East of the Sun - Julia Gregson

[bookgazing]

I think this would be a fantastic book to take on holiday (I'll let you know how I enjoy my own book choices when I return) - for now read my answers to some smart ladies questions:

classicvasilly said 'I read a great review for East of the Sun but what did you think of it? Were the characters believable? Would only a certain type of reader love the book or anyone?'

I certainly found the characters believable. The women are friends, but they struggle with being fully intimate with each other. They hold back secrets and thoughts, which the author makes much of as she shapes a novel that wonders how much we can ever really know about those we love. All the three main characters struggle to form their own identities without shutting other people out and they often feel frustrated or confused by the people closest to them. They’re also girls searching for fun; the novel is full of parties and weekends away. I suppose they felt like real young women to me: confused, happy, hiding, courageous – a big mixed muddle like most of us are in our twenties and thirties.

I think this book will appeal to readers who like romance and travel. I picked it up because I was looking for a book that captured both the indulgence of the Empire abroad but also the crumbling nature of upper-class expat society and the new spirit of India. The novel certainly has some problems, for example some storylines were abandoned and returned to rather abruptly and I’m not sure it would pass the Bechdel test, because the women usually just think about things other than men but talk about men. Still, I think it’s a book that’s easy to enjoy.

Sherrie thought 'East of the Sun – Julia Gregson sounds like a great book! As it's listed as a historical book, does it stick to the facts of history in this era?'

I’m not too up on my Indian history, although I’ve read a few books that follow the various conflicts within the country. I’m going to have to give you a bit of a cop out answer and say that the author names a range of books that informed her about the historical issues. The book mostly focuses on three female friends and two of them do their best to stay out of politics. Viva gets herself involved when she starts working at an orphanage and I liked that the author explains the reasons why many of the children are not especially grateful to the orphanage for taking them in. In terms of female history and attitudes at the time towards unmarried women I’d say the book felt like it was sticking with an authentic historical line. If you want a novel that really gets its teeth into the history of India, while still having a strong romantic storyline I’d recommend ‘The Far Pavilions’ by M M Kaye.

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