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The Rainbow Acres
In the spring of 1916, seventeen-year-old Kishan Singh is euphoric in his village Noor Mahal in Punjab, British India, as he dreams of going to college, landing a government job and marrying his heart-throb Roop. Summer flies in with promise but ends in disaster when heavy rains flood the fields, wrecking the cotton crop and triggering influenza, which leaves behind a trail of dead villagers. Kishan Singh’s dreams are ruthlessly washed away. Devastated, he sets off on a life-threatening voyage across two oceans for a distant and unknown land.
On a cataclysmic day in 1919, Sophia’s idyllic world in Guadalajara, Mexico, falls apart when she becomes a hapless victim to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. She battles hunger, poverty and near prostitution before embarking on a perilous night journey across the border.
Will their paths cross in the land of opportunities that is overrun with racial and class barriers?
'The Rainbow Acres' is a moving saga of migration, selfless love, fortitude, friendship, and the quest for land and identity, set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and revolution-torn Mexico.
On a cataclysmic day in 1919, Sophia’s idyllic world in Guadalajara, Mexico, falls apart when she becomes a hapless victim to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. She battles hunger, poverty and near prostitution before embarking on a perilous night journey across the border.
Will their paths cross in the land of opportunities that is overrun with racial and class barriers?
'The Rainbow Acres' is a moving saga of migration, selfless love, fortitude, friendship, and the quest for land and identity, set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and revolution-torn Mexico.
- GenresFiction
287 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2018
2 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Simrita Dhir
2 books5 followersSimrita Dhir is an academic and novelist. She is a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Standard Awardee. She lectures on writing at the University of California, San Diego, and is the author of the novels 'The Rainbow Acres' and 'The Song of Distant Bulbuls'. Readers may connect with her on:
Facebook @ The Song of Distant Bulbuls
Instagram@ simrita_dhir
Facebook @ The Song of Distant Bulbuls
Instagram@ simrita_dhir
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
December 31, 2019
This book is the story of Kishan and Sophia, two different people living in two different places in two different times (twenty years apart), which move in parallel and finally merge. The author has described these two characters in detail and taken us on their life journey, their ups and downs and introduced us to their childhood, adulthood and their families. Other than these two main characters, other supporting characters have also been described in detail and have important roles to play in the story. The author has given space to both the characters alternating their chapters so the reader just moves with them and the merger becomes a part of the narrative.
The language is simple and there are descriptions of different cultures: Punjabi and Mexican. The research that has gone into the book is reflected. The descriptions are detailed and some scenes could be easily visualized. I felt that the cover could have been different. The book is evenly paced and the story stayed with me for long after I finished it. The story has friendship, immigration, struggle, descriptions of history, romance, and family relationships.
A very well written debut.
The language is simple and there are descriptions of different cultures: Punjabi and Mexican. The research that has gone into the book is reflected. The descriptions are detailed and some scenes could be easily visualized. I felt that the cover could have been different. The book is evenly paced and the story stayed with me for long after I finished it. The story has friendship, immigration, struggle, descriptions of history, romance, and family relationships.
A very well written debut.
July 31, 2019
MY SUMMARY:
Kishan and Jaspal, two young farmers of Punjab, British India had met with fatal fates that made them lost their families, love of their life and left them with extreme poverty. In order to make their life successful as a farmer, they started their journey to another end of Ocean, America. Will they succeed?
.
Sophia lost her husband and two sons in an unfortunate revolution. She left with nothing except her eleven year daughter and a long life to survive without any resources. She started her journey of survival to Los Angeles. Will she find peace?
Will paths of Kishan, Jaspal and Sophia crosses on their respective voyages?
.
MY REVIEW:
🥀This story is basically about sikh farmers who set their foot in California long back in 1900's for farming, first as a farmhand and then becoming a farm owner. This story has shown their real struggle of leaving their homes and family back in punjab and making a life out of land in America.
.
🥀Farmers without lands are treated as nothing but cursed. Similar concept has been followed in the story. Those who lost their lands in British occupied India found their Rainbow Acres in America. Their hard work and struggle paid off and now they hold large part of farms and farm produce there.
.
🥀Similarly, the story depicts the struggle of those who lost their loved ones to riots and revolutionary fights in Mexico and made their way to America to have a peaceful life.
.
🥀This book is all about immigrants and how America became the liveable place for those immigrants of all different parts of the world and eventually becoming most powerful country.
.
🥀This book has been a new and refreshing read for me. I hadn't read such kind of book for so long. Plot is interesting and intriguing. Narration is beyond awesome and gripping. Character build up has been greatly done. Pace was well maintained throughout the book. Language is moderately simple. I liked how author used the words of different languages at correct time. It was kind of punch to that scene. Overall, wonderful read.
Kishan and Jaspal, two young farmers of Punjab, British India had met with fatal fates that made them lost their families, love of their life and left them with extreme poverty. In order to make their life successful as a farmer, they started their journey to another end of Ocean, America. Will they succeed?
.
Sophia lost her husband and two sons in an unfortunate revolution. She left with nothing except her eleven year daughter and a long life to survive without any resources. She started her journey of survival to Los Angeles. Will she find peace?
Will paths of Kishan, Jaspal and Sophia crosses on their respective voyages?
.
MY REVIEW:
🥀This story is basically about sikh farmers who set their foot in California long back in 1900's for farming, first as a farmhand and then becoming a farm owner. This story has shown their real struggle of leaving their homes and family back in punjab and making a life out of land in America.
.
🥀Farmers without lands are treated as nothing but cursed. Similar concept has been followed in the story. Those who lost their lands in British occupied India found their Rainbow Acres in America. Their hard work and struggle paid off and now they hold large part of farms and farm produce there.
.
🥀Similarly, the story depicts the struggle of those who lost their loved ones to riots and revolutionary fights in Mexico and made their way to America to have a peaceful life.
.
🥀This book is all about immigrants and how America became the liveable place for those immigrants of all different parts of the world and eventually becoming most powerful country.
.
🥀This book has been a new and refreshing read for me. I hadn't read such kind of book for so long. Plot is interesting and intriguing. Narration is beyond awesome and gripping. Character build up has been greatly done. Pace was well maintained throughout the book. Language is moderately simple. I liked how author used the words of different languages at correct time. It was kind of punch to that scene. Overall, wonderful read.
September 24, 2019
Title - The Rainbow Acres
Author - Simrita Dhir
Publisher - Om Books
International
Genre - historical fiction
Pages - 287
Format - paperback
.
.
In this book two stories are running parallel to each other. One is of Kishan Singh, a 17 year old boy from Punjab whose dreams are ruthelessly washed away. Devastated, he sets off on a life threatening voyage across two oceans for a distant and unknown land.
On the other hand Sophia's idyllic world in Guadalajara, Mexico, falls apart when she becomes a hapless victim to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. She battles hunger, poverty and near prostitution before embarking on a perilous night journey across the border.
Will their paths cross in the land of opportunities that is overrun with racial and class barriers?
Grab the book to find out.
.
.
Review -
1) The cover of the book is simple and sober while the title of the book is appropriate.
2) The plot of the story is strong and captivating. It is a perfect blend of history and fiction. The migration of Punjabi farmers to California in early 20th century has been narrated classically.
3) Love, hope, struggle, happiness, pain, immigration, family relationship etc are depicted so nicely that one can easily connect to all the emotions.
4) In this book the author highlights the values of truth, selfless love, hardwork,friendship etc.
5) Language used in this book is rich in vocabulary, rhythmic and descriptive. I liked the way of using the phrases in between. She weaved her words like a magic.
6) Two different cultures like Punjabi and Mexican are well knitted.
7) Hats off to the author for her imagination and research work.
8) The flow of the book is well paced which makes it gripping.
9) Overall, an inspiring and thought provoking historical fiction
.
.
I highly recommend this book to those who love reading historical fiction.
Author - Simrita Dhir
Publisher - Om Books
International
Genre - historical fiction
Pages - 287
Format - paperback
.
.
In this book two stories are running parallel to each other. One is of Kishan Singh, a 17 year old boy from Punjab whose dreams are ruthelessly washed away. Devastated, he sets off on a life threatening voyage across two oceans for a distant and unknown land.
On the other hand Sophia's idyllic world in Guadalajara, Mexico, falls apart when she becomes a hapless victim to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. She battles hunger, poverty and near prostitution before embarking on a perilous night journey across the border.
Will their paths cross in the land of opportunities that is overrun with racial and class barriers?
Grab the book to find out.
.
.
Review -
1) The cover of the book is simple and sober while the title of the book is appropriate.
2) The plot of the story is strong and captivating. It is a perfect blend of history and fiction. The migration of Punjabi farmers to California in early 20th century has been narrated classically.
3) Love, hope, struggle, happiness, pain, immigration, family relationship etc are depicted so nicely that one can easily connect to all the emotions.
4) In this book the author highlights the values of truth, selfless love, hardwork,friendship etc.
5) Language used in this book is rich in vocabulary, rhythmic and descriptive. I liked the way of using the phrases in between. She weaved her words like a magic.
6) Two different cultures like Punjabi and Mexican are well knitted.
7) Hats off to the author for her imagination and research work.
8) The flow of the book is well paced which makes it gripping.
9) Overall, an inspiring and thought provoking historical fiction
.
.
I highly recommend this book to those who love reading historical fiction.
March 2, 2019
A carpenter building a sawmill by the American River in Sutter Creek, California first spotted the glimmering yellow in the water in 1848. Scooping it up and gazing at it closely, he could hardly deny that it was the coveted metal. He, however, bit it just so he could be sure, really sure, before yelling out, “Gold!”
These powerful opening lines capture the essence of Simrita Dhir’s debut novel, ‘The Rainbow Acres.’
The Rainbow Acres traces the tumultuous lives of Kishan Singh, a boy from a small village in British India’s Punjab, and Sophia, a girl from a small fishing village in the turmoil-ridden Mexico of the 1920s.
I was reminded of the stories of Khushwant Singh and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Sample this:
In 1916, a heartbroken Kishan Singh heard the call thousands of miles away in a dusty old village, Noor Mahal, in Punjab, British India. A loud vigorous cry, it shook his being, enticing his mind with audacious hope to where all the colours of the rainbow came down to blaze his path. In 1925, the shout reached Sophia in the faraway Mexican fishing village of Bahía de Kino, propelling her to follow glitzy butterflies to yellow afternoons and violet sunsets, to reignite a submersed passion, to start anew and dream afresh.
The Rainbow Acres is an exile odyssey. It is a beautiful and intimate portrait of people struggling to come to terms with displacement and re-settlement. It also explores the very important idea of ‘home’. The characters are finely crafted. There’s a deep sense of humanity in their doings, their comings and goings.
Simrita’s writing style is magical realist. If you love Latin American novels, then you should read The Rainbow Acres.
These powerful opening lines capture the essence of Simrita Dhir’s debut novel, ‘The Rainbow Acres.’
The Rainbow Acres traces the tumultuous lives of Kishan Singh, a boy from a small village in British India’s Punjab, and Sophia, a girl from a small fishing village in the turmoil-ridden Mexico of the 1920s.
I was reminded of the stories of Khushwant Singh and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Sample this:
In 1916, a heartbroken Kishan Singh heard the call thousands of miles away in a dusty old village, Noor Mahal, in Punjab, British India. A loud vigorous cry, it shook his being, enticing his mind with audacious hope to where all the colours of the rainbow came down to blaze his path. In 1925, the shout reached Sophia in the faraway Mexican fishing village of Bahía de Kino, propelling her to follow glitzy butterflies to yellow afternoons and violet sunsets, to reignite a submersed passion, to start anew and dream afresh.
The Rainbow Acres is an exile odyssey. It is a beautiful and intimate portrait of people struggling to come to terms with displacement and re-settlement. It also explores the very important idea of ‘home’. The characters are finely crafted. There’s a deep sense of humanity in their doings, their comings and goings.
Simrita’s writing style is magical realist. If you love Latin American novels, then you should read The Rainbow Acres.
May 3, 2021
Author Simrita Dhir happens to be my school senior. I can vividly recall her sweeping most of the academic and extracurricular accolades while her schoolmates were left gasping for their breaths. My first acquaintance with her writings was through her middles carried by the tribune during her formative years. Her articulation shone through them and foretold about the journey that she would undertake as an author. It was a delight to connect with her on facebook and also to learn that she had debuted as an author in 2018 with her so aptly titled novel ‘The rainbow acres.’ The novel was included by amazon in its memorable books of 2018 list and is also a part of undergraduate curriculum in California.
Running two early twentieth century parallel alternating tales of people with completely different ethnicities and cultures and yet rooted together through bouts of adversity, the author never lets any of the reins go loose. As one goes through the two narratives one has an underlying hunch that the two narratives are going to converge. In the unfolding of the plot that leads to convergence of these two alternating narratives lies the author’s finesse. The author converges the varied hues of adversity into a sublime white with supreme élan and as a consequence leaves the reader spellbound.
Both Kishan Singh from Punjab and Sophia from strife torn Mexico struck by bouts of adversity tend to get uprooted from their native places and thus begins a tale of Punjabi perseverance and Mexican tenacity. Throughout history a substantial majority of uprooted Punjabi peasantry reclaimed themselves through agriculture. It was through their sheer perseverance that marshes of Kumaon, jungles of Africa and deserts of Imperial Valley came alive. In transforming these lands they also ended up transforming their fortunes. But all through this, land held cult status for them and continues to hold so. This aspect is captured exceedingly well by the author. Amongst all the glittering Punjabi perseverance, the reader is simultaneously left spellbound by exemplary Mexican grit that Sophia personifies.
The author seemingly has brilliant hold on Punjabi and Mexican ethnic, historical, cultural and, to add to it, also the culinary aspects. Accordingly, she brilliantly rolls out a Punjabi Mexican spread on a Californian table. While relishing this potpourri the reader’s knowledge about Californian agricultural practices is also spruced up.
NOTABLE QUOTE: “Land is a wonder. Along with the sky and the oceans, it makes up the world. A man can’t own a chunk of the sky or cut and claim a wedge of an ocean, but a lucky man can own a piece of land. He can live, laugh, love and farm on it. Land makes an everlasting friend. It can outlive fire, floods, and storms, even time.”
The book certainly forms a connect with the times that we are passing through. As we witness the peasantry putting up a fight against the writ of an arrogant state, the accounts of the book, although fictional, help us to decode this strong land connect. It is certainly much more than a mere livelihood. It is a way of life. For the Diaspora, it is the umbilical cord that keeps their native connect alive.
Running two early twentieth century parallel alternating tales of people with completely different ethnicities and cultures and yet rooted together through bouts of adversity, the author never lets any of the reins go loose. As one goes through the two narratives one has an underlying hunch that the two narratives are going to converge. In the unfolding of the plot that leads to convergence of these two alternating narratives lies the author’s finesse. The author converges the varied hues of adversity into a sublime white with supreme élan and as a consequence leaves the reader spellbound.
Both Kishan Singh from Punjab and Sophia from strife torn Mexico struck by bouts of adversity tend to get uprooted from their native places and thus begins a tale of Punjabi perseverance and Mexican tenacity. Throughout history a substantial majority of uprooted Punjabi peasantry reclaimed themselves through agriculture. It was through their sheer perseverance that marshes of Kumaon, jungles of Africa and deserts of Imperial Valley came alive. In transforming these lands they also ended up transforming their fortunes. But all through this, land held cult status for them and continues to hold so. This aspect is captured exceedingly well by the author. Amongst all the glittering Punjabi perseverance, the reader is simultaneously left spellbound by exemplary Mexican grit that Sophia personifies.
The author seemingly has brilliant hold on Punjabi and Mexican ethnic, historical, cultural and, to add to it, also the culinary aspects. Accordingly, she brilliantly rolls out a Punjabi Mexican spread on a Californian table. While relishing this potpourri the reader’s knowledge about Californian agricultural practices is also spruced up.
NOTABLE QUOTE: “Land is a wonder. Along with the sky and the oceans, it makes up the world. A man can’t own a chunk of the sky or cut and claim a wedge of an ocean, but a lucky man can own a piece of land. He can live, laugh, love and farm on it. Land makes an everlasting friend. It can outlive fire, floods, and storms, even time.”
The book certainly forms a connect with the times that we are passing through. As we witness the peasantry putting up a fight against the writ of an arrogant state, the accounts of the book, although fictional, help us to decode this strong land connect. It is certainly much more than a mere livelihood. It is a way of life. For the Diaspora, it is the umbilical cord that keeps their native connect alive.
January 10, 2020
A captivating debut novel!
The title intrigued me as did the blurb. This historical adventure cum love story drew me in with its tender yet passionate portrayal of two completely different cultures that come together thanks to overwhelming personal tragedies. The story affirms that dreams do come true borne on the wings of hard work and perseverance. The hardships faced by the protagonists are realistically, heart-rendingly portrayed and makes the reader cheer all the more for their successes.
I enjoyed the imagery that made it possible to relive a bygone era in lyrical, technicolor prose, although, impatient to get back to the action, I did skim over a few of the descriptive passages. The two parallel stories of Kishan and Sophia come together beautifully in the end. A fab read!
The title intrigued me as did the blurb. This historical adventure cum love story drew me in with its tender yet passionate portrayal of two completely different cultures that come together thanks to overwhelming personal tragedies. The story affirms that dreams do come true borne on the wings of hard work and perseverance. The hardships faced by the protagonists are realistically, heart-rendingly portrayed and makes the reader cheer all the more for their successes.
I enjoyed the imagery that made it possible to relive a bygone era in lyrical, technicolor prose, although, impatient to get back to the action, I did skim over a few of the descriptive passages. The two parallel stories of Kishan and Sophia come together beautifully in the end. A fab read!
October 14, 2021
One book. Two worlds.
The Rainbow Acres is a lot to say in one book. It is a novel and a memoir. It is powerful and forthright. The book explores- courage, self-love, kindness, humanity, friendship, resilience, recovery, immigrants, culture and the struggles of making peace with your heart.
This is a tale about survival and loss. It is heartening how even in the darkest of storms, the characters clung to the best of the worst: of the world, of life, of past.
This is a beautiful book that deserves much more attention.
“If a smile had a taste, he was convinced that Sophia’s would be the taste of chocolate.”
-Simrita Dhir, The Rainbow Acres
The Rainbow Acres is a lot to say in one book. It is a novel and a memoir. It is powerful and forthright. The book explores- courage, self-love, kindness, humanity, friendship, resilience, recovery, immigrants, culture and the struggles of making peace with your heart.
This is a tale about survival and loss. It is heartening how even in the darkest of storms, the characters clung to the best of the worst: of the world, of life, of past.
This is a beautiful book that deserves much more attention.
“If a smile had a taste, he was convinced that Sophia’s would be the taste of chocolate.”
-Simrita Dhir, The Rainbow Acres
October 25, 2022
In the chorus of the song, “A Man without Love,” artist Engelbert Humperdinck sings, “Every day I wake up, then I start to break up, lonely is a man without love. Every day I start out, then I cry my heart out, lonely is a man without love” (Humperdinck 1:00–16). Love is an intense emotion that can be felt in a variety of ways. It is a difficult concept to define, express, and explain as it is very individualistic and unique. However, generally speaking, love usually starts through friendship between two people, and their close-knit attachment slowly turns into feelings of compassion, empathy, trust, and care for each other. We have all experienced various types of love in our lives as our parents teach us how to love through words, gestures, and emotions as we grow older. Love is evident in many facets of our existence, including literary works, music, religion, and real-life experiences. It is frequently characterized as a delightful emotion that expresses a strong connection between two people and can be conveyed in a variety of ways. Human beings are happy and satisfied with life when love is expressed. However, we must be mindful that love can be painful when expressed or not expressed appropriately. Simrita Dhir depicts many of the characters in her book, The Rainbow Acres, as having important intimate relationships that give them power as they struggle to forge new identities during the developmental years in California. Many of the characters repeatedly express love throughout the book to convey optimism, happiness, and grief after having previously experienced difficult circumstances. Love is a prominent theme in the novel, The Rainbow Acres, as it sets the mood for the reader, empowers the characters, and teaches the characters crucial life lessons.
Love is a major theme in the book as it sets the overall mood for the reader. In the novel, The Rainbow Acres, Simrita Dhir explains in great detail how Kishan Singh kisses Roop: “Blown away by that meeting of minds, he gazed at her in wonder. She was flushing irrepressibly. Their eyes met. He leaned. She moved closer. Greedily, they kissed and kissed, his hands feeling her curves, fondling her hair. In the bushes, the mynahs cooed. The unsung verse from the love poem played in his head. In the days that followed, Kishan remembered the kiss with frenzy, adrenalin rushing through him like a flash of lightning. Most of all, he remembered how the kiss tasted. Sweet. Sweeter than the looping bright orange jalebis in Ramdeen's sweet shop, sweeter still than the sugarcane flaming in the faraway fields” (Dhir 59). The mood of a book is when the author is able to transmit the overall atmosphere and underlying emotion of a piece of literature to the reader. Throughout the novel, there are many examples of imagery and detailed writing that make the reader feel light-hearted, cheerful, and at times, in love with the feeling of love. This mood was conveyed so greatly that even at times when the characters were going through grief or sadness, it made the reader think of how love played a role in that certain situation. The fact that Kishan Singh and Roop’s kiss was written in such great detail and enthusiasm shows how important love is inside the book. The message of love was delivered so thoroughly throughout the novel that it made it possible for the reader to empathize strongly with the characters. This feeling can make the reader self-reflect and value the people that they love in their own lives. The mood set in the book allowed me as a reader to have a great sense of appreciation for my mother and everything she does for me. It also happened to make me feel jealous as I do not, at the moment, have a romantic love interest in which a partner is emotionally or intellectually interested in me. The entire book inspired me to go above and beyond to finally have the confidence to approach a girl with the intention of winning her love. In light of this, love also features prominently in the book, as it offers many characters a feeling of empowerment.
Love is a major theme in the book as it sets the overall mood for the reader. In the novel, The Rainbow Acres, Simrita Dhir explains in great detail how Kishan Singh kisses Roop: “Blown away by that meeting of minds, he gazed at her in wonder. She was flushing irrepressibly. Their eyes met. He leaned. She moved closer. Greedily, they kissed and kissed, his hands feeling her curves, fondling her hair. In the bushes, the mynahs cooed. The unsung verse from the love poem played in his head. In the days that followed, Kishan remembered the kiss with frenzy, adrenalin rushing through him like a flash of lightning. Most of all, he remembered how the kiss tasted. Sweet. Sweeter than the looping bright orange jalebis in Ramdeen's sweet shop, sweeter still than the sugarcane flaming in the faraway fields” (Dhir 59). The mood of a book is when the author is able to transmit the overall atmosphere and underlying emotion of a piece of literature to the reader. Throughout the novel, there are many examples of imagery and detailed writing that make the reader feel light-hearted, cheerful, and at times, in love with the feeling of love. This mood was conveyed so greatly that even at times when the characters were going through grief or sadness, it made the reader think of how love played a role in that certain situation. The fact that Kishan Singh and Roop’s kiss was written in such great detail and enthusiasm shows how important love is inside the book. The message of love was delivered so thoroughly throughout the novel that it made it possible for the reader to empathize strongly with the characters. This feeling can make the reader self-reflect and value the people that they love in their own lives. The mood set in the book allowed me as a reader to have a great sense of appreciation for my mother and everything she does for me. It also happened to make me feel jealous as I do not, at the moment, have a romantic love interest in which a partner is emotionally or intellectually interested in me. The entire book inspired me to go above and beyond to finally have the confidence to approach a girl with the intention of winning her love. In light of this, love also features prominently in the book, as it offers many characters a feeling of empowerment.
February 20, 2019
“The Rainbow Acres” spans continents and centuries of time to take the reader on a historic journey all the way from a village in Punjab with its rustic, land loving farmers to California, the new land of promise with its huge tracts of land, rivers and the discovery of gold in 1849. A vivid, lucidly told tale takes the reader over a roller coaster ride of adventure in realization of hidden human potentials, thirst for unrealized possibilities, and lust for exploring new horizons.
The narrative begins from Punjab, home to a driven, untamed, unbroken, nomadic, farming people; a restless community on the move through the millennia; a curious people ever on the lookout for greener pastures, for whatever it may take. Kishan and Jaspal, two village lads from the historic town of Noor Mahal in Punjab, like many others of their ilk, set off to chase the dream of a new life in the California of early nineties. With little money and lesser knowledge about this alien, faraway country, they take on a long, perilous journey across treacherous waters to write their destiny on beckoning acres of agricultural land of the Imperial Valley. Kishan takes a tough call to leave behind the girl he loves and all that is familiar to him with amazing courage and faith in his ability to surmount challenges in an uncertain future. Kishan, is the epitome of a disadvantaged young Jat Sikh farmer, determined to chase his dream for success and a better life at the cost of any hardship and risk of the unknown. “When you’ve earned money, promise me you’ll buy land,” is his uncle’s farewell advice to him. The farmer’s instinctive loyalty and passion is for land alone; land across continents and oceans calls to him to sow seeds of a new world, and Kishan and Jaspal respond to this primal call.
Punjabi settlements began in the farming lands of Sacramento and Imperial Valley, even as the “California Alien Land Law”, debarred immigrants from holding land in their own name. Another racially discriminatory law the early immigrants faced was the Anti-miscegenation law which prohibited inter marriages between brown and white races. Forever finding innovative ways to adapt, many young Punjabi men who were unable by law to bring family members from India, married Mexican immigrant women, which resulted in the formation of a small Mexican Hindu community. From being low paid labourers, the Punjabi farmers worked their way up to becoming land lords and prosperity. Mexican wives helped them skirt around the Alien Land Law, as law allowed Hispanics to hold land in their names. In other cases, they had to make oral agreements with Anglos to hold their lands in good faith. “Imperial Valley tells marvellous stories to rival those of humans”, writes Kishan to his white girl friend Amy.
The novel runs a parallel narrative about Sophia, a gritty Mexican immigrant who escapes from a state ravaged by civil war in her country to forge a new destiny for herself and her daughter in California. Sophia’s character, with a name that denotes wisdom, encapsulates the struggles and triumphs of women everywhere. . Sophia and her daughter Isabella forge an alliance with Jaspal and Kishan, forming, like many others, a fusion culture wrought from their shared rural backgrounds and lower status. The author has artfully interwoven the perilous path of grit and backbreaking labour which both Sophia and Kishan undertake to eventually realize their ambitions of creating a rainbow across alien lands. The novel has much depth beyond being a mere story of immigrants, and explores intriguing subjects like the amazing power of wild dreams and human triumph over seemingly impossible challenges. Peppered with historic insights, it is an intriguing epic which brings out the universal heroism and pathos in the struggle of immigrants who uproot themselves from all old roots-nation, religion, community, family and culture, to search out new ways to anchor themselves in a vast new reality.
The narrative begins from Punjab, home to a driven, untamed, unbroken, nomadic, farming people; a restless community on the move through the millennia; a curious people ever on the lookout for greener pastures, for whatever it may take. Kishan and Jaspal, two village lads from the historic town of Noor Mahal in Punjab, like many others of their ilk, set off to chase the dream of a new life in the California of early nineties. With little money and lesser knowledge about this alien, faraway country, they take on a long, perilous journey across treacherous waters to write their destiny on beckoning acres of agricultural land of the Imperial Valley. Kishan takes a tough call to leave behind the girl he loves and all that is familiar to him with amazing courage and faith in his ability to surmount challenges in an uncertain future. Kishan, is the epitome of a disadvantaged young Jat Sikh farmer, determined to chase his dream for success and a better life at the cost of any hardship and risk of the unknown. “When you’ve earned money, promise me you’ll buy land,” is his uncle’s farewell advice to him. The farmer’s instinctive loyalty and passion is for land alone; land across continents and oceans calls to him to sow seeds of a new world, and Kishan and Jaspal respond to this primal call.
Punjabi settlements began in the farming lands of Sacramento and Imperial Valley, even as the “California Alien Land Law”, debarred immigrants from holding land in their own name. Another racially discriminatory law the early immigrants faced was the Anti-miscegenation law which prohibited inter marriages between brown and white races. Forever finding innovative ways to adapt, many young Punjabi men who were unable by law to bring family members from India, married Mexican immigrant women, which resulted in the formation of a small Mexican Hindu community. From being low paid labourers, the Punjabi farmers worked their way up to becoming land lords and prosperity. Mexican wives helped them skirt around the Alien Land Law, as law allowed Hispanics to hold land in their names. In other cases, they had to make oral agreements with Anglos to hold their lands in good faith. “Imperial Valley tells marvellous stories to rival those of humans”, writes Kishan to his white girl friend Amy.
The novel runs a parallel narrative about Sophia, a gritty Mexican immigrant who escapes from a state ravaged by civil war in her country to forge a new destiny for herself and her daughter in California. Sophia’s character, with a name that denotes wisdom, encapsulates the struggles and triumphs of women everywhere. . Sophia and her daughter Isabella forge an alliance with Jaspal and Kishan, forming, like many others, a fusion culture wrought from their shared rural backgrounds and lower status. The author has artfully interwoven the perilous path of grit and backbreaking labour which both Sophia and Kishan undertake to eventually realize their ambitions of creating a rainbow across alien lands. The novel has much depth beyond being a mere story of immigrants, and explores intriguing subjects like the amazing power of wild dreams and human triumph over seemingly impossible challenges. Peppered with historic insights, it is an intriguing epic which brings out the universal heroism and pathos in the struggle of immigrants who uproot themselves from all old roots-nation, religion, community, family and culture, to search out new ways to anchor themselves in a vast new reality.
November 19, 2022
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage” is a statement written by Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. This quote deeply reflects the mindset of young Kishan Singh in the wondrous novel The Rainbow Acres by Simrita Dhir. Kishan is a naive seventeen-year-old boy who dreams of marrying his long time friend and crush, Roop. He dreams of winning both the hearts of her family and Roop herself by getting a government job after going to college. Kishan is very bright as he loves to go on adventures with Roop and tell her fascinating stories. However, his whole life is thrown off balance when a monstrous storm comes and wreaks havoc on his home destroying their cotton farm which is their main source of income and spreading a terrible influenza that kills many residents. After his dreams are ruthlessly destroyed, Kishan decides to set off on a dangerous adventure. Throughout the story, the author Simrita Dhir explores the idea of love and its application in Kishan’s story with his first love, his family, and his friends.
In the American language, the word love can have very similar definitions but are used in completely different situations. In comparison, Japan has multiple ways of saying love depending on how you use it. “I love you” to a family member is said differently compared to a “I love you” to a friend. Therefore, love in the American language is very ambiguous since it could be used in any scenario but have different meanings. Simrita Dhir does an amazing job in portraying all types of love in her book The Rainbow Acres with the character Kishan. In the beginning of the novel, you first meet the main character Kishan and his love Roop. You experience their love for each other grow throughout the first half of the book. However, due to the disaster the floods had brought, she is being married off to another person. Their final interaction together shows the love that Kishan has for Roop “By marrying the landowner’s son, you will live the life that most village girls can only dream about. You will be surrounded with beautiful things. And he will love you too” (Dhir, 92). The act of giving up on his love for Roop so she may be able to live a better life, is the way Kishan displays his love. He loves her so much that he wants her to marry someone else so she may be loved and cared for by someone who has the ability to. Kishan had given up on his dream of college and a government job. He no longer had a concrete goal anymore. He knew that he could not support her life like the landlord could. Oftentimes than not, love doesn’t have a happy ending. When you love someone, you want the best for them even if it costs you. Kishan realized that and for his love, he sacrificed his emotions of attachment for Roop’s future happiness and success. The hardest thing you can do is leave someone you care so deeply behind. This represents the Lao Tzu quote “...loving someone deeply gives you courage”. Kishan’s love for Roop gave him the courage to leave her behind for the sake of her happiness and well being. The exploration of love that Dhir gives is astonishing as she doesn’t stick to the norms of love in this story. Kishan’s love story is short and tragic but, however, is also sweet and loving. Through his action of sacrifice, he displays how much Roop matters to him and how he would prefer to have her happy than travel an uncertain path.
In the American language, the word love can have very similar definitions but are used in completely different situations. In comparison, Japan has multiple ways of saying love depending on how you use it. “I love you” to a family member is said differently compared to a “I love you” to a friend. Therefore, love in the American language is very ambiguous since it could be used in any scenario but have different meanings. Simrita Dhir does an amazing job in portraying all types of love in her book The Rainbow Acres with the character Kishan. In the beginning of the novel, you first meet the main character Kishan and his love Roop. You experience their love for each other grow throughout the first half of the book. However, due to the disaster the floods had brought, she is being married off to another person. Their final interaction together shows the love that Kishan has for Roop “By marrying the landowner’s son, you will live the life that most village girls can only dream about. You will be surrounded with beautiful things. And he will love you too” (Dhir, 92). The act of giving up on his love for Roop so she may be able to live a better life, is the way Kishan displays his love. He loves her so much that he wants her to marry someone else so she may be loved and cared for by someone who has the ability to. Kishan had given up on his dream of college and a government job. He no longer had a concrete goal anymore. He knew that he could not support her life like the landlord could. Oftentimes than not, love doesn’t have a happy ending. When you love someone, you want the best for them even if it costs you. Kishan realized that and for his love, he sacrificed his emotions of attachment for Roop’s future happiness and success. The hardest thing you can do is leave someone you care so deeply behind. This represents the Lao Tzu quote “...loving someone deeply gives you courage”. Kishan’s love for Roop gave him the courage to leave her behind for the sake of her happiness and well being. The exploration of love that Dhir gives is astonishing as she doesn’t stick to the norms of love in this story. Kishan’s love story is short and tragic but, however, is also sweet and loving. Through his action of sacrifice, he displays how much Roop matters to him and how he would prefer to have her happy than travel an uncertain path.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2020
The Rainbow Acres starts with Kishan a 17-year-old who lived with his Aunt and Uncle at Noor Mahal in Punjab, British India. Kishan a boy from a small village with big dreams. Having a teen crush on Roop, the most beautiful girl in the village and his childhood friend. Kishan is always reading and studying well so that he could end up working for the British Government. With that, it will be easier for him to marry Roop. So the Story starts with beautiful teen crushing story, from blushing to storytelling, from meeting secretly to going on the other village for celebration, from flirting to dreaming of kissing her. It's the story of Kishan.
Far away 20 years back at Acapulco in Mexico lived Sophia Morales, an adventure seeker girl with charming nature. Always looking for an opportunity to live life fullest and listening to her family story moving from Spain to Mexico. After the living one more adventure that is life, Sophia found herself passion for chocolate, thus giving her an idea of making the most delicious milk chocolate.
The Rainbow Acres has 2 stories of two different individuals happening at 2 different times, 20 years apart and finally merge into an exquisite family.
The Rainbow Acres tells the brave story of the pioneer Punjabi farmers of California who started their journeys from Punjab in the early 1900s, shortly after the California Gold Rush. Undertaking perilous journeys, they sailed across two oceans to reach California with the hope of claiming and farming their piece of this golden land.
Many of these pioneer Punjabi farmers of California married Mexican women, who had migrated to California after having been uprooted by the Mexican revolution. As a result, a fascinating Punjabi-Mexican community sprang up in California. It was a beautiful coming together of two cultures - a truly secular, bi-ethnic set-up that came to exemplify a new and eclectic California.
Life is an adventure and at what new turn life will take us to, we don't have any idea. So how do Kishan and Sophia meet? What happens in their lives?
My Take:
This book The Rainbow Acres By Simrita Dhir is a book filled with hope, love, friendship, brotherhood, family, and respect. Both the stories differ from each other in every way, and the author Simrita Dhir has done an incredible job in describing every part of it admirably. The culture, traditions, family history, the war ear and struggle of that time, everything is explained and fitted together perfectly in the story.
I like the way Author Simrita Dhir has written this book and tells us that life is an adventure. The growth of characters from childhood to adulthood, everything is refined and well written.
Overall, this is a story of proud Sikhs and conscientious Mexican together as a family. So read now the most adventurous life of two individuals in The Rainbow Acres by Simrita Dhir.
Far away 20 years back at Acapulco in Mexico lived Sophia Morales, an adventure seeker girl with charming nature. Always looking for an opportunity to live life fullest and listening to her family story moving from Spain to Mexico. After the living one more adventure that is life, Sophia found herself passion for chocolate, thus giving her an idea of making the most delicious milk chocolate.
The Rainbow Acres has 2 stories of two different individuals happening at 2 different times, 20 years apart and finally merge into an exquisite family.
The Rainbow Acres tells the brave story of the pioneer Punjabi farmers of California who started their journeys from Punjab in the early 1900s, shortly after the California Gold Rush. Undertaking perilous journeys, they sailed across two oceans to reach California with the hope of claiming and farming their piece of this golden land.
Many of these pioneer Punjabi farmers of California married Mexican women, who had migrated to California after having been uprooted by the Mexican revolution. As a result, a fascinating Punjabi-Mexican community sprang up in California. It was a beautiful coming together of two cultures - a truly secular, bi-ethnic set-up that came to exemplify a new and eclectic California.
Life is an adventure and at what new turn life will take us to, we don't have any idea. So how do Kishan and Sophia meet? What happens in their lives?
My Take:
This book The Rainbow Acres By Simrita Dhir is a book filled with hope, love, friendship, brotherhood, family, and respect. Both the stories differ from each other in every way, and the author Simrita Dhir has done an incredible job in describing every part of it admirably. The culture, traditions, family history, the war ear and struggle of that time, everything is explained and fitted together perfectly in the story.
I like the way Author Simrita Dhir has written this book and tells us that life is an adventure. The growth of characters from childhood to adulthood, everything is refined and well written.
Overall, this is a story of proud Sikhs and conscientious Mexican together as a family. So read now the most adventurous life of two individuals in The Rainbow Acres by Simrita Dhir.
January 2, 2019
Title: The Rainbow Acres
Author: Simrita Dhir
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Om Books International
Length: 287 pages
Synopsis:
In the spring of 1916, seventeen-year-old Kishan Singh is euphoric in his village Noor Mahal in Punjab, British India as he dreams of going to college, landing a government job and marrying his heartthrob Roop. Summer flies in with promise but ends in disaster when heavy rains flood the fields, wrecking the cotton crop and triggering influenza which leaves behind a trail of dead villagers. Kishan Singh’s dreams are ruthlessly washed away. Devastated, he sets off on a life-threatening voyage across two oceans for a distant and unknown land.
On a cataclysmic day in 1919, Sophia’s idyllic world in Guadalajara, Mexico, falls apart when she becomes a hapless victim to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. She battles hunger, poverty and near prostitution before embarking on a perilous night journey across the border.
Will their paths cross in the land of opportunities that is overrun with racial and class barriers?
The Rainbow Acres is a moving saga of migration, selfless love, fortitude, friendship, and the quest for land and identity, set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and revolution-torn Mexico.
Review:
The authors insight and beautiful use of language makes this book a masterpiece. It is a must read. As I went on reading the book I was more and more drawn into the book, the characters and the incidents that took place in their lives. The readers feel the pain of the characters like Kishan and Sophia, they rejoice when they are happy and are delighted when the characters finally achieve what they want. The book portrays the true form of life which shows how it is filled with struggles and how the world is filled with opportunities for those who have the spirit and the will power to achieve their dreams. It book is an absolute delight to read. The characters are well carved and each one be it major or a minor character has its own important role to play in the story. The wise use of words recreates the images of the settings and places used in the transports the readers right at the places mentioned. The book nicely highlights truth, hard work, love, friendship in this awesome novel. And once the readers reach to a point where the title of the book is decoded, it is sure to leave a smile. The read is filled with emotions and straight touches the heart. The book is too good to be a debut novel which shows the hard work and how well read the author is. The book has made a special place in my heart and I would be getting back to it from time to time. The read will be one of those I will cherish.
Rating:
4.5 /5
Author: Simrita Dhir
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Om Books International
Length: 287 pages
Synopsis:
In the spring of 1916, seventeen-year-old Kishan Singh is euphoric in his village Noor Mahal in Punjab, British India as he dreams of going to college, landing a government job and marrying his heartthrob Roop. Summer flies in with promise but ends in disaster when heavy rains flood the fields, wrecking the cotton crop and triggering influenza which leaves behind a trail of dead villagers. Kishan Singh’s dreams are ruthlessly washed away. Devastated, he sets off on a life-threatening voyage across two oceans for a distant and unknown land.
On a cataclysmic day in 1919, Sophia’s idyllic world in Guadalajara, Mexico, falls apart when she becomes a hapless victim to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. She battles hunger, poverty and near prostitution before embarking on a perilous night journey across the border.
Will their paths cross in the land of opportunities that is overrun with racial and class barriers?
The Rainbow Acres is a moving saga of migration, selfless love, fortitude, friendship, and the quest for land and identity, set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and revolution-torn Mexico.
Review:
The authors insight and beautiful use of language makes this book a masterpiece. It is a must read. As I went on reading the book I was more and more drawn into the book, the characters and the incidents that took place in their lives. The readers feel the pain of the characters like Kishan and Sophia, they rejoice when they are happy and are delighted when the characters finally achieve what they want. The book portrays the true form of life which shows how it is filled with struggles and how the world is filled with opportunities for those who have the spirit and the will power to achieve their dreams. It book is an absolute delight to read. The characters are well carved and each one be it major or a minor character has its own important role to play in the story. The wise use of words recreates the images of the settings and places used in the transports the readers right at the places mentioned. The book nicely highlights truth, hard work, love, friendship in this awesome novel. And once the readers reach to a point where the title of the book is decoded, it is sure to leave a smile. The read is filled with emotions and straight touches the heart. The book is too good to be a debut novel which shows the hard work and how well read the author is. The book has made a special place in my heart and I would be getting back to it from time to time. The read will be one of those I will cherish.
Rating:
4.5 /5
November 7, 2022
In the novel The Rainbow Acres, the story of two people are tracked. Kishan and Sophia, placed on different sides of the world, both dreamers at heart, both experience the American Dream for different reasons. Sophia, wanting a better life for her daughter and herself after the tragedies that her family endured. Kishan, waiting to escape his heartache and become a farmer in the great land of America after his inability to marry his first love. Following both of their lives, the extraordinary stories of grief, loss, and hardship are explored. Although both stories show evident themes throughout the novel, the one that stood out to me was Sophia's journey. Her similarities to a butterfly, moving and flowing with the changes of the seasons of life, are inspiring as she sets out to create the life, and achieve a dream she had always wanted. Chocolate symbolizes this dream that she is able to acquire not through easy means, but by the devotion and perseverance that showed her anything was possible. Sophia's journey across borders, cities, and countries show many highlights but especially her love of family, her yearning and persistent reach for adventure no matter the risk, and her passion for chocolate that leads her to reach her truest self.
Chocolate played an important aspect in her life, even in her teens. She loved the taste of chocolate and always wanted to sell it in the bakery after working there. She started with cakes, scared she would ruin the bakery and their name. After gaining courage and getting a request, Sophia was able to make chocolate that became a staple and a town known favorite. Through her long journey, she was finally able to make her own chocolate and sell it. She named it California Delight and sold it across Imperial Valley. In the end, she was finally able to make the chocolate she longed for her whole life. She was always set back to it due to current problems and the challenges of life. Not many are able to achieve their dreams and hopes due to setbacks but her reaching this goal shows how she was able to turn her life around, even though she faced a troubled past. In the novel, it states, “She stretched out her hands, priding in their power to create, to spread elation. In making her milk chocolate, she had earned her place and dignity, stepped into the larger community and announced her status of being Californian"(Dhir 264, 265).
Chocolate played an important aspect in her life, even in her teens. She loved the taste of chocolate and always wanted to sell it in the bakery after working there. She started with cakes, scared she would ruin the bakery and their name. After gaining courage and getting a request, Sophia was able to make chocolate that became a staple and a town known favorite. Through her long journey, she was finally able to make her own chocolate and sell it. She named it California Delight and sold it across Imperial Valley. In the end, she was finally able to make the chocolate she longed for her whole life. She was always set back to it due to current problems and the challenges of life. Not many are able to achieve their dreams and hopes due to setbacks but her reaching this goal shows how she was able to turn her life around, even though she faced a troubled past. In the novel, it states, “She stretched out her hands, priding in their power to create, to spread elation. In making her milk chocolate, she had earned her place and dignity, stepped into the larger community and announced her status of being Californian"(Dhir 264, 265).
November 15, 2022
The Rainbow Acres is an emotional story of two individuals who grew up in different countries with different cultures crossing paths when they come to America looking for a better life. Kishan Singh, a 17-year-old who lives in a small village in Punjab, India, lived with his uncle and aunt. While living in his village, Kishan develops a lot of interesting relationships with the people around him. First of all, falls in love with roop, a girl that he knew since he was a child. Kishan goes out of his way to spend time with Roop and make her like him back, making excuses to see her and even gifting her silver anklets by giving away the precious silver medal he earned in middle school. After a while, he meets Jaspal, the well-built 6 feet tall wrestler who helps his parents with their farm all day. Kishan challenges Jaspal to a wrestling match to prove his point that a frail man with a strong mind can do anything. After winning the wrestling match with Kishan, Jaspal praises him for his bravery and the two become close friends, being there for one another in challenging situations. Kishan wanted to go to college and get a job in the government, hopefully marrying Roop along the way. Everything seemed to be going according to plan when a disaster strikes India, ruining the farms, flooding the villages, wrecking the crops, and spreading influenza. Jaspal loses his land to the moneylenders because his father could not pay them back and shortly after, he loses his mother, father, and sister to influenza. The tragedy hit Kishan as well when Roop’s mother announced that Roop is going to marry a landowner’s son. Devastated, Kishan concludes that he does not have a place in his town anymore and decides to go to California with Jaspal. Overall, the novel shows how unpredictable life is and how anyone can do anything if they have the right mindset and accept the changes in their environment. In The Rainbow Acres novel, the author entwines the themes of displacement, migration, dreams, and aspirations into the journey motif by portraying the hardships of immigrating to America in the 1900s. The characters feel displacement and that they do not belong in America because of the discrimination and the difference in culture. However, knowing that they sacrificed a lot to immigrate to America, Kishan and Jaspal continue to chase their dreams and aspirations despite the class and racial barriers that are projected on them.
November 7, 2022
I believe that love is the strongest prominent theme within the novel, The Rainbow Acres, because of how much of an important role it plays by connecting the reader to the characters and allowing them to tap into their perspectives and truly feel what the characters feel. The theme of love is what sets the mood for the reader, it’s conveyed in a way that it comes up in almost every aspect of the book. Even in times of despair and darkness, love still somehow was able to shine through and persevere. I think that this book literally gave me a self-realization moment and opened up my eyes about a lot of things. The mood that was set in the novel allowed me to appreciate everything that is done for me by my parents on a daily basis. This novel literally makes me appreciate my family so much more and cherish the times that I have with them now, because I know they won’t always be there. Knowing that you can lose your loved ones at a sudden time is just heart-wrenching, and I couldn’t imagine how that would affect me if it ever happened.
This novel made me realize that I cannot take things for granted, and to cherish these moments while I have them, especially in my years of youth. Because I know that as I grow older, more hardships and disappointments are bound to come my way and try to wreck my world. This theme of love that is embedded and woven into the text is what gives the novel life and actually can teach a life lesson to a reader, such as myself. I have had many circumstances in my life where romantic partners have hurt me emotionally, such as cheating on me and manipulating me to get what they want. I know this is very personal, but this novel actually showed me to look for someone that is truly interested in me for who I am, and will support my aspirations that I have in this life that is so short. I am very glad I was able to read this novel, as it is one of the first novels that I actually enjoyed reading from beginning to end.
This novel made me realize that I cannot take things for granted, and to cherish these moments while I have them, especially in my years of youth. Because I know that as I grow older, more hardships and disappointments are bound to come my way and try to wreck my world. This theme of love that is embedded and woven into the text is what gives the novel life and actually can teach a life lesson to a reader, such as myself. I have had many circumstances in my life where romantic partners have hurt me emotionally, such as cheating on me and manipulating me to get what they want. I know this is very personal, but this novel actually showed me to look for someone that is truly interested in me for who I am, and will support my aspirations that I have in this life that is so short. I am very glad I was able to read this novel, as it is one of the first novels that I actually enjoyed reading from beginning to end.
September 5, 2019
From the very first page as I started reading I noticed author has nice grip over the language . she has used quite a nice collection of ornamental words to decorate the tale providing requited depth.
Narration is smooth and kept me interested.
The chapters alter between two peoples life who are actually the main characters : Kishan Singh belonging from British India and Sophia from Mexico.
The interior area of Punjab , a village from where Kishan belongs is beautiful depicted , his early age , the way he looks at his beloved back then Roop . in the subsequent next chapters I read about Sophie and her family , cultural similarities could be seen between Mexican household and Indians.
Author has taken enough time to put focus on how relationships and various intense emotions matter with one’s own family , society , friends and with their gone traumatic past , last but not the least with their own selves through a tale that talks about distress caused by political uprising in countries that people die and families separate helplessly to live in another country , where they again have to grow from the very basic , heartbreaks , immigration , struggling with social discrimination , racial prejudice. Life can be difficult at times but again can bring unexpected twists with great bounty of happiness !
With interesting twists the story told finally that if love is pure , strong friendship is there to support you through ups and downs they can dissolve any of these barriers , letting the core of all of us that is the human heart filled with love and acceptance come together leaping all differences , because we all are same at some point that is we all are looking for love .
Author did good research , shows she has taken good time to delve in the matters to present the message by keeping the book not over the top but putting good twists and turns.
Narration is smooth and kept me interested.
The chapters alter between two peoples life who are actually the main characters : Kishan Singh belonging from British India and Sophia from Mexico.
The interior area of Punjab , a village from where Kishan belongs is beautiful depicted , his early age , the way he looks at his beloved back then Roop . in the subsequent next chapters I read about Sophie and her family , cultural similarities could be seen between Mexican household and Indians.
Author has taken enough time to put focus on how relationships and various intense emotions matter with one’s own family , society , friends and with their gone traumatic past , last but not the least with their own selves through a tale that talks about distress caused by political uprising in countries that people die and families separate helplessly to live in another country , where they again have to grow from the very basic , heartbreaks , immigration , struggling with social discrimination , racial prejudice. Life can be difficult at times but again can bring unexpected twists with great bounty of happiness !
With interesting twists the story told finally that if love is pure , strong friendship is there to support you through ups and downs they can dissolve any of these barriers , letting the core of all of us that is the human heart filled with love and acceptance come together leaping all differences , because we all are same at some point that is we all are looking for love .
Author did good research , shows she has taken good time to delve in the matters to present the message by keeping the book not over the top but putting good twists and turns.
March 6, 2019
The title itself is a happy one...rainbow instils in every human being a symbol of hope and joy, doesn't it!
The story of Kishan and Sophia grips you from the first page itself and the chronology of events that unfold in their lives is mesmerising. Even though they both come from vastly different backgrounds a common thread binds them through the book....both immaculate at heart,resilient in spirit and harbouring hope for a brighter tomorrow.
The intricate details of their lives and relationships is beautifully expressed. Many a times i found myself smiling in their triumph and also felt my eyes well up during the turbulent moments. The bonding that kishan has with his baldev mama for instance tugs at your heart .Similarly Sophia's relationship with her abuela and abuelo is so very endearing and heart warming.
The author has sketched each character with great finesse thus doing justice to the running theme. The Rainbow Acres dares one to dream,to never say never and to cherish every moment,every person in one's life.
Be it geography,history or even a chocolate recipe, the author makes for a well informed writer essentially keeping the reader hooked and absolutely easy for one to relate to the story. Having said that, like her protagonist,Simrita Dhir in her debut novel comes across as a master story teller making the book absolutely unputdownable.
I would recommend The Rainbow Acres to everybody without an iota of doubt.It is a book that can chase one's blues away and at the same cultivates in the reader a certain goodness, throwing ample light on the magnanimity of human heart and compassion,of gratitude, resilience and of staying rooted to one's core.
The story of Kishan and Sophia grips you from the first page itself and the chronology of events that unfold in their lives is mesmerising. Even though they both come from vastly different backgrounds a common thread binds them through the book....both immaculate at heart,resilient in spirit and harbouring hope for a brighter tomorrow.
The intricate details of their lives and relationships is beautifully expressed. Many a times i found myself smiling in their triumph and also felt my eyes well up during the turbulent moments. The bonding that kishan has with his baldev mama for instance tugs at your heart .Similarly Sophia's relationship with her abuela and abuelo is so very endearing and heart warming.
The author has sketched each character with great finesse thus doing justice to the running theme. The Rainbow Acres dares one to dream,to never say never and to cherish every moment,every person in one's life.
Be it geography,history or even a chocolate recipe, the author makes for a well informed writer essentially keeping the reader hooked and absolutely easy for one to relate to the story. Having said that, like her protagonist,Simrita Dhir in her debut novel comes across as a master story teller making the book absolutely unputdownable.
I would recommend The Rainbow Acres to everybody without an iota of doubt.It is a book that can chase one's blues away and at the same cultivates in the reader a certain goodness, throwing ample light on the magnanimity of human heart and compassion,of gratitude, resilience and of staying rooted to one's core.
January 16, 2019
I go with the lines of William Faulkner, as quoted in Rainbow Acres itself, "One must take a chance with a debut novelist." (Page 271). This debut novel of Simrita Dhir is bankable upon which one can definitely take a chance. The debutant always is a harbinger of new hope and freshness. This new hope and freshness is very much apparent in this novel. The novel unfolds the two lives, which are geographically separated but connected by what Fritjof Capra says "Hidden Connection". This invisible hidden connection of two lives is the beauty of this novel. The expression that novelist used to describe Kishan Singh's always simmering longingness for Amy and the element of hope as "unreachable seemed attainable" is the zenith of hidden connection.
I liked the way the plot unfolds. The unfolding of plot is as smooth as a summer stream. The characters comes alive in front of us and we start living their life and we go along with them on voyage of human striving, endurance, conquering and excelling. But the characters are always contributing in their voyage and thus adding distinction to their peculiar voyage. The journey of Sophia is described, "It must convey her odyssey ....She must colour it with fragrance of her journey." (Page 263). It seems as if the the characters are playing their role in the arena of destiny and striving to colour their own rainbows with their difference and peculiarity.
Finally, it is their story that wins and hidden connections merge to form a whole.
Likes its characters, I feel Rainbow Acres is itself on a journey of conquering and excelling.
I liked the way the plot unfolds. The unfolding of plot is as smooth as a summer stream. The characters comes alive in front of us and we start living their life and we go along with them on voyage of human striving, endurance, conquering and excelling. But the characters are always contributing in their voyage and thus adding distinction to their peculiar voyage. The journey of Sophia is described, "It must convey her odyssey ....She must colour it with fragrance of her journey." (Page 263). It seems as if the the characters are playing their role in the arena of destiny and striving to colour their own rainbows with their difference and peculiarity.
Finally, it is their story that wins and hidden connections merge to form a whole.
Likes its characters, I feel Rainbow Acres is itself on a journey of conquering and excelling.
October 20, 2020
Kishans American dream subsists of his life in Noor Mahal, his journey going to California, and his life after the American dream. The American dream is said to be equal opportunities for all to achieve goals and aspirations. Similarly, The Rainbow Acres is represented as persistence of hope. Throughout Kishan's journey, he came from a village in Noor Mahal and grew up without the influence of his parents. The influenza outbreak impacted Kishan's decision to leave as lives were lost, land was lost, and the storm also led to Roop getting married to another man. After those series of events, Kishan decided to leave Noor Mahal and head to California with Jaspal. After complications in his journey in California, Kishan almost died from rancid food, almost was falsely led to fraud, but had some upside in purchasing a small strip of land. Upon achieving his aspirations, Kishan was able to own a thousand acre of land and was able to find a possible significant other as well. Throughout Kishan's journey, he transcended through the Anti-Miscegenation law and California Alien Land laws. In the beginning, Kishan had very little and took it upon himself to seek a better life. He decided to take on the challenge of the American dream and to take an opportunity to achieve his aspirations. Many attempt to contend for money in America, but for some simplicity is more valuable than currency. The aspects of hardships, experiences, and background help motivate an individual to strive for immense desires. There is not a true definition for the American dream, as every aspiration is different, but an individual's ambition and diligence is key to achieving one's goals in life.
October 20, 2020
The Rainbow Acres has more depth beyond being a mere story of immigrants. The novel explores intriguing subjects like the significance of exhibiting outrageous dreams into reality and human triumph over seemingly impossible challenges coupled with historic contextual insights. The novel emphasizes the struggle of immigrants who deracinate themselves and explore out new ways to establish themselves in a vast new reality of life.
Sophia’s journey leading up to fulfilling her purpose consists of her early life with her family in Acapulco, Mexico, developing her adult responsibilities. Her innovative prowess is then expanded through her influence in their family bakery. Due to their bakery’s success ultimately due to her innovation for chocolate, her early life in Acapulco then ends with the start of her life with Giovanni in Guadalajara, initiating her eventual journey and assimilation to California due to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. Sophia and her daughter's life in California are then challenged with the complications of the social norm involving her daughter’s future. Sophia then realizes her wrongs of putting social norm ahead of her daughter’s happiness, and in doing so managed to have good relations with her family. Sophia was able to pursue and continue her prominent passion for chocolate from her life even before their journey to California, in which she was able to create her own chocolate brand. Shen then becomes a grandmother to three of Isabel's children which she feels completes her purpose in life.
Sophia’s journey leading up to fulfilling her purpose consists of her early life with her family in Acapulco, Mexico, developing her adult responsibilities. Her innovative prowess is then expanded through her influence in their family bakery. Due to their bakery’s success ultimately due to her innovation for chocolate, her early life in Acapulco then ends with the start of her life with Giovanni in Guadalajara, initiating her eventual journey and assimilation to California due to the ravages of the Mexican Revolution. Sophia and her daughter's life in California are then challenged with the complications of the social norm involving her daughter’s future. Sophia then realizes her wrongs of putting social norm ahead of her daughter’s happiness, and in doing so managed to have good relations with her family. Sophia was able to pursue and continue her prominent passion for chocolate from her life even before their journey to California, in which she was able to create her own chocolate brand. Shen then becomes a grandmother to three of Isabel's children which she feels completes her purpose in life.
September 4, 2019
Simrita Dhir has crafted an exquisite piece of literature. Full of love, dreams, kindness and courage, this book gives sheer pleasure of relishing varied human emotions.
To be young and in love, to dream a life of togetherness and lose it all to a storm, to your Eden being a massacre ground, to leave your motherland and embark upon a deadly voyage, to find a brother in a sea of strangers, #TheRainbowAcres is an ode to all the raw and extreme human emotions.
The characters were unfailingly kind even in the darkest of times, their unwavering faith in their soil and their preservance was extraordinarily portrayed. The narration was smooth and the flow was paced as to touch all the raw sentiments and the let the story sink in word by word. Even though two different stories with different timelines and geographical locations were simultaneously in progress, it didn’t create any confusion. The connection was superb. I liked Kishan and Sophia’s story individually as well as when they were merged together and bringing together such different stories as one was brilliantly plotted by the Author.
Love, friendship, brotherhood, migration, defying racism and class barriers, “the quest for land and identity, set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and revolution-torn Mexico”, escaping death, disease, hunger, poverty and near prostitution experience, #TheRainbowAcres won’t let you down even for a moment.
To be young and in love, to dream a life of togetherness and lose it all to a storm, to your Eden being a massacre ground, to leave your motherland and embark upon a deadly voyage, to find a brother in a sea of strangers, #TheRainbowAcres is an ode to all the raw and extreme human emotions.
The characters were unfailingly kind even in the darkest of times, their unwavering faith in their soil and their preservance was extraordinarily portrayed. The narration was smooth and the flow was paced as to touch all the raw sentiments and the let the story sink in word by word. Even though two different stories with different timelines and geographical locations were simultaneously in progress, it didn’t create any confusion. The connection was superb. I liked Kishan and Sophia’s story individually as well as when they were merged together and bringing together such different stories as one was brilliantly plotted by the Author.
Love, friendship, brotherhood, migration, defying racism and class barriers, “the quest for land and identity, set against the backdrop of old Punjab, early California and revolution-torn Mexico”, escaping death, disease, hunger, poverty and near prostitution experience, #TheRainbowAcres won’t let you down even for a moment.
November 1, 2019
The Rainbow Acres by simrita Dhir is a historic fiction novel set up in during the British rule in India, and in mexico during the Mexican revolution.
The story revolves around the life of kishan Singh and sofiya, 2 people who live miles apart from each other, leading happy lives in their respective countries but when life challenges them to leave their country and life behind and move to california, the promise land, will their paths cross? And how will it impact each others lives? Pick it up to find out!
I had a really wonderful time reading this book .
The concept and theme of the books such as war, love, sacrifice, friendship, migrations etc are not always executed so well in this modern era, but this book had it all!
The language is easy and unsophisticated.
The narration was very fluent, sofiyas part was narrated very well but kishans required minor improvements because I could connect very effortlessly with sofiya, but not with kishan, here also comes in the part of characterization , both the characters were well developed,there was a clear image of their backgrounds too.
The writing style was nice engaging and descriptive.
The plot was parallel, the author had kept a good hold over both the stories and carefully constructed the plot to join the dots together.
The storyline was beautiful, thoughtful and captivating.
Overall, this was a really fascinating and emotional read. Definitely recommend.
MY RATING: 4.5/5🌌
The story revolves around the life of kishan Singh and sofiya, 2 people who live miles apart from each other, leading happy lives in their respective countries but when life challenges them to leave their country and life behind and move to california, the promise land, will their paths cross? And how will it impact each others lives? Pick it up to find out!
I had a really wonderful time reading this book .
The concept and theme of the books such as war, love, sacrifice, friendship, migrations etc are not always executed so well in this modern era, but this book had it all!
The language is easy and unsophisticated.
The narration was very fluent, sofiyas part was narrated very well but kishans required minor improvements because I could connect very effortlessly with sofiya, but not with kishan, here also comes in the part of characterization , both the characters were well developed,there was a clear image of their backgrounds too.
The writing style was nice engaging and descriptive.
The plot was parallel, the author had kept a good hold over both the stories and carefully constructed the plot to join the dots together.
The storyline was beautiful, thoughtful and captivating.
Overall, this was a really fascinating and emotional read. Definitely recommend.
MY RATING: 4.5/5🌌
January 1, 2019
I just finished reading The Rainbow Acres. It is unforgettable and deeply moving. Some scenes leave a huge impact - Kishan Singh's dilemma before he decides to leave his homeland, Kishan Singh's final days in Noor Mahal, the train journey, Kishan Singh's near death experience on the ship, his meeting with the married girl on the ship, his meeting with Amy in the library, the interaction of Kishan Singh and Sophia, Kishan Singh's brief meeting with Rosa, the birth of the children and the description of California - the Central Valley, Imperial Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego. The references to the Sikh gurus are very inspiring. Jaspal is an impressive character, a man of few words who leaves an impression. Sophia's journey from Mexico to California is beautiful. I liked the references to gardenias and butterflies in her sections and how chocolate comes represent love, life, passion. The tiny fishing village, and Sophia's meeting with the romantic fisherman linger on in the mind for a long time. The closing ten pages read like a dream. I didn't want the novel to end - it was so beautiful and poetic, an emotional, thought provoking read. Hope to meet the writer some day.
December 10, 2019
“There was no telling if the Journey would be worth the struggle, worth breaking hearts and bones, worth burying the throbbing past in a subterranean pit, worth starting again with the uncanny belief in second chances” (Dhir). The novel The Rainbow Acres written by Simrita Dhir tells an excellent story of two people, Kishan Singh, Sophia Morales, and their journey throughout life and migration to the great state of California, where dreams come true. At the age of 17 Kishan, who is one of the main characters in the book, is forced to migrate to America due to disease and heartbreaking reality. Throughout his journey he is constantly faced with trials that test his resolve and determination to achieve his American Dream. Sophia who generally had a pretty normal life is blindsided by the deaths of her grandparents. Throughout her journey she is constantly having to deal with the heartbreak of losing those you love and due to this, seeks out California to escape those she had to leave behind and the chaos Mexico is experiencing due to the revolution for the sake of her daughter. Throughout both their stories their lives are turned upside down and as they try to push through their tribulation one major factor that is fueling their spirits and unwavering determination is love.
November 6, 2019
“…they had hit a mountain of adversity. Crying or quietening couldn’t move that mountain. They must climb over it and cross over. For each other’s sake and their own” (Dhir 165). Throughout the entirety of Simrita Dhir’s novel, The Rainbow Acres, the motif of journey is recurring idea that is heavily explored and plays a major role in both the lives of Kishan and Sophia. The journey motif essentially fuels the whole novel’s rags to riches story of finally landing in America to attain a better life. While fueling the storyline, the journey theme accurately demonstrates the multitude of barriers a hopeful immigrant must hurdle in order to reap the “American Dream”; that being said, the journey motif can be correlated even to today’s as many still encounter countless struggles in order to achieve a fuller life. After encountering countless hardships, both protagonists embark on a long and grueling journey to attain the life of their dreams. Along her way to living her dream, Sophia hits a multitude of barriers. Despite all the barriers life throws at Sophia, she always finds a way to push through and keep fighting. -Zoren
April 15, 2020
The novel is really beautifully written and has expressed the endeavor of an Indian boy named Kishan and a Spanish woman named Sophia. Throughout the stories it ta takes the readers through a rollercoaster ride of mixed feelings. The references made in both of the stories are so local and raw that I had no problem reading or understanding what the story had to say and what the messages were. Kishan's story shows the importance of a new beginning in life where Sophia teaches how to stay strong even after the world is pushing you down. Both stories give the flooding feeling of love, joy and most importantly hardship. Many lessons from both of the story can be learned just by realizing the hardship both of the main characters faced throughout the times. But their hardship comes with its own fruits and gives them their desired life.
The novel takes the readers to journey of Kishan and Sophia making the readers their companion, and till the end when they reach their desired success the feeling of achievement can be felt by the reader too and to me, the happiness that a reader feels after finishing the journey with them makes The Rainbow Acres a worthy novel to be read.
The novel takes the readers to journey of Kishan and Sophia making the readers their companion, and till the end when they reach their desired success the feeling of achievement can be felt by the reader too and to me, the happiness that a reader feels after finishing the journey with them makes The Rainbow Acres a worthy novel to be read.
October 21, 2020
The idea of the “American Dream” has flocked millions upon millions of people to the United States since the country’s founding. Year after year, the tired, the hungry, and the desperate embark on an arduous journey with nothing but hope and a dream. The Rainbow Acres tells the captivating journey of two people, from two very different cultures, and their search for a better future in the land of opportunity. The story follows Kishan, a Punjabi orphan who seeks a new life in California after his village is destroyed by natural disaster and disease, and Sophia, a Mexican mother who tries to build a better life for her daughter after the trail of destruction from a political revolution. It tells not only of the hope to achieve the “American Dream” but also the loss, pain, connections, and love found along the way. The novel explores how love, for both people, like Kishan’s love for Roop and Sophia’s love for Giovanni, and places, like Kishan’s love of California and Sophia’s love for Acapulco, can either motivate people to seek new horizons and adventure or to grow bonds between those around you.
January 3, 2019
Set against the backdrop of pre-partition Punjab, revolution- torn Mexico and the tantalizing land of opportunities, California, Simrita Dhir's debut novel 'The Rainbow Acres' is an incredibly charming saga of migration of a Punjabi boy Kishan Singh from Noor Mahal (Punjab) to the new world in quest of land and identity.
With his lands devastated by rains and his dream of marrying his heartthrob Roop washed away, Kishan Singh embarks on a perilous journey across oceans to reach the land of his heart's desire to fulfill his life's dream which crystallizes in the form of the farm house ranch named 'The Rainbow Acres', California.
The Rainbow Acres, as the dominant metaphor of rainbow in the name suggests, is a symbol of prosperity, fulfilment of a dream and also, perhaps, a fragile, ephemeral and multicoloured edifice of joy.I heartily congratulate the novelist on this outstanding achievement and wish her Godspeed. The world is eagerly waiting her next novel!
With his lands devastated by rains and his dream of marrying his heartthrob Roop washed away, Kishan Singh embarks on a perilous journey across oceans to reach the land of his heart's desire to fulfill his life's dream which crystallizes in the form of the farm house ranch named 'The Rainbow Acres', California.
The Rainbow Acres, as the dominant metaphor of rainbow in the name suggests, is a symbol of prosperity, fulfilment of a dream and also, perhaps, a fragile, ephemeral and multicoloured edifice of joy.I heartily congratulate the novelist on this outstanding achievement and wish her Godspeed. The world is eagerly waiting her next novel!
April 14, 2020
Very beautiful and inspiring story. Even though the characters are fictional, their stories definitely aren not. It is very easy to forget how many immigrants who go through the struggle of leaving behind their life in their home countries and stepping into a land that is totally unfamiliar to them. Many of them came to this country, work very hard so that they could live the life that they have imagined, be who they want to be. These struggles that thee people go through can be easily overlooked, but this book is a reminder to us, about many who have struggled to follow the American Dream, and who may still be struggling to follow it now, the amount of difficulty they may be going through is unimaginable. It is somewhat ironic though, that the land used to give hope to so many people around the world who seek for a better life is now closing its door on them, with some of the latest immigrant policies.
March 20, 2020
An excellent and wonderful novel that explores the stories of two different characters as they discover love, tragedy, adventure, and redemption within themselves. The stories from both Kishan, an Indian boy, and Sophia, a Mexican girl, are beautiful and enthralling as we explore every event and encounter they had leading up to the end. Each part that we read from both characters explores a completely new story in itself, with so much flowing detail in terms of the culture and surroundings that by the end of it, I felt like I just traveled across the globe as well. It is simply a story that makes us calmly think about our past, future, and present, and how we should just take things one at a time.
Rainbow Acres is a story about moving on, accepting what it is now, and going towards the future. I am simply amazed at what an experience reading this entire book has been.
Rainbow Acres is a story about moving on, accepting what it is now, and going towards the future. I am simply amazed at what an experience reading this entire book has been.
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