree Road delivers the same satisfaction of reading wonderful prose and an intriguing story. The bonus with Flame Tree Road is that Patel also completes the circle between the two novels.
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2019
It was promising, but going nowhere. The plot was lacking, resembling more the randomness of real life which defeats the purpose of picking up a book. Also similar to real life, many characters walked in and out without another mention or much purpose on Biren's character. If someone asked me what it was about, I wouldn't know what to say.
Formatting was another big issue. There were zero transitions between letters or diary entries and narratives and it was all very confusing.
I also thought his relationship with Maya was based on shallow grounds. At least with Estelle he enjoyed discussing important things with her and recognized she had like a brain. He could've had that with Maya, you know with all her involvement in the weaver's village, but no, he mainly admired her for her stunning good looks. There was just so much potential for their relationship to develop and it didn't.
Also, until the very end when the author decided to give everyone a giant spoonful of depression, but until then, everything seemed to work out for Biren effortlessly and he solved his problems quickly or more often than not, they solved themselves and he didn't have to do anything. It was rather frustrating.
Formatting was another big issue. There were zero transitions between letters or diary entries and narratives and it was all very confusing.
I also thought his relationship with Maya was based on shallow grounds. At least with Estelle he enjoyed discussing important things with her and recognized she had like a brain. He could've had that with Maya, you know with all her involvement in the weaver's village, but no, he mainly admired her for her stunning good looks. There was just so much potential for their relationship to develop and it didn't.
Also, until the very end when the author decided to give everyone a giant spoonful of depression, but until then, everything seemed to work out for Biren effortlessly and he solved his problems quickly or more often than not, they solved themselves and he didn't have to do anything. It was rather frustrating.
December 23, 2015
Biren Roy come from a village in India where the caste system is prevalent in all nearby villages along the river that connects them. His father is educated and tries to ensure that his boys get the best education possible but he dies from a snake bite while working under conditions beneath his education. This makes his factory boss feel guilty so there is reparation and money for the family. Unfortunately, that does not change the practice of widowhood being thought of as evil and sending Biren's Mother into outcaste life.
As a man who gets a top English lawyer education, Biren eventually finds a job with the perks of owning a house he designs and a horse and trips to Calcutta to deal with court cases.
He also falls in love with a woman almost next door. Unfortunately after having two children, she dies. The story gets more and more down as his life unfolds. I understand this is a prequel to another book so I figure that is why near the end of the book, the story suddenly stops unwinding and he becomes an old man. I suppose I have to go to that book to get the middle of his later life.
As a man who gets a top English lawyer education, Biren eventually finds a job with the perks of owning a house he designs and a horse and trips to Calcutta to deal with court cases.
He also falls in love with a woman almost next door. Unfortunately after having two children, she dies. The story gets more and more down as his life unfolds. I understand this is a prequel to another book so I figure that is why near the end of the book, the story suddenly stops unwinding and he becomes an old man. I suppose I have to go to that book to get the middle of his later life.
December 27, 2015
I had higher expectations for this book. The premise sounded really interesting, a young boy who wants to fight cultural customs that stigmatized his mother and is given an amazing educational opportunity to do so... but then after the young man gets his education the book just went downwards from there. The English love interest (kinda but not really), then the Indian love interest, his wooing of her, his job as a govt bureaucrat... it was just all so unnecessary to the original premise. It would have been much more interesting if there was more of the mother in this book and her story and relationship with her sons. But she becomes this forgotten footnote in the story. And then the ending was just weirdly wrapped up. It was like the author also gave up on the story and rushed through wrapping up the lives of the characters in the most bizarre of ways. Sorry, but this book had so much potential.
January 23, 2016
This book has a very simplistic quality. The writing is solid and perhaps serves as a good "light" read for an airplane ride or at the beach. Some might call this "chick lit." The dialogue was stilted generally and achingly awkward at times, but it's from one-dimensional characters. The story was the most intriguing part but the action was flat and listless. For instance, Biren's passion and focus are presented in a way that I didn't believe it and worse, didn't believe how it was derived and how it determined his life. The most exciting part of the book was about Chaya, the wife's assistant. The climax was anti-climatic.
Sometimes a book is enough to get us through. I'm not looking for more of this sort of reading though.
Sometimes a book is enough to get us through. I'm not looking for more of this sort of reading though.
June 29, 2015
Epic romances such as Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds or Belva Plain’s Evergreen no longer enjoy the popularity they once did but Shona Patel makes a strong effort in bringing them back with her latest novel about colonial India, Flame Tree Road. In this story which crosses countries and centuries, we meet Biren Roy and the three amazing women who change his life.
Read the rest of my review at:
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com...
Read the rest of my review at:
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com...
July 9, 2019
This one had a lot of promise. The first half was an excellent build up so in the second half, as a reader, I expected the focus to be on state of widows, education of girls, and the state of Indians...(all of which was heavily emphasized in the first half)... yet.. it ended up to be a simple love story and everything we had been expecting to happen just dealt as fluff around the all important relationships.
August 13, 2015
This was a great book. I may be a little biased because Shona Patel has spoken to our book club and she is awesome in person, but it is a well-written, dreamy book that carries you along with it's smooth and flowing prose. You can't help but get swept up in the story. Love it!
September 25, 2015
2.5 stars. I'm surprised this book received such a high number review. I didn't like the writing style with varying points of view, letter and diary writing. It wasn't seamless.
February 25, 2016
I can smell the earth, the breeze, the trees of rural Bengal through the entire reading. The story is captivating and the style of writing is uninturrupted and has a continuity till the end.
August 21, 2021
I loved it for its poetics, but Biren should have been better off for all he endured and who and what he fought for. It is painful to read towards the end, and not in a good way.
January 26, 2022
This could have been so beautiful but it fell short and now I sit here typing, utterly let down.
All in all, Biren's perspective was dull, emotionally directionless and unfulfilling. Had this book been written from both Biren's as well as the women's perspectives there would have been much more to love and care for.
All in all, Biren's perspective was dull, emotionally directionless and unfulfilling. Had this book been written from both Biren's as well as the women's perspectives there would have been much more to love and care for.
January 29, 2018
I read Shona Patel's first book, Teatime for the Firefly and was pretty disappointed, but I had already purchased both books, signed by the author, so I went ahead and read her second novel and found it a far better, more interesting, moving novel! It is actually a prequel to her first book, and as such, has both flexibility and restrictions with its content, but it is a great example of historical fiction and I highly recommend to historical fiction buffs, especially those interested in British colonialism and India.
Patel's descriptive writing has always been beautiful, and continues to shine in Flame Tree Road. What improves with her second novel is characterization and story arc. The people are far more lovable, real, and their conflicts and joys are palpable. She drew me in in a way that Teatime for the Firefly did not manage.
The ending did disappoint, somewhat. There was no grand finish. There was no final twist or reveal. Just a simple story of a good man, coming to a close. It's satisfactory, but not amazing. I wish Estelle had put in another appearance, as her role in the story, while an interesting one, seems to fizzle into meaninglessness, and the reader wonders why we invested in her in the first place.
Patel's descriptive writing has always been beautiful, and continues to shine in Flame Tree Road. What improves with her second novel is characterization and story arc. The people are far more lovable, real, and their conflicts and joys are palpable. She drew me in in a way that Teatime for the Firefly did not manage.
The ending did disappoint, somewhat. There was no grand finish. There was no final twist or reveal. Just a simple story of a good man, coming to a close. It's satisfactory, but not amazing. I wish Estelle had put in another appearance, as her role in the story, while an interesting one, seems to fizzle into meaninglessness, and the reader wonders why we invested in her in the first place.
October 11, 2019
This was a sweet epic, that spanned the life of Biren Roy, a young boy who witnesses the oppression of women in his society and hopes to one day make a significant difference for them. As he wades through a world that is slow to change, he encounters several endearing characters, and his journey is complex and beautiful. It pained me that what began as such a deliberate, measured novel, picked up too much speed in the last quarter, and therefore lost some of its allure. Part of the magnetism was in the author's methodical approach to writing... the type of story that takes the reader along on an extended journey that is pleasing enough that you're in for the long-haul. Sadly, as I neared the end, I kept thinking, there was no way it could be wrapped up so quickly... but indeed it was, in what seemed to be a very abrupt ending.
On a positive note, the author was a master of the five senses, and evoked each one in his writing. This is what made the novel most enjoyable, and what drew me in for the remainder of the novel. I did shed some tears, and that speaks to the power of his writing. Ultimately I swayed between a 3 and 4-star rating... landed on 3.5... a great read overall!
https://mamasgottaread.blogspot.com/
On a positive note, the author was a master of the five senses, and evoked each one in his writing. This is what made the novel most enjoyable, and what drew me in for the remainder of the novel. I did shed some tears, and that speaks to the power of his writing. Ultimately I swayed between a 3 and 4-star rating... landed on 3.5... a great read overall!
https://mamasgottaread.blogspot.com/
January 22, 2024
The book started off with a bang. Great narrative, great prose, then it took 15 right turns, as if she suddenly thought of 15 stories she wanted to tell and went about 15 feet down each road. The book is a hot mess. We are treated to lectures on feminism in England and the plight of the poor widows in India, only to have our hero fall in love with someone whose only attribute (at least the one the author dwells on ad infinitum) is her beauty. Suddenly the poor widow's plight is resolved when the mother in law dies, because MILs are the real culprits🙄. The book has no message (fine by me, I prefer a good yarn, but the beginning 3rd of the book promised a message) and no cohesive narrative, just short dives into interreligious conflict, the Brits in India, bad old customs, women's education, yadayada....the prose is good, I'll give it that. Don't book publishers hire good editors anymore?
September 13, 2022
Shona Patel’s novel Flame Tree Road creates an enchanting, yet authentic picture of village life in Bengal during the late 1800s. The story opens in the Roy family home. In short chapters filled with exquisite details, Patel chronicles the long life and loves of Biren Roy. His travels take him from his native waterways to boarding school in Calcutta to university in England. His Indian upbringing and English education combine to create unique perspective on both societies. A host of well-drawn characters play formative roles in Biren’s early life and continue to influence him. First to appear is his mother, Shibani, “the lighthearted one, with curly eyelashes and slightly crooked teeth.” Like many people in Flame Tree Road, Shibani made me curious to know more of her story. Readers may look forward to Patel telling more tales in her lovely, lively prose.
October 9, 2022
Having found Tea Time for the FireFly at a book sale and absolutely loving it, I pounced on Flame Tree Road.
Alas... whilst this started off very well, the book takes a turn for the worse once we trot off to Cambridge. I was expecting our hero to return to India and fight tooth and nail for the widows but.....no.
That totally didn't happen. What a let down!
Instead it's suddenly all sickness, death, acid in the face, mental illness and suicide.
Wasn't expecting that.
And to top it all off, the ending is terrible!
So it is with great dismay that I give this novel a 3 star rating. I do love Shona's prose and I did enjoy many of the characters but I felt the book went off on a tangent that had nothing to do with the initial premise - the plight of widow's in Indian society.
Alas... whilst this started off very well, the book takes a turn for the worse once we trot off to Cambridge. I was expecting our hero to return to India and fight tooth and nail for the widows but.....no.
That totally didn't happen. What a let down!
Instead it's suddenly all sickness, death, acid in the face, mental illness and suicide.
Wasn't expecting that.
And to top it all off, the ending is terrible!
So it is with great dismay that I give this novel a 3 star rating. I do love Shona's prose and I did enjoy many of the characters but I felt the book went off on a tangent that had nothing to do with the initial premise - the plight of widow's in Indian society.
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