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Inauspicious
INAUSPICIOUS is the international saga of Rajasthani teenage bride, Triti Sharma, whose harrowing escape from the flames of a forbidden ancient ritual takes her from the desert sands of India to the streets of New York City where her soul twin, Jaq Morel, helps her uncover the horrors of her forgotten past. Spanning two continents, five cities, and three divergent cultures, INAUSPICIOUS is a modern story of survival, redemption, and the transcendent brilliance of synchronicity.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published June 28, 2021
3 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 4, 2022
This book was amazing. Eastabrooks is knowledgeable and cares about the religious and cultural aspects of the setting. The writings incredibly and the plot line is heartbreakingly good. Truly an eye opening book.
May 15, 2023
I’m not sure where or possibly who I got this book from. I was hesitant to read it so it sat on a shelf for quite some time. One I picked it up it kept me wanting to read more. A wonderfully written book with such passion to tell a story of a young woman who has many trials in her life but who never gave up.
July 18, 2022
This isn't an easy read, and at the same time it is. Learning about different cultures, ways of life, traditions and whether they seem archaic and completely against what we believe is sane; it's the beauty of reading.
Through this book we travel to India, the setting and feel of it. It's amazingly well done.. it's almost as if you could smell the spices and hear the boisterous sounds of the bazaar... However, we can also experience the hardships and choke hold that traditions can put on a person.
This is a journey of self discovery, of losing the ability to trust and learning to do so again in spite of the hurt it might cause; of finding the strength within you and the resilience to strive for what you want.
it's beautifully told.. with the lives of our two main characters differing and colliding with each other perfectly..
As I said, it's not an easy read for all the message it carries and for the array of emotions it will touch on the reader, regardless of background..
A truly amazing read.
Through this book we travel to India, the setting and feel of it. It's amazingly well done.. it's almost as if you could smell the spices and hear the boisterous sounds of the bazaar... However, we can also experience the hardships and choke hold that traditions can put on a person.
This is a journey of self discovery, of losing the ability to trust and learning to do so again in spite of the hurt it might cause; of finding the strength within you and the resilience to strive for what you want.
it's beautifully told.. with the lives of our two main characters differing and colliding with each other perfectly..
As I said, it's not an easy read for all the message it carries and for the array of emotions it will touch on the reader, regardless of background..
A truly amazing read.
August 11, 2021
Through the vision of R.L.K. Eastabrooks in her debut novel Inauspicious, we realize the terrors of an old tradition and its effects on Indian women because of a horrific ceremony, Sati: where the widowed bride must be burned alive on the pyre with her dead husband. We also experience Triti, Eastabrooks’ young, strong, beautiful woman protagonist, who not only escapes the pyre of death but also embraces her new, uncertain life with physical and emotional resilience, leaving the life and love of family she once knew to protect herself and her loved ones. It is this resilience that we see throughout Eastabrooks’ intensely vivid and wonderfully crafted novel that takes us across the continent and back amid a gripping tale of sisterhood, love, and the unwavering push towards hope and family.
June 26, 2021
Some aspects of our society and cultural mores are so horrifying that we strive to keep them under wraps. It takes someone with courage, compassion, and empathy to bring forth depraved secrets so that the evil can be ripped apart at the roots. Renée L. K. Eastabrooks pens down the true story of a young widow in Rajasthan, who miraculously escapes the burning pyre of Sati, and goes on to search for a new life across continents. Easterbrook's novel – Inauspicious – contains insights from her month-long trip to northern India where she worked with widows and street children.
Sati, the practice of burning alive a widow on the pyre of her dead husband, is illegal in India. However, in the hinterlands, the widow is a financial and social burden, and an entire custom is perpetuated to get rid of her while crowning her with divinity. In this horrifying landscape, a young widow, Triti, escapes a lit pyre and through sisterhood and kindness, and the power of her dreams and forte attempts to rewrite her destiny. The novel is gripping from the start and has the reader rooting for the protagonist.
The writer is invested in the local landscape and heritage. The book contains verses, local lullabies, songs, and a few colloquial dialogues. Amidst the sorrow and the depravity, the descriptions of colors, bazaars, spices, jewelry, bring out the visual vibrancy for which Rajasthan is well-known. Eastabrook’s writing is evocative and the observant narrative fills the pages of an otherwise troubling story.
Initially, it seems Triti's recovery and journey to Delhi and then to New York is not only swift but convenient. A quarter into the book, the 18 years old, Triti, has changed her identity and moved out of the country, only to discover the smoke and mirrors in the world. Her trysts are yet to unfold.
This is a story of sheer grit and the desire to survive, against all odds. From small towns and impoverished societies rise some of the strongest souls who become an inspiration. Triti's story, even in adversity, speaks of the power of serendipity and the inner strength that can pave the path for redemption and healing if ever there is for those who have experienced the darkest depths of society.
Sati, the practice of burning alive a widow on the pyre of her dead husband, is illegal in India. However, in the hinterlands, the widow is a financial and social burden, and an entire custom is perpetuated to get rid of her while crowning her with divinity. In this horrifying landscape, a young widow, Triti, escapes a lit pyre and through sisterhood and kindness, and the power of her dreams and forte attempts to rewrite her destiny. The novel is gripping from the start and has the reader rooting for the protagonist.
The writer is invested in the local landscape and heritage. The book contains verses, local lullabies, songs, and a few colloquial dialogues. Amidst the sorrow and the depravity, the descriptions of colors, bazaars, spices, jewelry, bring out the visual vibrancy for which Rajasthan is well-known. Eastabrook’s writing is evocative and the observant narrative fills the pages of an otherwise troubling story.
Initially, it seems Triti's recovery and journey to Delhi and then to New York is not only swift but convenient. A quarter into the book, the 18 years old, Triti, has changed her identity and moved out of the country, only to discover the smoke and mirrors in the world. Her trysts are yet to unfold.
This is a story of sheer grit and the desire to survive, against all odds. From small towns and impoverished societies rise some of the strongest souls who become an inspiration. Triti's story, even in adversity, speaks of the power of serendipity and the inner strength that can pave the path for redemption and healing if ever there is for those who have experienced the darkest depths of society.
May 3, 2022
Tradition and hope move hand in hand in R.L.K. Eastabrooks’ Inauspicious, a novel inspired by real events, propelled by the magnetism of kindness and synchronicity, and beautifully presented in smooth, sometimes delightful, sometimes horrifying prose.
Triti is a very young new bride in India when her husband dies and her life is shattered on the fiery assumptions of tradition. Suddenly alone in the world, afraid of the consequences of her escape, she finds help in people who have, themselves, needed help, and betrayal in some who seem to have most to offer. Initially naïve, she learns to avoid trust, then struggles to trust again. And those on society’s fringes prove the truest friends.
Meanwhile in the United States, Jaq is pursuing a successful education when male assumptions throw her down. Her fall won’t be as dramatic or terrifying as Triti’s, but the plight of women, forced to follow the rules of men, is as real in one country as the next. Triti’s wounds show on her hands and feet, and in the secrets that weight down her soul. Jaq’s are in failure when she strives for success, rejection when she strives to be accepted, and in the punishment that a beautiful face gives the women who wears it.
When these two characters meet, the synchronicity of their separate fates becomes one story, driven to healing and hope. It’s a beautiful read, with gorgeous depictions of scenery, food, and drink, wonderful introductions to different ways of life, a glorious cast of memorable characters, and an ending that so perfectly fits the plot. Highly recommended.
Disclaimer: I was given a free ecopy and I loved it!
Triti is a very young new bride in India when her husband dies and her life is shattered on the fiery assumptions of tradition. Suddenly alone in the world, afraid of the consequences of her escape, she finds help in people who have, themselves, needed help, and betrayal in some who seem to have most to offer. Initially naïve, she learns to avoid trust, then struggles to trust again. And those on society’s fringes prove the truest friends.
Meanwhile in the United States, Jaq is pursuing a successful education when male assumptions throw her down. Her fall won’t be as dramatic or terrifying as Triti’s, but the plight of women, forced to follow the rules of men, is as real in one country as the next. Triti’s wounds show on her hands and feet, and in the secrets that weight down her soul. Jaq’s are in failure when she strives for success, rejection when she strives to be accepted, and in the punishment that a beautiful face gives the women who wears it.
When these two characters meet, the synchronicity of their separate fates becomes one story, driven to healing and hope. It’s a beautiful read, with gorgeous depictions of scenery, food, and drink, wonderful introductions to different ways of life, a glorious cast of memorable characters, and an ending that so perfectly fits the plot. Highly recommended.
Disclaimer: I was given a free ecopy and I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews