What do you think?
Rate this book
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens, Calcutta, the 1940s. In a ramshackle house, streets away from the grand colonial mansions of the British, live Maisy, her Mam and their ayah, Pushpa.
Whiskey-fuelled and poverty-stricken, Mam entertains officers in the night - a disgrace to British India. All hopes are on beautiful Maisy to restore their good fortune.
But Maisy's more at home in the city's forbidden alleyways, eating bazaar food and speaking Bengali with Pushpa, than dancing in glittering ballrooms with potential husbands.
Then one day Maisy's tutor falls ill. His son stands in. Poetic, handsome and ambitious for an independent India, Sunil Banerjee promises Maisy the world.
So begins a love affair that will cast her future, for better and for worse. Just as the Second World War strikes and the empire begins to crumble...
This is the other side of British India. A dizzying, scandalous, dangerous world, where race, class and gender divide and rule.
(P)2016 Headline Digital
Whiskey-fuelled and poverty-stricken, Mam entertains officers in the night - a disgrace to British India. All hopes are on beautiful Maisy to restore their good fortune.
But Maisy's more at home in the city's forbidden alleyways, eating bazaar food and speaking Bengali with Pushpa, than dancing in glittering ballrooms with potential husbands.
Then one day Maisy's tutor falls ill. His son stands in. Poetic, handsome and ambitious for an independent India, Sunil Banerjee promises Maisy the world.
So begins a love affair that will cast her future, for better and for worse. Just as the Second World War strikes and the empire begins to crumble...
This is the other side of British India. A dizzying, scandalous, dangerous world, where race, class and gender divide and rule.
(P)2016 Headline Digital
Audio
First published December 3, 2015
28 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Louise Brown
5 books22 followersSee also: T. Louise Brown, how the name is printed in some editions.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Louise has lived in Nepal and travelled extensively in India and Pakistan, sparking her enduring love of South Asia. She was a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Asian Studies at the University of Birmingham, where she taught for nearly twenty years. In research for her critically acclaimed non-fiction books she’s witnessed revolutions and stayed with a family of traditional courtesans in the old city of Lahore.
Louise has three grown-up children and lives in Birmingham.
Her previously published books are: SEX SLAVES: THE TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN IN ASIA (Virago 2001); THE TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY IN NEPAL (Routledge 1995); WAR AND AFTERMATH IN VIETNAM (Routledge 1991); THE DANCING GIRLS OF LAHORE, a personal account of life in a Pakistani brothel quarter; and EDEN GARDENS about Maisy, the daughter of a Raj with an unexpected story to tell (Headline 2016).
Her lastest book THE HIMALAYAN SUMMER was published by Headline in 2017.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Louise has lived in Nepal and travelled extensively in India and Pakistan, sparking her enduring love of South Asia. She was a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Asian Studies at the University of Birmingham, where she taught for nearly twenty years. In research for her critically acclaimed non-fiction books she’s witnessed revolutions and stayed with a family of traditional courtesans in the old city of Lahore.
Louise has three grown-up children and lives in Birmingham.
Her previously published books are: SEX SLAVES: THE TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN IN ASIA (Virago 2001); THE TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY IN NEPAL (Routledge 1995); WAR AND AFTERMATH IN VIETNAM (Routledge 1991); THE DANCING GIRLS OF LAHORE, a personal account of life in a Pakistani brothel quarter; and EDEN GARDENS about Maisy, the daughter of a Raj with an unexpected story to tell (Headline 2016).
Her lastest book THE HIMALAYAN SUMMER was published by Headline in 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 27, 2016
I lived Calcutta in every page of this novel.
July 18, 2016
Novel set in 1940s Calcutta
This review first appeared on our blog where we also chat to the author: http://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-...
Over the last couple of years I have read several novels set in India from the mid 1850s to the build-up of Independence in 1947, and through fiction I feel I have grasped more about the period than history lessons at school ever taught; the period was singularly glossed over and only referred to in glowing political terms. A beleaguered nation that saw infrastructure and law introduced by the occupying nation, but who also saw systematic and widespread abuse that went unchallenged, and flies in the face of the often romanticised period of the Raj era. The Last Queen of India by Michelle Moran tells the story of the Court of Jhansi; An Unrestored Woman by Shoba Rhao is a collection of short stories largely set around the period of Partition; Belonging by Umi Sinha goes right back to the Cawnpore Massacre; the work of Kamala Markandaya and many more have served to delve beneath the this period of history.
This book is no exception. It tells the story of a white mother “Mam” and daughter, Maisy, caught between two worlds in the middle of the 20th Century – and it is clear that not every white person born and brought up in India during this time enjoyed a privileged life. Nevertheless white people, even on the periphery, could to some extent avail themselves of the wealth and luxurious lifestyle, surrounded by servants drawn from the locality, even if it meant becoming a prostitute was the only option. And Mam had to resort to this after the death of Maisy’s father, so that the two of them could stay in Calcutta. There was no way Mam wanted to return to Leeds, to inevitable servitude, grey skies and the penetrating cold of an English Winter. Supported by Pushpa, their Ayah, the two cobble together a reasonable life, until Maisy gets caught up in a passionate affair with her young teacher.
Pushpa herself has had a hard life on so many levels and her background gives her a world weary wiseness, as she tends to her two charges, soon three with the arrival of a baby.
The story unfolds through the eyes of Maisy and Pushpa in alternate chapters, which works really well as the evolving history and the players in it are observed from different angles.
Calcutta of the time seems really well evoked, from Firpo’s’ restaurant, to the various quarters, although it is clear that it is a place not only full of scandal, but that it also “hardens your spirit”. I felt immersed in both the story and the place and have no hesitation to recommend it – for me, it offered a sense of footsteps past and understanding of a complex period of Anglo-Indian history. One of my personal best books of 2016.
This review first appeared on our blog where we also chat to the author: http://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-...
Over the last couple of years I have read several novels set in India from the mid 1850s to the build-up of Independence in 1947, and through fiction I feel I have grasped more about the period than history lessons at school ever taught; the period was singularly glossed over and only referred to in glowing political terms. A beleaguered nation that saw infrastructure and law introduced by the occupying nation, but who also saw systematic and widespread abuse that went unchallenged, and flies in the face of the often romanticised period of the Raj era. The Last Queen of India by Michelle Moran tells the story of the Court of Jhansi; An Unrestored Woman by Shoba Rhao is a collection of short stories largely set around the period of Partition; Belonging by Umi Sinha goes right back to the Cawnpore Massacre; the work of Kamala Markandaya and many more have served to delve beneath the this period of history.
This book is no exception. It tells the story of a white mother “Mam” and daughter, Maisy, caught between two worlds in the middle of the 20th Century – and it is clear that not every white person born and brought up in India during this time enjoyed a privileged life. Nevertheless white people, even on the periphery, could to some extent avail themselves of the wealth and luxurious lifestyle, surrounded by servants drawn from the locality, even if it meant becoming a prostitute was the only option. And Mam had to resort to this after the death of Maisy’s father, so that the two of them could stay in Calcutta. There was no way Mam wanted to return to Leeds, to inevitable servitude, grey skies and the penetrating cold of an English Winter. Supported by Pushpa, their Ayah, the two cobble together a reasonable life, until Maisy gets caught up in a passionate affair with her young teacher.
Pushpa herself has had a hard life on so many levels and her background gives her a world weary wiseness, as she tends to her two charges, soon three with the arrival of a baby.
The story unfolds through the eyes of Maisy and Pushpa in alternate chapters, which works really well as the evolving history and the players in it are observed from different angles.
Calcutta of the time seems really well evoked, from Firpo’s’ restaurant, to the various quarters, although it is clear that it is a place not only full of scandal, but that it also “hardens your spirit”. I felt immersed in both the story and the place and have no hesitation to recommend it – for me, it offered a sense of footsteps past and understanding of a complex period of Anglo-Indian history. One of my personal best books of 2016.
January 26, 2016
Enjoyable, readable account of British India and the turmoil of Independence told through the eyes of Maisy and Pushpa. Maisy is a true British-Indian: country born and bred with the despised ‘chi-chi’ sing-song accent that means she can never be accepted into pukka British Indian society (her mother’s greatest ambition), despite her blonde hair and beauty. Pushpa is the family retainer: an ayah turned servant; a high-caste child bride trapped by widowhood who runs to take her chances on the streets rather than remain in the nightmare of life with her dead-husband’s relatives. The parallels between their lives - parallels of caste and class, race and position, poverty, and powerless dependency on men - weave through the stories of these three women. Prostitution is the main theme, with Pushpa, Maisy her drunken mother and a host of other abandoned women, all driven into the trade by tragedy and circumstance.
The characters are all beautifully well-worked and serve as avatars for the best of the tale, which is the setting of lush, jungled, jewelled, stinking, crowded Calcutta in the dying days of the Raj and all that came after - the violence and turmoil of independence and partition and the victims - rich and poor, Indian and British alike - swept along and left behind by history. There’s a little heavy-handed symbolism here and there – like mighty floods that sweep everything and everyone away, collapsing palaces and the like – but for the most part, it is very well done ; entertaining and very readable. The earlier chapters are the best; the story seems to lose its way a little as the Raj ends and the British return to Blighty - I became particularly frustrated with the long drawn-out story of Maisy’s obsession with prudish, selfish, self-obsessed Sunil. Patient, gentle, self-reliant Pushpa’s tale was the best of it, but it is all good and very enjoyable. A refreshingly fresh slant on the well-worn tale of the British in India.
The characters are all beautifully well-worked and serve as avatars for the best of the tale, which is the setting of lush, jungled, jewelled, stinking, crowded Calcutta in the dying days of the Raj and all that came after - the violence and turmoil of independence and partition and the victims - rich and poor, Indian and British alike - swept along and left behind by history. There’s a little heavy-handed symbolism here and there – like mighty floods that sweep everything and everyone away, collapsing palaces and the like – but for the most part, it is very well done ; entertaining and very readable. The earlier chapters are the best; the story seems to lose its way a little as the Raj ends and the British return to Blighty - I became particularly frustrated with the long drawn-out story of Maisy’s obsession with prudish, selfish, self-obsessed Sunil. Patient, gentle, self-reliant Pushpa’s tale was the best of it, but it is all good and very enjoyable. A refreshingly fresh slant on the well-worn tale of the British in India.
March 28, 2018
This is the story of three women living in Calcutta in the 1940s – Barbara Brooks (Mam), her daughter Maisy and her ayah Pushpa. Alternate chapters are written by Maisy and Pushpa, both in the first person, which is sometimes disorientating at the start of a new chapter, as the voices of the two characters are not that distinct. Mam is a prostitute and alcoholic and wants a better life for her daughter, but Maisy falls in love with an Indian man and gets pregnant, so ruins her chances of marrying into the upper classes. Pushpa serves them and is loyal, treating Maisy like the daughter she never had, but her wry observations reveal so much more about the English and life in Calcutta at that time.
Set just before and just after Independence and Partition, the novel charts the collapse of Colonial India amid a background of violence, abuse, poverty and starvation.
I didn't feel emotional involved with any of the characters and I thought the narrative lacked immediacy. Scenes didn't come alive, as most were reported secondhand through one of the characters (mainly Pushpa).
Set just before and just after Independence and Partition, the novel charts the collapse of Colonial India amid a background of violence, abuse, poverty and starvation.
I didn't feel emotional involved with any of the characters and I thought the narrative lacked immediacy. Scenes didn't come alive, as most were reported secondhand through one of the characters (mainly Pushpa).
July 12, 2017
Loved this beautiful book. A brilliantly researched, fabulous story.
April 11, 2016
I must admit I found the way this book reads is more like a series of memoirs than a story, the descriptions of Bombay and Calcutta at the end of British rule in states of upheaval and famine are rich, detailed, evocative and often extremely harrowing.
I found a couple of brutal scenes set at the times of drought and famine and during upheaval and riots so strong and horrific I actually wanted to retch - therefore this is not a read for anyone of a sensitive nature it's not the light and fluffy romantic read one might expect from the beautiful cover, between the pages lie atrocity and human failing galore.
The book is narrated in turn by Maisy, duaghter of the, quite frankly, sluttish Ma and Pushpa, the loyal family retainer, a local woman living a hard life and making the best of her lot. This is very much a story of the lot dealt to women in the 1940s and the prejudices, unfairness and uncertainty of life in India. We encounter class division and racial inequality and three women whom I found it difficult to admire but easy to believe in.
Ma comes to India to better her lot, life in England has become unbearable and holds no opportunity, so she heads to India where she has heard white women are in demand and white husbands are aplenty and sets out her stall to find a husband with the means to keep her well above the breadline.
However this doesn't work out quite as planned she has neither the class nor the wiles to secure a place in society or a husband to admit her and life soon finds her a widow with a young daughter and little means of supporting herself - she falls rather eagerly into prostitution with her legs wide open and a bottle of whisky in her hand. With a series of increasingly less wholesome "uncles" visiting the family home, very much on the wrong side of the tracks, it's easy to see why this little family are poor white trash. They don't fit in with any sector of Calcutta society, you only have to listen to Ma's quite foul mouthed use of the English language to know she's not one bit pukka and that's the relatively few times she's sober!
Ma's determined that Maisy won't follow her example, and will achieve what she herself failed - a good marriage to a British gentleman. But fair hair and white skin don't make a lady, nothing about Maisy’s life is proper, but she can’t see why - she’s never known life in polite British society and as far as she’s concerned she has white skin therefore she must be a lady. But brought up mostly by servant Pushpa, playing in the overflowing gutters of Calcutta with the children of poor native half caste families Maisy is destined to fall by the wayside too and this book tells her story with no punches pulled.
A portrait of a lady this is not, but a punchy well told, richly embellished tapestry of delight and despair it certainly is - sure to enthral, horrify and delight in equal measures.
I received my advance reading copy via Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.
I found a couple of brutal scenes set at the times of drought and famine and during upheaval and riots so strong and horrific I actually wanted to retch - therefore this is not a read for anyone of a sensitive nature it's not the light and fluffy romantic read one might expect from the beautiful cover, between the pages lie atrocity and human failing galore.
The book is narrated in turn by Maisy, duaghter of the, quite frankly, sluttish Ma and Pushpa, the loyal family retainer, a local woman living a hard life and making the best of her lot. This is very much a story of the lot dealt to women in the 1940s and the prejudices, unfairness and uncertainty of life in India. We encounter class division and racial inequality and three women whom I found it difficult to admire but easy to believe in.
Ma comes to India to better her lot, life in England has become unbearable and holds no opportunity, so she heads to India where she has heard white women are in demand and white husbands are aplenty and sets out her stall to find a husband with the means to keep her well above the breadline.
However this doesn't work out quite as planned she has neither the class nor the wiles to secure a place in society or a husband to admit her and life soon finds her a widow with a young daughter and little means of supporting herself - she falls rather eagerly into prostitution with her legs wide open and a bottle of whisky in her hand. With a series of increasingly less wholesome "uncles" visiting the family home, very much on the wrong side of the tracks, it's easy to see why this little family are poor white trash. They don't fit in with any sector of Calcutta society, you only have to listen to Ma's quite foul mouthed use of the English language to know she's not one bit pukka and that's the relatively few times she's sober!
Ma's determined that Maisy won't follow her example, and will achieve what she herself failed - a good marriage to a British gentleman. But fair hair and white skin don't make a lady, nothing about Maisy’s life is proper, but she can’t see why - she’s never known life in polite British society and as far as she’s concerned she has white skin therefore she must be a lady. But brought up mostly by servant Pushpa, playing in the overflowing gutters of Calcutta with the children of poor native half caste families Maisy is destined to fall by the wayside too and this book tells her story with no punches pulled.
A portrait of a lady this is not, but a punchy well told, richly embellished tapestry of delight and despair it certainly is - sure to enthral, horrify and delight in equal measures.
I received my advance reading copy via Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.
July 2, 2018
To be completely honest, I wanted to like this one much more than I actually did. The 1940s Calcutta setting is what initially drew me in – and the only thing that ultimately stopped from bailing at my self-imposed 50 page cut-off (basically if within that set amount of pages, I can’t find a single redeeming thing, I set aside the book. To not finish took me a long time to be okay with, and ultimately, I am happy that it is the case – but even still, I don’t typically do this more than a handful of times each year).
The novel is told in two perspectives, Maisy and Pushpa. But there’s not really enough of the city or of this tumultuous time in history to really make this a satisfying read. The women here are literally all prostitutes, too… but this isn’t really a story of redemption or the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold trope. It’s hard to root for any of these characters. I just didn’t really like them, which made it all the more difficult to really care about what would happen next to any of them.
At the edges, there is an interesting story here, but its execution doesn’t allow for any character growth. And the “action” is altogether too passive for this to be anything remotely resembling a page-turner! I can see how it could incite some interesting discussions, but there are certainly better books set here to get to that type of discussion!
The novel is told in two perspectives, Maisy and Pushpa. But there’s not really enough of the city or of this tumultuous time in history to really make this a satisfying read. The women here are literally all prostitutes, too… but this isn’t really a story of redemption or the hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold trope. It’s hard to root for any of these characters. I just didn’t really like them, which made it all the more difficult to really care about what would happen next to any of them.
At the edges, there is an interesting story here, but its execution doesn’t allow for any character growth. And the “action” is altogether too passive for this to be anything remotely resembling a page-turner! I can see how it could incite some interesting discussions, but there are certainly better books set here to get to that type of discussion!
January 20, 2016
The technique of dual narrative is best used in this novel as one gets to see the story from the eyes of both English and Indian people through Maisy and Pushpa. Brown touches upon some of the most delicate and intricate details about India, perfectly describing the streets and atmosphere of the 40s, with emphasis on little things like the kind of food people enjoy here, the kinds of flowers that bloom and what makes the city of Kolkata what it is. The novel is set in the backdrop of some of the most significant events of the Indian history, covering the Bengal famine, the Second World War and its impact on India, the Independence, Partition, assassination of Gandhi and more. Everything ranging from the superiority of the British people, their indifference towards the Indians to the most common superstitions in India and the racial discrimination is well described. Brown not only offers a great story of two women trying to find themselves in the chaos but also lays out the Indian history of the 40s in a creative manner.
July 4, 2020
I’m so disappointed with this book 😢 I had high hopes for it and it just flopped in my eyes. Incredibly vulgar language in some parts (which I’m actually okay with, not sure about others who don’t like vulgar words), extremely predictable in others and it didn’t really have any heart stopping components.
While I did learn a lot about the great famine of Bengal and Calcutta during WW2 and the end of British rule / India’s partition and independence during that time, it wasn’t enough to win me over.
While I did learn a lot about the great famine of Bengal and Calcutta during WW2 and the end of British rule / India’s partition and independence during that time, it wasn’t enough to win me over.
November 28, 2017
Eden Gardens is the story of Maisie, her drunken mum and housemaid Pushpa, living in Calcutta in the 1940's. I found the book slow to start but it's an excellent read. I grew to really love the characters. It describes India so well, you can picture it clearly and imagine what it really must have looked like, it's also harrowing at times when it describes the horrible scenes that went on during India's quest for independence. A thoroughly enjoyable debut novel.
May 16, 2017
An India I would like to have known
This story of life in a vibrant and teeming Calcutta at the beginning of Independence, told with such detail and from so many different perspectives and such atmosphere, I could imagine myself as an English woman, an Indian,young or old, rich or poor, but always changing and always hard.
This story of life in a vibrant and teeming Calcutta at the beginning of Independence, told with such detail and from so many different perspectives and such atmosphere, I could imagine myself as an English woman, an Indian,young or old, rich or poor, but always changing and always hard.
April 18, 2016
Eden Gardens is the début novel from Louise Brown set in Calcutta in the 1940's - a time of great change, turbulence and unrest for the people of India. The cover for this book evokes a great sense of time and place as India was on the brink of change, of gaining its independence from Britain. Although to achieve this the country and its people had to go through times of hardship and struggle before they could acquire their much longed for freedom. The Eden Gardens of the title is the park where our main character Maisy goes to walk and think things through as she goes through a very tumultuous period in her life.
I love books with a dual narrative and I had only previously read one or two books set in India so I was interested to see could the author bring this important time to life vividly through her writing? For the most part she pulled it off even if at some points the story did flag somewhat before picking itself up again. Some books using the dual narrative work seamlessly flowing between the two characters whereas in others one of the characters has a slightly more weaker plot than the other. Here the story is told from two female perspectives that of Maisy born in India to a British mother and father and that of her ayah (nanny) Pushpa. It was brilliant to read of the same scenes unfolding but from different viewpoints. Although admittedly I did find Maisy's chapters slightly edged out the sections from Pushpa's outlook. As I began reading Eden Gardens I fervently hoped that everything I love about historical fiction would be between the pages of this book.
It did take me a while to settle into this story as we meet Maisy and her mother, it was difficult to familiarise myself with the characters and with what was going on. But from the outset you could sense that Maisy and her family have not had an easy life in Calcutta. Her father died when she was young and it is only now that things are becoming apparent. That maybe her parents marriage was not all that she thought it was as a young child. This book lays everything out bare with no hiding away from facts. The harsh realities the characters faced are evident for all to see with at times graphic details. This book is not like the TV programme Indian Summers highlighting the glory days of the British in India. Instead we are shown the opposite side of the coin, a family who are not high up in society and enjoying all the delights India had to offer.
Eden Gardens is set during World War Two and yes it does infringe upon Maisy and her mother but more importantly the days of British rule in India are coming to an end so Calcutta is not a safe place to be for British people. No matter even f you have been born there and have ran through the streets as a child experiencing the heat, noise, smells and hustle and bustle of a great country. Maisy does not live in the rich, sumptuous areas of the city.I nstead she inhabits a small apartment with Pushpa and her mother amongst all the squalor, dirt and tiny huts the locals are forced to live in. Her mother is not a person who goes out to work everyday at least not in the regular sense. Her mother still deeply misses her husband and indulges in more than one or two drinks while a series of men come and go from the apartment. This is not the mother Maisie remembers as she was growing up when her father was alive. Therefore Maisy becomes a survivor because if her mother won't or can't control of their future well then she is the only one left.
Maisy's mother is too wrapped up in herself. Maisy roams the streets and does not go to school so a tutor is brought to the house and it is the son of this tutor that catches Maisy's eye and eventually her heart. Sunil will go on to be a definitive person in Maisy's life and will forever have a hold over her. There is a deep tangible connection that can't be broken. But Sunil is a man of great strength and firmly believes the British should leave India and even if the means of achieving this bring terror and destruction to the streets of Calcutta then so be it. Maisy was a person who you liked on one page and then the next her actions made you think what on earth is she doing? Can she not see the situation she has placed herself in? I'd love to say she was strong throughout but the strength she has is rather a gritty determination to see that the best is done for her family but the way she goes about this is not what I thought she would do on first meeting her. It is up to her to make sure her family can continue to live in India and an extra surprise puts further pressure on her to make things all right. There are people relying on her and meeting Gordon MacBrayne a Scottish businessman who supplies materials to the army changes her life. But I did feel she took an easy option instead of following her heart. On the other hand I suppose you could say she had no other choice as her family were down in the gutter and constant suffering was around the corner. Life turns out good with Gordon or so it seems but as the British hold over India begins to unravel so does the life Maisy thought she had built even though her heart had always still firmly remained with someone else.
As I have said the story is also told from Pushpa's perspective and I have to say reading of her childhood was excellent. Even if overall Maisy's chapters were just slightly better. Pushpa had come from a family of tenant farmers and we discover she lost everything when the worst storm ever hit. The scenes describing this storm were vivid and harrowing and I could picture everything so clearly in my mind. It left me bereft that she was forced to leave everything she had known and partake in an arranged marriage that was to be cruel and unloving. From here we follow Pushpa and her story until she begins work for Maisy's family and the author did not for one minute shy away from the harsh realities Pushpa had to face even still when she was living and working with Maisy. Puspha really was an incredible character. She was loyal and devoted to Maisy and only wanted to see the best outcome for her. Like myself she didn't approve of some of the Maisy's actions but could see she had no other choice. Pushpa was more of a mother to Maisy than her own natural mother and tried to prevent Maisy from seeing what was really going on. Their lives were not that of the British who lived in the rich colonial mansions. Alcohol, drugs, prostitution and poverty were there for the reader to see and it was handled extremely well throughout the novel. Reading from both Maisy and Pushpa's mindsets was intriguing because we read of the same situation but I never who quite to believe. Their opinions regrading Maisy's actions were so different but at all times Pushpa remained devoted and defended Maisy right to the bitter end. No more so demonstrated than in the final heart breaking scenes.
Not once does Louise Brown hold back with her descriptions of the downfall of the British empire in India. At times the descriptions were repulsive and harrowing but it all needed to be in the book. It made it clear that everything wasn't a bed of roses and this image of the glory days of the British as portrayed in other books and TV programmes was not in fact what happened towards the end. It was bloody and brutal and Maisy had her role to play. She puts herself in the ultimate danger many times over because the love she has inside her is so strong and powerful that only through finding the answer and the person she seeks that this longing and urge will be satisfied. So many times Maisy was down and out very near to the gutter but for the sake of her family she picks herself up because she knows her mother is in no position to do so. If she does nothing than they more or less would just stop and lay down and die. With Pushpa by her side Maisy continues on even if there was brief period when everything went a bit lacklustre and I thought is this it.Is this how everything will pan out even though I knew there was more to come?
Eden Gardens built and built to a stunning conclusion. Yes the middle may have slacked off a bit but the ending more than made up for this. My heart was in my mouth and I felt the characters desperation and urgency. The last few pages were the best in the novel. The writing was perfect and conveyed so well the horror and fear because I certainly felt it too. Some may think the very end is a bit ambiguous where as I felt it was definitive and I was happy with how it all turned out. Louise Brown is certainly a talent to watch out for. The elements I enjoy in a historical fiction novel were here in abundance. I will be interested to see will she return to India for her next novel but I would also love her to try a time slip novel as I think she could do a good job of mixing the past and the present. Meanwhile Eden Gardens is a must buy.
I love books with a dual narrative and I had only previously read one or two books set in India so I was interested to see could the author bring this important time to life vividly through her writing? For the most part she pulled it off even if at some points the story did flag somewhat before picking itself up again. Some books using the dual narrative work seamlessly flowing between the two characters whereas in others one of the characters has a slightly more weaker plot than the other. Here the story is told from two female perspectives that of Maisy born in India to a British mother and father and that of her ayah (nanny) Pushpa. It was brilliant to read of the same scenes unfolding but from different viewpoints. Although admittedly I did find Maisy's chapters slightly edged out the sections from Pushpa's outlook. As I began reading Eden Gardens I fervently hoped that everything I love about historical fiction would be between the pages of this book.
It did take me a while to settle into this story as we meet Maisy and her mother, it was difficult to familiarise myself with the characters and with what was going on. But from the outset you could sense that Maisy and her family have not had an easy life in Calcutta. Her father died when she was young and it is only now that things are becoming apparent. That maybe her parents marriage was not all that she thought it was as a young child. This book lays everything out bare with no hiding away from facts. The harsh realities the characters faced are evident for all to see with at times graphic details. This book is not like the TV programme Indian Summers highlighting the glory days of the British in India. Instead we are shown the opposite side of the coin, a family who are not high up in society and enjoying all the delights India had to offer.
Eden Gardens is set during World War Two and yes it does infringe upon Maisy and her mother but more importantly the days of British rule in India are coming to an end so Calcutta is not a safe place to be for British people. No matter even f you have been born there and have ran through the streets as a child experiencing the heat, noise, smells and hustle and bustle of a great country. Maisy does not live in the rich, sumptuous areas of the city.I nstead she inhabits a small apartment with Pushpa and her mother amongst all the squalor, dirt and tiny huts the locals are forced to live in. Her mother is not a person who goes out to work everyday at least not in the regular sense. Her mother still deeply misses her husband and indulges in more than one or two drinks while a series of men come and go from the apartment. This is not the mother Maisie remembers as she was growing up when her father was alive. Therefore Maisy becomes a survivor because if her mother won't or can't control of their future well then she is the only one left.
Maisy's mother is too wrapped up in herself. Maisy roams the streets and does not go to school so a tutor is brought to the house and it is the son of this tutor that catches Maisy's eye and eventually her heart. Sunil will go on to be a definitive person in Maisy's life and will forever have a hold over her. There is a deep tangible connection that can't be broken. But Sunil is a man of great strength and firmly believes the British should leave India and even if the means of achieving this bring terror and destruction to the streets of Calcutta then so be it. Maisy was a person who you liked on one page and then the next her actions made you think what on earth is she doing? Can she not see the situation she has placed herself in? I'd love to say she was strong throughout but the strength she has is rather a gritty determination to see that the best is done for her family but the way she goes about this is not what I thought she would do on first meeting her. It is up to her to make sure her family can continue to live in India and an extra surprise puts further pressure on her to make things all right. There are people relying on her and meeting Gordon MacBrayne a Scottish businessman who supplies materials to the army changes her life. But I did feel she took an easy option instead of following her heart. On the other hand I suppose you could say she had no other choice as her family were down in the gutter and constant suffering was around the corner. Life turns out good with Gordon or so it seems but as the British hold over India begins to unravel so does the life Maisy thought she had built even though her heart had always still firmly remained with someone else.
As I have said the story is also told from Pushpa's perspective and I have to say reading of her childhood was excellent. Even if overall Maisy's chapters were just slightly better. Pushpa had come from a family of tenant farmers and we discover she lost everything when the worst storm ever hit. The scenes describing this storm were vivid and harrowing and I could picture everything so clearly in my mind. It left me bereft that she was forced to leave everything she had known and partake in an arranged marriage that was to be cruel and unloving. From here we follow Pushpa and her story until she begins work for Maisy's family and the author did not for one minute shy away from the harsh realities Pushpa had to face even still when she was living and working with Maisy. Puspha really was an incredible character. She was loyal and devoted to Maisy and only wanted to see the best outcome for her. Like myself she didn't approve of some of the Maisy's actions but could see she had no other choice. Pushpa was more of a mother to Maisy than her own natural mother and tried to prevent Maisy from seeing what was really going on. Their lives were not that of the British who lived in the rich colonial mansions. Alcohol, drugs, prostitution and poverty were there for the reader to see and it was handled extremely well throughout the novel. Reading from both Maisy and Pushpa's mindsets was intriguing because we read of the same situation but I never who quite to believe. Their opinions regrading Maisy's actions were so different but at all times Pushpa remained devoted and defended Maisy right to the bitter end. No more so demonstrated than in the final heart breaking scenes.
Not once does Louise Brown hold back with her descriptions of the downfall of the British empire in India. At times the descriptions were repulsive and harrowing but it all needed to be in the book. It made it clear that everything wasn't a bed of roses and this image of the glory days of the British as portrayed in other books and TV programmes was not in fact what happened towards the end. It was bloody and brutal and Maisy had her role to play. She puts herself in the ultimate danger many times over because the love she has inside her is so strong and powerful that only through finding the answer and the person she seeks that this longing and urge will be satisfied. So many times Maisy was down and out very near to the gutter but for the sake of her family she picks herself up because she knows her mother is in no position to do so. If she does nothing than they more or less would just stop and lay down and die. With Pushpa by her side Maisy continues on even if there was brief period when everything went a bit lacklustre and I thought is this it.Is this how everything will pan out even though I knew there was more to come?
Eden Gardens built and built to a stunning conclusion. Yes the middle may have slacked off a bit but the ending more than made up for this. My heart was in my mouth and I felt the characters desperation and urgency. The last few pages were the best in the novel. The writing was perfect and conveyed so well the horror and fear because I certainly felt it too. Some may think the very end is a bit ambiguous where as I felt it was definitive and I was happy with how it all turned out. Louise Brown is certainly a talent to watch out for. The elements I enjoy in a historical fiction novel were here in abundance. I will be interested to see will she return to India for her next novel but I would also love her to try a time slip novel as I think she could do a good job of mixing the past and the present. Meanwhile Eden Gardens is a must buy.
December 7, 2024
Lovely tale of Romance, Race and the Old India that ended in 1948
They say that when you finish a good book is like you are saying farewell to a good friend, this Is one of those.
Farewell to blonde pretty Maisy and her true forbidden love for Sunil, the Indian revolutionary. Bye to Pushpa the ever loyal servant who was her real mother, because Mem, her biological real Mom loved the bottle more.
Adios to that Colonial India that was the scene of so many tales and Hello to the true India that lives now, to where I am sure Maisy and Sunil ghosts still walk across the Howrah Bridge.
Recommended to anyone who loves India and her history.
They say that when you finish a good book is like you are saying farewell to a good friend, this Is one of those.
Farewell to blonde pretty Maisy and her true forbidden love for Sunil, the Indian revolutionary. Bye to Pushpa the ever loyal servant who was her real mother, because Mem, her biological real Mom loved the bottle more.
Adios to that Colonial India that was the scene of so many tales and Hello to the true India that lives now, to where I am sure Maisy and Sunil ghosts still walk across the Howrah Bridge.
Recommended to anyone who loves India and her history.
September 14, 2019
This is the second book I have read from this author and I loved this one as much as the first one by her that I read. I chose to read this book due to reading the blurb and it sounded very interesting. It’s set in India in the 1940s and it’s interesting to read the way of life and the cultural differences that existed at that time, and some still do today. If you are expecting a love story you shall be disappointed, but if you are expecting a wonderfully written story about the struggle of Indian women in that time period then you shall love this book as much as I do.
July 11, 2021
Brilliant! Absolutely fascinating! I loved every moment of this book and I read it cover to cover in record time. Simply couldn’t put it down. Such an eye opener into another side of British India. Highly recommended.
I hope you’re still writing Louise because I cannot wait to purchase another novel of yours (I’ve already purchased the Himalayan Summer to read soon) but I hope for more from you.
I hope you’re still writing Louise because I cannot wait to purchase another novel of yours (I’ve already purchased the Himalayan Summer to read soon) but I hope for more from you.
October 10, 2021
Set in 1940s Calcutta where British Maisie has always lived with her parents. After her father dies her Mam takes the only work open to her to survive. Maisie follows her after having a son Charlie to Indian activist Sunil. The novel focuses on Maisie, her mother, ayah/servant Pushpah, and their struggles as India suffers major changes and challenges. The academic author has done a lot of study into the sex trade in South Asia. It is a good read but I enjoyed her later Himalayan Summer more.
September 5, 2020
A truly memorable story set at the time of Indian independence and the separation into two. The story
Is told in the first person by the principal unforgettable characters. Their lives brought to life by the power of the authors writing.
Is told in the first person by the principal unforgettable characters. Their lives brought to life by the power of the authors writing.
September 15, 2016
This review first appeared on Dual Reads
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a novel recommended for those who enjoy the novels of Santa Montefiore and I would agree, to an extent. Like Montefiore's novels the era and setting are wonderfully evoked and the writing is compelling. However, this is a far darker and less hopeful story than I had expected.
The book is written in alternating chapters between Maisy and her ayah Pushpa. Of the two I found I preferred Pushpa's narrative as she was a more sympathetic character. Maisy struck me as a bit boring, she looked down on her Mother for choosing prostitution and dismissed any claims that her own choices resembled her mothers. She could be very self indulgent at times and, much as she would hate to admit it, she became more and more like her mother as the novel progressed. Pushpa on the other hand came across as a strong and caring woman who, nevertheless, accepted the harsh realities of the life around her.
The real strength of this novel lies in the historical detail and the writing. This book doesn't flinch from showing the realities of British colonialism and I really enjoyed the perspectives of the characters on this. Maisy is technically British but, having been born in Calcutta, she often finds her sympathies lie elsewhere and, as Pushpa later reflects, finds that she doesn't really belong in either world. I also really liked the way in which the beautiful writing and descriptions contrasted with the coarseness and harshness of the characters lives.
The romance was intriguingly written. We get both Maisy's lovestruck view of Sunil and Pushpa (and Maisy's mothers) more cynical view and it is left to the reader to decide which more closely resembles the truth. Sunil was only rarely in the story and yet his actions and decisions caused many of the problems in Maisy's life. To me, perhaps because we never see his perspective, I found myself agreeing with Pushpa's perspective more than Maisy's and often disagreed with the choices Maisy made.
As intriguing as the relationship was, I never felt any depth or connection from it since it progressed fast and then Sunil was mostly absent. And so the effects of the relationship and the consequences were of more importance than the relationship itself which I had no real emotions about. I would have liked to be more connected or invested in Sunil and his relationship with Maisy but I also appreciated the ambiguous stance of the author.
I also would have liked the structure of the book to be more linear. The first quarter or so of the book is very jumpy, moving forwards and backwards in the characters lives which could get confusing at times - Maisy's father for example was dead in one scene and then a few scenes on she had a conversation with him. The rest of the book, thankfully, moved forwards at a normal pace but I would have liked dated chapters as with a book like this that spans many years, I find it easier to keep track of events and characters and to put them in their historical context when I know when the chapter takes place.
This is not a hopeful book, there were not really any moments of joy and for the most part I found it to be a depressing novel. But it was a well written story and I did get attached to Pushpa, even if the other characters never truly grabbed my attention. I will be interested to read more by Louise Brown.
Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is a novel recommended for those who enjoy the novels of Santa Montefiore and I would agree, to an extent. Like Montefiore's novels the era and setting are wonderfully evoked and the writing is compelling. However, this is a far darker and less hopeful story than I had expected.
The book is written in alternating chapters between Maisy and her ayah Pushpa. Of the two I found I preferred Pushpa's narrative as she was a more sympathetic character. Maisy struck me as a bit boring, she looked down on her Mother for choosing prostitution and dismissed any claims that her own choices resembled her mothers. She could be very self indulgent at times and, much as she would hate to admit it, she became more and more like her mother as the novel progressed. Pushpa on the other hand came across as a strong and caring woman who, nevertheless, accepted the harsh realities of the life around her.
The real strength of this novel lies in the historical detail and the writing. This book doesn't flinch from showing the realities of British colonialism and I really enjoyed the perspectives of the characters on this. Maisy is technically British but, having been born in Calcutta, she often finds her sympathies lie elsewhere and, as Pushpa later reflects, finds that she doesn't really belong in either world. I also really liked the way in which the beautiful writing and descriptions contrasted with the coarseness and harshness of the characters lives.
The romance was intriguingly written. We get both Maisy's lovestruck view of Sunil and Pushpa (and Maisy's mothers) more cynical view and it is left to the reader to decide which more closely resembles the truth. Sunil was only rarely in the story and yet his actions and decisions caused many of the problems in Maisy's life. To me, perhaps because we never see his perspective, I found myself agreeing with Pushpa's perspective more than Maisy's and often disagreed with the choices Maisy made.
As intriguing as the relationship was, I never felt any depth or connection from it since it progressed fast and then Sunil was mostly absent. And so the effects of the relationship and the consequences were of more importance than the relationship itself which I had no real emotions about. I would have liked to be more connected or invested in Sunil and his relationship with Maisy but I also appreciated the ambiguous stance of the author.
I also would have liked the structure of the book to be more linear. The first quarter or so of the book is very jumpy, moving forwards and backwards in the characters lives which could get confusing at times - Maisy's father for example was dead in one scene and then a few scenes on she had a conversation with him. The rest of the book, thankfully, moved forwards at a normal pace but I would have liked dated chapters as with a book like this that spans many years, I find it easier to keep track of events and characters and to put them in their historical context when I know when the chapter takes place.
This is not a hopeful book, there were not really any moments of joy and for the most part I found it to be a depressing novel. But it was a well written story and I did get attached to Pushpa, even if the other characters never truly grabbed my attention. I will be interested to read more by Louise Brown.
February 18, 2017
Reviews can also be found on my blog Escapades of a Bookworm
Rather than reading like a story this felt more like a memoir of the time, told alternatively between two women, Maisy and Pushpa.
Looking at the cover I thought that this was going to be a gorgeous swoony historical romance, and it is the impression that I got from the back cover. But I was really really wrong in that regard. This book is told in a brutal honest fashion. And the readers’ feelings are not spared. There were some moments when I couldn’t help but cringe uncomfortably.
Eden Gardens tells of two women trying to find themselves in a city rife with racial discrimination and those with a superiority complex. Set against the intriguing background of the 40’s which cover some significant events of Indian history (the Bengal famine, the Second World War and its impact on India, the Independence, Partition, assassination of Gandhi, etc) there is something for everyone to learn about.
This is a gritty, take no prisoners novel that will lead you through the back streets of Calcutta to give a rich sense of atmosphere and escapism. A well-told historical novel this is a book for anyone with a passion for history.
Rather than reading like a story this felt more like a memoir of the time, told alternatively between two women, Maisy and Pushpa.
Looking at the cover I thought that this was going to be a gorgeous swoony historical romance, and it is the impression that I got from the back cover. But I was really really wrong in that regard. This book is told in a brutal honest fashion. And the readers’ feelings are not spared. There were some moments when I couldn’t help but cringe uncomfortably.
Eden Gardens tells of two women trying to find themselves in a city rife with racial discrimination and those with a superiority complex. Set against the intriguing background of the 40’s which cover some significant events of Indian history (the Bengal famine, the Second World War and its impact on India, the Independence, Partition, assassination of Gandhi, etc) there is something for everyone to learn about.
This is a gritty, take no prisoners novel that will lead you through the back streets of Calcutta to give a rich sense of atmosphere and escapism. A well-told historical novel this is a book for anyone with a passion for history.
July 13, 2017
The first book I read, and was the wonderful experience.
March 12, 2019
Book club choice. Not something I'd choose.
May 28, 2016
Initially, I was drawn to the book by its cover which I think has a great sense of place and which conjures the golden heat of a country in turmoil and that's exactly what this book is about; it's about a country at odds with itself, about women who are used, and who are bought and sold as commodities, with little regard for them as people, and it’s also about the sights, scents and sounds of India, which come alive in glorious technicolour. Don't be fooled by the cover as this is not a book for the fainthearted, as parts of the story are difficult to read without feeling a huge sense of hopelessness.
Initially, I thought that the book was rather hard going in places and it took me a little time to warm to Maisy, whose interesting and courageous story takes centre stage. But the writing is good, if a little jumpy, and once I had I settled into the story, probably about two thirds of the way in, I became engrossed in the way India was coming alive in my imagination.
The author writes with great passion about a subject she clearly feels passionate about and that comes across in the way she describes the minutiae of daily life and in her relationships with her characters who she describes in such intricate detail. Reading the notes about the inspiration for the novel at the end of the book goes a long way to explain just why the author has such a fascination for India and its people
I think that this is difficult book to 'enjoy' as it's quite heart wrenching in places, and in a way the cover sort of suggests that the book will be a bit fluffy, which is a bit of a misnomer, as the book is anything but that.
Overall, it’s a good debut novel from an author who is worth watching to see what she comes up with next.
Initially, I thought that the book was rather hard going in places and it took me a little time to warm to Maisy, whose interesting and courageous story takes centre stage. But the writing is good, if a little jumpy, and once I had I settled into the story, probably about two thirds of the way in, I became engrossed in the way India was coming alive in my imagination.
The author writes with great passion about a subject she clearly feels passionate about and that comes across in the way she describes the minutiae of daily life and in her relationships with her characters who she describes in such intricate detail. Reading the notes about the inspiration for the novel at the end of the book goes a long way to explain just why the author has such a fascination for India and its people
I think that this is difficult book to 'enjoy' as it's quite heart wrenching in places, and in a way the cover sort of suggests that the book will be a bit fluffy, which is a bit of a misnomer, as the book is anything but that.
Overall, it’s a good debut novel from an author who is worth watching to see what she comes up with next.
June 9, 2016
This novel looks at the lives of women in India in the 1940's, particularly focusing on Maisy, daughter to an English woman who left home for India to seek a husband and riches. And on Pushpa, Maisy and her mother's ayah.
Some of the story lines were slightly predictable but the evocative writing in this book makes up for it completely. You can feel the hot stickiness on the back of the neck caused by walking through a teeming street in Calcutta. Smell the food, the spices and in some cases the not so pleasant smells of a bustling street. The atmosphere is rich in detail and is pure escapism. Things do get gritty and shocking at times, this book is not as 'fluffy' as the cover leads you to believe. There is some great story writing here, I lost myself completely in the tale of Maisy and Pushpa.
I am a sucker for any period books set in an exotic country and this one didn't disappoint. I will certainly be looking out for more from Louise Brown and recommending this to everyone I can.
Some of the story lines were slightly predictable but the evocative writing in this book makes up for it completely. You can feel the hot stickiness on the back of the neck caused by walking through a teeming street in Calcutta. Smell the food, the spices and in some cases the not so pleasant smells of a bustling street. The atmosphere is rich in detail and is pure escapism. Things do get gritty and shocking at times, this book is not as 'fluffy' as the cover leads you to believe. There is some great story writing here, I lost myself completely in the tale of Maisy and Pushpa.
I am a sucker for any period books set in an exotic country and this one didn't disappoint. I will certainly be looking out for more from Louise Brown and recommending this to everyone I can.
October 22, 2016
This story comes from Calcutta, India in the 1940's where there was great change on the cards which caused much turbulence and unrest. The story follows Maisy who walks through the Eden Gardens, through her eyes seeing the things that she has had to deal with, being born white in India at this time was not easy. Her father dies early on in life and you see how she and her mother deal with his passing . With her mother wrapped up in herself, Maisy has to start fending for herself, skipping school and roaming the streets is not a good start to life. So when a tutor is brought to her home , she catches the tutor's eye and heart.
Sunil a man of great strength and strongly believes that the British need to leave India and will anything to achieve this , no matter the cost. Maisy no having a father around when growing up follows Sunil everywhere not knowing what she is getting her self into , but fate takes a different path towards Gordon Macbrayne .
This story is wrote with great deep and realism, I actually felt I was living there. A great read so go grab a copy.
Sunil a man of great strength and strongly believes that the British need to leave India and will anything to achieve this , no matter the cost. Maisy no having a father around when growing up follows Sunil everywhere not knowing what she is getting her self into , but fate takes a different path towards Gordon Macbrayne .
This story is wrote with great deep and realism, I actually felt I was living there. A great read so go grab a copy.
August 5, 2021
I was really excited to read this book because I received from Lovereading in return for an honest review and I was intrigued by the cover and blurb. This was not some kind of Indian Princess fairytale, nor really just the story of a beggar. It was a good story following a British girl growing up in India, trying to fight poverty. It also follows their ayah, Pushpa and backtracks to her life. Warning:this book includes quite a lot of content on prostitution, so if you don't want some honesty about it, then it isn't for you. The book had a bit of an uneven pace in places but the writing itself was good. The characters were well developed and I managed to sympathise with most. In some ways, Eden Gardens is quite educational, giving you an insight into how the British Empire affected those who were a part of it and what life would have been like at the time. It has great imagery and you can really feel everything that happens.
April 5, 2020
I’m a huge fan of forbidden romances during the time of the British Raj. This book was, in my opinion, beautifully written... the descriptions were detailed, bringing you right into life in Calcutta during the 1940’s. It’s a love story between a young Calcutta born British woman and a Hindu young man. But it’s so much more than that too! Their story, although the main story, isn’t the whole story. It’s a story about a blended, dysfunctional family, unfulfilled dreams and different kinds of love. The POV in the book alternates between Maisy and Pushpa, her loving and beloved, Ayah. It tells the story of Maisy’s coming of age, her disappointments, and Pushpa’s worries for Maisy. I really hoped it would have a happy ending and I can’t say it ended the way I had hoped, but I couldn’t be disappointed with the story. The very last paragraph made me cry. One of best books I’ve read this year.
September 25, 2016
1940s India Where Gender Race and Class makes a difference Maisy starts as a little girl with a mother who sells her body for money maisy mother has huge hopes for maisy to marry a rich man i england so she doesnt have the same fate has her mother pushpa is their servant raising maisy as her own maisy fate is sealed when she falls in love with an indian she has a child and the her love dissappears trying to find a way on her own will she succeed
June 2, 2016
I won this book on a goodread giveaway . I have never come across this author before but
loved it .The story was based in India and the different class system full of prostitutes
slums and huge mansions very down to earth and very good Many Thanks
loved it .The story was based in India and the different class system full of prostitutes
slums and huge mansions very down to earth and very good Many Thanks
May 23, 2020
Memorable read!
Especially poignant book for me as I was born in Calcutta and now live in Dundee with my husband. Also, as it's the 70th anniversary of Partition in India this year.
Especially poignant book for me as I was born in Calcutta and now live in Dundee with my husband. Also, as it's the 70th anniversary of Partition in India this year.
January 3, 2016
Loved it. A wonderful story told by three women, set in Calcutta 1940s. So well written you can smell the spices,,
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews