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SILK (Heart of India book 1)
Two Worlds Clash as a Young English Heiress and an Orphaned Boy, an “Touchable,” Become Inextricably Entwined.
Coral Kendall is an heiress to the Kingscote Silk Plantation in northern India in the last decade of the 1700s. Breaching cultural boundaries and shunning the scorn of her wealthy English family, she adopts an young orphaned boy, an “Untouchable” from the bottom of the Hindu cast system, and brings him into her home. Despite their contrasting cultures and backgrounds, the bond of love that develops between them is that of a mother and son. But tragedy strikes when the boy is abducted.
Was there a reason to believe that Gem has not perished?
Was the boy’s true identity what she had been led to believe?
How could she discover the truth?
One man—the bold and handsome, British Major Jace Buckley, who desires freedom from the military to start his own tea plantation in Darjeeling—may hold the key to Gem’s disappearance. Can she gain the Major’s help in discovering the truth and win the struggle for the illusive adventurer’s heart?
Linda Chaikin is a best-selling author of 35 books whose Heart of India, and Royal Pavilions series, have delighted readers for years.
Two Worlds Clash as a Young English Heiress and an Orphaned Boy, an “Touchable,” Become Inextricably Entwined.
Coral Kendall is an heiress to the Kingscote Silk Plantation in northern India in the last decade of the 1700s. Breaching cultural boundaries and shunning the scorn of her wealthy English family, she adopts an young orphaned boy, an “Untouchable” from the bottom of the Hindu cast system, and brings him into her home. Despite their contrasting cultures and backgrounds, the bond of love that develops between them is that of a mother and son. But tragedy strikes when the boy is abducted.
Was there a reason to believe that Gem has not perished?
Was the boy’s true identity what she had been led to believe?
How could she discover the truth?
One man—the bold and handsome, British Major Jace Buckley, who desires freedom from the military to start his own tea plantation in Darjeeling—may hold the key to Gem’s disappearance. Can she gain the Major’s help in discovering the truth and win the struggle for the illusive adventurer’s heart?
Linda Chaikin is a best-selling author of 35 books whose Heart of India, and Royal Pavilions series, have delighted readers for years.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1993
38 people are currently reading
1047 people want to read
About the author
Linda Lee Chaikin
47 books229 followersLinda Chaikin is a Christian fiction author with a focus on historical fiction. She sometimes publishes using the name L.L. Chaikin.
Linda was the youngest of 10 children and her father died shortly after she was born. She wrote her first full-length novel with pen and paper at the age of 14 - this novel was later rewritten as Wednesday's Child, part of the Day to Remember series.
She met her husband, Steve, in a Bible study, and they were married 6 months later. They both went to Multnomah School for the Bible, now known as Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
Linda was the youngest of 10 children and her father died shortly after she was born. She wrote her first full-length novel with pen and paper at the age of 14 - this novel was later rewritten as Wednesday's Child, part of the Day to Remember series.
She met her husband, Steve, in a Bible study, and they were married 6 months later. They both went to Multnomah School for the Bible, now known as Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 29, 2022
4 stars - Dutch hardcover
Review follows later.
Review follows later.
March 31, 2023
4.25⭐️
October 1, 2025
I read this well over a decade ago and fell in love with Chaikin's writing. It was so full of history as well as interesting characters. What I didn't appreciate as much as than is a do now is the deep faith of her characters. I love how Coral loves the LORD and boldly serves Him. I plan to start the next book very soon.
February 23, 2020
Oh, man. Christian fiction, y'all. 😂
I used to love this trilogy, and while I still do appreciate certain things about it, it has not . . . aged flawlessly, shall we say. 🤣
I used to love this trilogy, and while I still do appreciate certain things about it, it has not . . . aged flawlessly, shall we say. 🤣
January 7, 2023
#2023ReadingChallenge
#6Youngboyonthecover
#6 Young boy on the Cover
Book: Silk
Author: Linda Chaikin
Why I chose this book: I love Linda, and it has a young boy on the cover who is the catalyst to many of the events in the book. I couldn't resist!
Full disclosure! I made this list kind of already leaning towards books that were already on my to my TBR list.
Not all, but some of the books have already been populated simply because I knew what I wanted to read.
My best friend introduced me to Linda Chaikin about five years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. As a personal goal, I will read every book she has ever written. I truly believe she is an unsung hero in the CF genre and she does not get enough flowers!
I finished Silk, the first book in her Heart of India trilogy on New Year’s Eve. Silk was her first published work.
I gave the book a four star on Goodreads, simply because though I loved it, and would highly recommend it, compared to her other first entries (she does a lot of trilogies), I found this one overly talkative. Maybe she was finding her footing as this is her first book, but compared to her others, there was less action and more talking.
As usual, I found the characters and location engaging, FYI this is Linda's gift, combining complex characters with exotic or atypical locations, i.e. this one takes place in colonial India. Coral is a girl I can relate to and Jace is intriguing. Coral's desire to bring the gospel to the untouchables in India is crafted in a way that I can appreciate. It is not preachy or "I'm civilized, so I know best" but shines from a pure heart of a young girl that has a very genuine relationship with Jesus. This relationship is reflected in the choices she makes, the way she carries herself and the way she reacts to surroundings. I couldn't put it down and finished it in three days!
Overall I highly recommend this one!
Have you read it? If so what did you think?
What will you be reading for #6 of this challenge? Please let me know!
Join my 2023 reading challenge at the link below
https://www.facebook.com/groups/scrip...
#6Youngboyonthecover
#6 Young boy on the Cover
Book: Silk
Author: Linda Chaikin
Why I chose this book: I love Linda, and it has a young boy on the cover who is the catalyst to many of the events in the book. I couldn't resist!
Full disclosure! I made this list kind of already leaning towards books that were already on my to my TBR list.
Not all, but some of the books have already been populated simply because I knew what I wanted to read.
My best friend introduced me to Linda Chaikin about five years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. As a personal goal, I will read every book she has ever written. I truly believe she is an unsung hero in the CF genre and she does not get enough flowers!
I finished Silk, the first book in her Heart of India trilogy on New Year’s Eve. Silk was her first published work.
I gave the book a four star on Goodreads, simply because though I loved it, and would highly recommend it, compared to her other first entries (she does a lot of trilogies), I found this one overly talkative. Maybe she was finding her footing as this is her first book, but compared to her others, there was less action and more talking.
As usual, I found the characters and location engaging, FYI this is Linda's gift, combining complex characters with exotic or atypical locations, i.e. this one takes place in colonial India. Coral is a girl I can relate to and Jace is intriguing. Coral's desire to bring the gospel to the untouchables in India is crafted in a way that I can appreciate. It is not preachy or "I'm civilized, so I know best" but shines from a pure heart of a young girl that has a very genuine relationship with Jesus. This relationship is reflected in the choices she makes, the way she carries herself and the way she reacts to surroundings. I couldn't put it down and finished it in three days!
Overall I highly recommend this one!
Have you read it? If so what did you think?
What will you be reading for #6 of this challenge? Please let me know!
Join my 2023 reading challenge at the link below
https://www.facebook.com/groups/scrip...
August 14, 2018
Having read two books by this author and liking one and not liking the other, I started this book unsure. But it was recommended by a few people, so I tried it.
I ended up enjoying it even though it wasn't a time period I normally read about. A few times I was expecting a telegram to appear in the story, but then I reminded myself of the year.
The characters were living, and I felt like I wanted to step into the story and help them a few times. Coral's courage made me love her, and Jace, well, I felt for him.
Most of the book was set in India, the India of the East India Company (Ugh!), William Carry's India, but there was some time spent in England where John Newton made an appearance.
The Christianity was good and, though it wasn't as strong in some places, it was there, and it wasn't mixed. I enjoyed how John and Charles Westley were influential in the story through their teaching and hymns.
My biggest complaint is that the story does not wrap up at the end of Book 1. Instead of tying loose ends together, the author introduces some new twists that left me running to the library.
I ended up enjoying it even though it wasn't a time period I normally read about. A few times I was expecting a telegram to appear in the story, but then I reminded myself of the year.
The characters were living, and I felt like I wanted to step into the story and help them a few times. Coral's courage made me love her, and Jace, well, I felt for him.
Most of the book was set in India, the India of the East India Company (Ugh!), William Carry's India, but there was some time spent in England where John Newton made an appearance.
The Christianity was good and, though it wasn't as strong in some places, it was there, and it wasn't mixed. I enjoyed how John and Charles Westley were influential in the story through their teaching and hymns.
My biggest complaint is that the story does not wrap up at the end of Book 1. Instead of tying loose ends together, the author introduces some new twists that left me running to the library.
April 9, 2018
This book was very exotic and historically detailed- it was like I was in India, under the East India Company. I loved Jace, and look forward to seeing more of him and the heroine together. It would have been a four star book for me, except I had a hard time getting through some of the darkness in the story. I know death and loss are a part of life, but it just seemed unnecessary. Which is realistic. But too realistic for me- I have a hard time with deaths of those kinds of characters. Other than that, it was an enthralling read with a beautiful cover.
May 31, 2024
I will freely admit I'm one of those terrible people that judge books by their covers hence why this book has been on my shelf for so many years, I really don't like the cover which reflects it's age of 30 years.
But there's a reason they say don't judge a book by its cover because this turned out to be a great read. A great read that's part of a continuing story that ends on a cliff hanger and now I just have to read the rest of the series to find out what happens!
This book is 110% Christian fiction, so much gospel and scripture throughout the story, like so much! And it's rich in history and detail with many familiar historical figures making appearances or mentions. It definitely has that older style of writing and does show its age at times but overall I'd say it's aged fairly well. This first book in the series was very much setting the foundation of the story and spanned quite a few years to get everything in place for the coming drama and boy what drama is coming! The only thing missing was some romance but as it's a continuing story, I have high hopes of getting that in the next book! Can't wait!
But there's a reason they say don't judge a book by its cover because this turned out to be a great read. A great read that's part of a continuing story that ends on a cliff hanger and now I just have to read the rest of the series to find out what happens!
This book is 110% Christian fiction, so much gospel and scripture throughout the story, like so much! And it's rich in history and detail with many familiar historical figures making appearances or mentions. It definitely has that older style of writing and does show its age at times but overall I'd say it's aged fairly well. This first book in the series was very much setting the foundation of the story and spanned quite a few years to get everything in place for the coming drama and boy what drama is coming! The only thing missing was some romance but as it's a continuing story, I have high hopes of getting that in the next book! Can't wait!
March 25, 2019
Too much religion for my taste. It basically encourages Hindi’s conversion to Christianity, and putting one religion above another doesn’t sit well with me
August 18, 2012
"Silk" is a Christian historical novel set in 1793 to 1799 in northeast India and in London, England. This book is the first in a trilogy, but I didn't realize that when I picked it out. I kept waiting for the pace to pick up so that something would get resolved before the end, but it didn't. Very little was resolved, and it ended like the end of a chapter instead of the book. (The next book does, indeed, pick up exactly where this one left off.)
Though the back cover book description indicates that the "sea captain" will be Coral's love interest, it doesn't happen in this book. He isn't even a suitable match for her at this point. Two other men seem like wonderful men and share her interests, and I would have preferred she end up with one of them. But I suppose things will change in the next two novels.
I didn't like that we're never given a reason why a certain main character put himself in danger after saying common sense and sickness would prevent him, he was commanded not to, and there was no need for him to.
All that said, this is a very interesting time period. The British were slowly taking over parts of India and missionaries were starting to reach out to the Indians. Coral is linked by birth to British trade interests in India yet linked by her heart to telling the Untouchables about Christ despite the danger of doing so. For the most part, the historical everyday, cultural, and political details were woven into the story rather than being lectures, and there were plenty of political intrigues going on that pushed the story forward.
The Christian element was a strong part of the story, but I felt it was worked naturally into the flow of the story. There was no bad language or sex. Despite what I felt were flaws in the writing, I did enjoy the main characters and the dilemmas they faced and so I'd recommend this novel to those who enjoy historicals and are interested in this time period.
Though the back cover book description indicates that the "sea captain" will be Coral's love interest, it doesn't happen in this book. He isn't even a suitable match for her at this point. Two other men seem like wonderful men and share her interests, and I would have preferred she end up with one of them. But I suppose things will change in the next two novels.
I didn't like that we're never given a reason why a certain main character put himself in danger after saying common sense and sickness would prevent him, he was commanded not to, and there was no need for him to.
All that said, this is a very interesting time period. The British were slowly taking over parts of India and missionaries were starting to reach out to the Indians. Coral is linked by birth to British trade interests in India yet linked by her heart to telling the Untouchables about Christ despite the danger of doing so. For the most part, the historical everyday, cultural, and political details were woven into the story rather than being lectures, and there were plenty of political intrigues going on that pushed the story forward.
The Christian element was a strong part of the story, but I felt it was worked naturally into the flow of the story. There was no bad language or sex. Despite what I felt were flaws in the writing, I did enjoy the main characters and the dilemmas they faced and so I'd recommend this novel to those who enjoy historicals and are interested in this time period.
October 1, 2008
This was a bit of a disappointment. The christian theme was over powering and I felt unrealistic for instance the year is 1793 and the main characters mother baptizes a native in India. I felt that was far fetched for the time period. I kept waiting for a resolution between the love interests, only to find that the book is the first in a series that is more like a soap opera than a seperate book in a series. Bugging! I don't think I'll read the other books in the series, the only reason I finished this one was to see if the two love interests got together, and they didn't by the end of the first book, nor was there any resolution in the plot at all.
August 1, 2013
Loved the last obvious suspense of a romantic story born and sustained through all the usual break-ups. Great historic setting from England to India,not forgetting Spain. Great christian and spirituality setting too,atleast it makes you relate.
March 27, 2019
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
March 3, 2023
Absolutely adored this series in junior high, and I refuse to reread because I’m sure it’s cheesy, trite, and beyond cringeworthy.
October 24, 2020
The "Heart of India" trilogy was one I read many a time in the early years of my Christian-fiction experience (junior high school and beyond). It was a small genre then, so I read and re-read what was available - including this series. And I loved it!
I revisited just now after a long absence, partly because I was between library books, and also to see if the book and series held up after so long. It totally does ... and with this first re-read, anyway, I was amazed at:
- how much I'd forgotten
- how Chaikin interweaves history not only of India, but Bible translation, mission work, and hymn writing (oh haiiiii, John Newton!! Like, whaaat?! Love it!)
- how much more there is to the series than "just" a love story.
I was also struck by the prevalence of powerful people drugging others to cover things up, make them question their sanity, and more -- 1700s gaslighting, basically (and unfortunately). So much I didn't pick up on 20-some years ago, or I did to some extent but not near to the same level as now.
All of the above combines to really testify to Chaikin's skill as a writer and her ability to create a layered read that stands the test of time, as well as to deal with super tough subjects in a sensitive way--not backing away from or glossing over their wrongness, but also not giving them undue attention or trying to justify them.
There were a handful of grammatical errors I didn't recall from the print books (I read the Kindle version)--likely due to transition from print to ebook. But, that's not at all a reflection of content!
I revisited just now after a long absence, partly because I was between library books, and also to see if the book and series held up after so long. It totally does ... and with this first re-read, anyway, I was amazed at:
- how much I'd forgotten
- how Chaikin interweaves history not only of India, but Bible translation, mission work, and hymn writing (oh haiiiii, John Newton!! Like, whaaat?! Love it!)
- how much more there is to the series than "just" a love story.
I was also struck by the prevalence of powerful people drugging others to cover things up, make them question their sanity, and more -- 1700s gaslighting, basically (and unfortunately). So much I didn't pick up on 20-some years ago, or I did to some extent but not near to the same level as now.
All of the above combines to really testify to Chaikin's skill as a writer and her ability to create a layered read that stands the test of time, as well as to deal with super tough subjects in a sensitive way--not backing away from or glossing over their wrongness, but also not giving them undue attention or trying to justify them.
There were a handful of grammatical errors I didn't recall from the print books (I read the Kindle version)--likely due to transition from print to ebook. But, that's not at all a reflection of content!
December 28, 2016
I wish Goodreads allowed you to rate with half stars. I would give this book probably more of a 3 and a half rather than a 4 star rating.
What I didn't like about this book:
1. There were a couple weird things: A woman performs a baptism at the beginning of the book; and really?? Jace and Coral couldn't recognize each other at all after 5 years? Really??
2. The story lagged a little bit. Sometimes I wondered, "where is this going?"
3. Too much unnecessary detail. I don't need to know what Jace or Coral were wearing every time they come back on the scene. I don't care!
What I liked:
1. She made India come to life.
2. Coral was a perfect Christian girl, the kind I usually hate in CF; but she was strong, spunky, and determined, which really made up for that.
3. Good character development.
4. Unresolved questions that make me look forward to the next book.
5. Accurate representation of trusting God in hard times, and good depiction of God's burden for the lost and the need for foreign missions.
6. Mostly colorful characters, although some of them are a little obvious.
Overall, a good book, and I'm looking forward to book 2!
What I didn't like about this book:
1. There were a couple weird things: A woman performs a baptism at the beginning of the book; and really?? Jace and Coral couldn't recognize each other at all after 5 years? Really??
2. The story lagged a little bit. Sometimes I wondered, "where is this going?"
3. Too much unnecessary detail. I don't need to know what Jace or Coral were wearing every time they come back on the scene. I don't care!
What I liked:
1. She made India come to life.
2. Coral was a perfect Christian girl, the kind I usually hate in CF; but she was strong, spunky, and determined, which really made up for that.
3. Good character development.
4. Unresolved questions that make me look forward to the next book.
5. Accurate representation of trusting God in hard times, and good depiction of God's burden for the lost and the need for foreign missions.
6. Mostly colorful characters, although some of them are a little obvious.
Overall, a good book, and I'm looking forward to book 2!
April 9, 2023
2.5
This felt like a very long set up to another book. I do think my expectations impact my rating because I expected there to be an end to Coral’s story in this book. However, the theology was fairly solid (the personal relationship emphasis definitely feels like it was written in 70s/80s originally) so I appreciated that. I just feel like it was so much telling. I enjoyed the brief moments of dialogue. And whenever Jace and Coral actually talked aka like 3 times in the whole book.
This felt like a very long set up to another book. I do think my expectations impact my rating because I expected there to be an end to Coral’s story in this book. However, the theology was fairly solid (the personal relationship emphasis definitely feels like it was written in 70s/80s originally) so I appreciated that. I just feel like it was so much telling. I enjoyed the brief moments of dialogue. And whenever Jace and Coral actually talked aka like 3 times in the whole book.
June 14, 2020
Solid 3.5, though I'm not entirely sure why. It had everything I generally like in historical fiction. But something about it just didn't... I don't know. I wondered if it was the missionary thing, but I can't say so, having loved books like The Poisonwood Bible. Not entirely sure. Nor am I sure I'll continue the series. But not too mad about it. Still enjoyed myself.
December 18, 2022
2-3 First read when it came out and re-read in 2022. It was okay, but I wished for more plot and character development. It seems a bit flat and readers need the second and third novels for resolution and progression. The novel is set in India and England in the late 1700's, and deals with a family's silk plantation and the power of the East India Company, but it just didn't come alive for me.
May 6, 2022
It's probably been 20 years since I last read this book. It's been quite an adventure trying to differentiate characters between this series and another by the same author. I've forgotten a lot, but also remembered a lot as I read. Looking forward to continuing with book two.
January 15, 2025
I read this series in college. Jace is my favorite hero of all time! I love how his character developes over the course of the 3 books. This is a complex story that I really had to pay attention to or I would miss important details. Excellent clean Christian Fiction.
July 14, 2017
I liked the setting on a silk plantation. This book is part romance, part period book but doesn't have the usual romance book ending.
December 12, 2020
Rating: 3.5
This book was pretty good, though rather cliché. Chaikin is quite good however at writing hooking chapter endings. And Jace is pretty cool, though exceedingly proud!!!
This book was pretty good, though rather cliché. Chaikin is quite good however at writing hooking chapter endings. And Jace is pretty cool, though exceedingly proud!!!
December 27, 2021
Amazing characters, although frustrating at times 😂 Would totally recommend for someone looking for a little Romance, mystery, culture, independence and faith!
April 2, 2023
The first book of a trilogy I read many years ago, I now look forward to seeing what happens with Gem, Jace and Coral.
July 25, 2024
Excellent book....kept one's interest throughout but it never answered the question of what happened to the child. I felt deceived as I thought that was the point of reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2025
It was written very well, I felt like I was sitting right in the middle of every scene! But it does leave off on a cliff hanger so if your going to read it make sure you have the next book handy.
September 23, 2024
I had a difficult time getting into this book. About halfway through, I started skimming portions of it. Although I am interested in knowing how it ends, I probably won't read the rest of the series.
September 7, 2022
My 2nd favorite Linda Chaikin series. Set in a time period I’ve read little about. I’ve read this series at least 5+ times. Set in India when the British ruled, a love story with intrigue and mystery.
January 5, 2017
I like books that inform me historically about a culture. This is one. The book is based on the cast system in India. The unbreakable system is being broken by a hard headed young woman from one of the controlling families of the time. Just when you are thinking, "where can the book go from here", is has another interesting turn. When you approach the last few chapters of the book you are very aware this book must be read as a series because none of the problems have even been remotely solved. So, I am on to the second book of the series. I think if you tried to read book two as a stand alone you would be lost.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews