Shambala Junction

by Dipika Mukherjee

Iris, an American, is visiting India for the first time with her fiancé and not enjoying the trip. When she steps down from the train at Shambala Junction to buy a bottle of water, little does she know that her life will radically change. Stranded at the small town, she becomes involved in a local stall-holder’s battle to recover a lost child – one which is about to be sold to a rich Westerner.
Along the way, she discovers not only herself – but also friendship, courage and a love of India.

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kiran Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read about an American named Iris and her experiences immersing into small town life in India. The prose style reminded me a lot of Amitav Ghosh, and the story makes for a great companion reading to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. This book captures a lot of interesting aspects of foreigner life in India, and highly recommendable to any NRI or Non-Indian making their way through the country.

[Riri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book while I was on my lunch break at work. I didn’t expect it to be so good that I started to read it secretly at work (please don’t tell my boss or I might lose my job, haha) and slept so late at night just so I can finish it. And behold! I finished reading it in half a day (kind of).

The synopsis of the book said, “Iris is visiting India from the U.S. for the first time with her fiancé, and not enjoying it. When she steps off the train for a water at Shambala Junction, little does she know that her life is about to undergo a radical change. Along the way, she finds real friendship, learns what counts and grows to love the country.” It doesn’t say a lot except that it is going to be set at Shambala Junction, there is no other information on what is going to happen… Since it doesn’t have any spoiler I will then, try to not have a spoiler in my review. All I can say that it is beautifully written that you won’t be able to put it down once you start reading. It’s full of adventures that keeps you wondering what will happen next, although I wish that there was more details during their fight of getting back Piya. I need more of it.

And I believe that the last chapter with the encounter with the little girl means a part 2, obviously Iris would be going on another adventure and I believe it has something to do again with children’s right and all that. I don’t even mind if it is going to be about that because I believe that books like this helps those who are voiceless (in this case the voices of the trafficked babies/ illegal adoptions) but if this book would have a continuation I would request it to include about what would happen between Zoran and Iris (or am I assuming something here?)

5/5. Would recommend to everyone.

[Meenakshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting! I was simply mesmerized by the story of Iris and her literal and metaphoric "journey".
Shambala Junction compels the reader to engage with the complex issue of international adoption from an ethical and a practical perspective. The author has done a wonderful job of weaving an engaging story that keeps readers mesmerized as they meander through the lanes of Shambala and the lives of the characters. At one hand this is a tender story of love, and on the other it is a tale redemption and of the pursuit of justice for the girl child in contemporary India! I enjoyed the several plot layers in the narrative, the rich description of life in small town India , and the very interesting (global) cast of characters in this book.

[Maxime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book via goodreads in exchange for an honest review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book a rich storyline transporting you to India and its culture
I highly recommend

[Isis Ray-sisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shambala Junction is a great contemporary read. I enjoyed Iris's story. I like that she did a lot of growing in this book. I wasn't sure that I was going to like her at first. She learns a lot about herself and about who she wants to be. I didn't care for her fiance he was a selfish person. I like the fact that Iris was doing what she felt was right even when it could have put her in danger. The friendships she makes along the way are great as well. I would highly recommend Shambala Junction to those who enjoy a good story with a lot of heart.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow.

[World Literature Today]

This book was featured in the Nota Benes section of the May 2017 issue of World Literature Today Magazine.

https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Shambala Junction
Author: Dipika Mukherjee
Publisher: Aurora Metro Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Shambala Junction" by Dipika Mukherjee

My Thoughts....

I rather enjoyed "Shambala Junction" that dealt with a real life issue of 'international adoption.' This story had some real interesting characters from Iris, Danesh, Aman, Laila, Lilavati, Roop, Maitri, Dhiman, Orphanage Madam, Vidyut, Emily, Shabnam, Piya, Kiku, Lakshmy, Zoran to a maybe few others giving this story plot one heck of a very interesting 'journey. We find that Iris and Danesh from the U.S. were on a trip to India but Iris gets off the train in 'Shambala Junction' and that transportation later pulls off without her and that is where this story will pick up. Iris is now alone in India and comes into contact with Aman's cart and that is where this story starts where her life is about to take a 'radical change.' The reader will be told a story that will keep your attention all the way to the end. We find two people that were engaged, a father that makes a horrible decision only to want to take it back but it may be too late, a Canadian in there in India wanting to adopt a Indian baby girl, corruption going on with a baby that is seemed to be wanted by two people, as the story goes on will a engagement be broken and in the end will one of these characters get a better sense of what she wants to do with her life? Now, there will be a lots going on and you will have to keep up with it all but by the end of the story you will definitely get a real idea of what can go on in 'complex issues of adoption ion India' [trafficked babies/illegal adoptions]. There will be several story lines in this story one of a 'redemption and the pursuit of justice for the baby Piya,' a new love story and at the end a young woman maybe finding out about what she really wants in her life...from finding new friendships and what really counts as she grows to love the country there in Shambala Junction.

This story was wonderfully written with such adventures, cultures and also a good descriptions of this country in India..."Shambala Junction.' By the end of the story we find something going on as Iris is on her way to the airport going home, with another little girl that maybe dealing with 'children's rights.' So, I guess we may be in for another read with Iris by this author. Would I recommend this read? YES!

[Lakshmy Menon Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Shambala Junction" was the first book I read in 2021. As soon as I finished reading, I wanted to tell the world how much I enjoyed it. I was on the edge of my seat until the last page. The story deals with many real-world issues, big and small, narrated in a simple, elegant style with deep insight into Indian culture.

The novel begins with an Indo-American girl, Iris from Ohio, traveling with her fiancé Danesh in India. She wanted to experience the real India by traveling on an ordinary train, not the rich would travel. As they were traveling, she steps out to the railway platform in Shambala junction for a cup-of-tea. The train leaves without her, and from that point onwards, her life changes drastically.

Even though the novel is based on child trafficking and international adoption, several subplots are weaved into the main plot to make the story captivating—the problems general to Indians or unique to Indians who live in the USA. The author cleverly shines lights on them in a subtle manner. In the end, Iris learns a valuable, life-changing lesson which she would not have gained even from any Ivy League schools. Characters like Lilavati, Maitri, Lakshmy, and the little Laila teach us that beneath the layers of poverty, there are people who value kindness, respect, and humanity rather than affluency.

I highly recommend this book for the beautiful writing and cultural adventures. I also believe that Iris's experience will be great for the children who grow up in the US or other affluent countries to go to India and experience first hand. It will make them humble, and who knows, they may become future human rights activists, wholeheartedly dedicating their lives for the betterness of humans. It will be a culturally rich and metamorphic experience.

[Joan Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story, SHAMBALA JUNCTION, is a FIND. Our protag, Indian-born Iris, has been raised in the States and thoroughly Americanized. The story opens when spoiled Iris is touring India with her controlling fiance when she steps off their train for a quick refreshment when a mishap causes her delay and she’s left behind at the Shambala Junction train station. Although Indian, she feels like a stranger. It’s a clever character portrayal for through Iris’ eyes we see India first as a chaotic strange place, gradually becoming familiar as the people and places turn from first-impression to full-bodied people. Penniless and unable to speak the language she finds herself embroiled in a stranger’s family emergency. She’s initially pressured and then wants to help them. Politics, poverty, family, crime comes through Iris’ eyes and it’s all relatable. Author Mukherjee casts light on the underbelly crime of infant kidnapping/trafficking. At times sobering, often warm – as the story progresses IIris finds an identity embracing both cultures, learning to become a better version of herself along the way.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an easy read and liked the style of writing however there were aspects of the story that were a bit unrealistic. The baby trafficking theme is quite believable but the way Iris ( an wealthy American of Indian background) met up with and became involved with the very poor local Indian families is a bit far fetched.

Why was she not ill from eating the local food and drinking their water? I can’t see a spoiled rich girl coping with living in a poor local Indian home but still it was an interesting story.

I liked the fact that the best and strongest characters were female . Not all the males were a waste of good oxygen but they didn’t come over that well with the exception of Zoran.

This was a nice easy travel read that I enjoyed while on ferries and needing a book that didn’t need s lot of concentration.

[Meera · Rating 5 out of 5]

kudos to the writer for a job well done. absolutely loved the story of iris. the writer depicted real-life scenario of what goes on in India. sad to see people still regarding girls as a problem.

[Eline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved to hate this book at times, it was so gut wrenching. Where You wanted to root for a character, but at the same time not because it would be something much worse for others.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting perspective of another culture...and fascinating story...

[Katdakoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Sam - Spines in a Line · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Read for Review for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Find more of my reviews at https://spinesinaline.wordpress.com!

I know my rating is quite different than others here and I did share a lot of the things other reviewers enjoyed. The story itself was really good! I don't want to give too much away because the blurb here is quite short but just to give you a little more to go on:

Iris is traveling with her fiance to India when she gets lost at a train station. A family takes her in and as she tries to find a way home, this family is facing problems of their own. There are a lot of different perspectives in this book, which I loved. While Iris is our main character, we also get to learn the individual stories of at least 6 (if I'm counting correctly) others and see how all of these fit together into the larger narrative.

Also I loved finding out that the author is a linguist as this is my major in university! It's always surprising when something talks about linguistics, especially correctly, and there's a brief mention of a linguist in this book. So it made a lot of sense when I found out the author herself is a linguist!

So now it's time for what I didn't like. I was expecting that a story set in India, written by an Indian author would escape the stereotypical representation that non-"own voices" stories tend to follow and unfortunately this was not the case. Beginning with Iris, our first introduction to India and its people is through her eyes and she consistently refers to the place in terms of it being backwards and dirty, and how disgusted she is by her surroundings. As well, her breasts are referred to 3 times in the first three chapters (twice by herself!) which felt wholly unnecessary!

I felt really uncomfortable with how the people in this story were portrayed and it didn't end with Indian representation. There was also a Japanese character and while we heard from her perspective at first, the second half of the book only ever saw her through the eyes of another main character. The worst part is that this character would only refer to her beauty in terms of her likeness to a "porcelain doll" and her wide eyes that make her resemble anime. Not good.

While the Japanese representation felt problematic throughout, the stereotypes of Indian people did feel like they were tamed as we progressed through the book, which felt like it was tied to the growth of the characters. However I wish this representation didn't depend on the character's personal journeys. Since we're seeing only through their eyes, we never get the chance to see these characters for ourselves without the biased opinions tainting our view.

Representation was not up to par with the story and I wish the first half of the book matched the second in its portrayal and characterization.

[Ashok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iris, an NRI, is travelling by train with her fiancé. She detrains at Shambala Junction to buy a bottle of water, but when the trains takes off before she is onboard, she is stranded there with little money, no passport, no mobile phone, and almost no knowledge of the local language; her original plans get derailed, and she is sucked into a maelstrom of events, including a stall-holder’s battle to recover his lost infant daughter – which is about to be sold to a rich Westerner. Forced to live with the family of stall-holder Aman, she learns a lot from them, and finally gets attached to them and the genuine social workers involved in rescuing and improving the lives of poor girls.
The last scene hits at a possible sequel, which I would love to read.
The plot and narration (dealing with the real life issues of corruption and international adoption by any and all means) made me feel like R. K. Narayan is writing about a more topical issue (remember his 'The Vendor of Sweets'?).
All the characters are interesting and none is one-dimensional. A great read, a wonderful word picture, and highly recommended!

[Umma]

Loved it!