Sharon MaasRezensionen

I read this 1930s to 1950s historical fiction set in Georgetown, Guyana, as part of my read around the world challenge. The author was born and raised in Guyana.

I learned a little about the country along the way. Guyana is on the northern mainland of South America, and was colonised by the Dutch before becoming a British sugar-producing colony in the late 18th century, called British Guiana. It gained independence in 1966. Guyana is the only South American nation in which English is the official language. However, the majority of the population speak Guyanese Creole, an English-based creole, as a first language. It is considered part of the mainland Caribbean region. The population is made up of around 40% Indian, 30% African, 20%, Multiracial and 10% Indigenous peoples with Europeans making up less than 0.5% of the population.

This is the third story in the Quint Chronicles however the first one I have read, which didn’t seem to be a problem. It is the story of Mary Grace Smedley Cox, the mixed race daughter of wealthy white plantation owners. Grace struggles to be accepted by society and wrestles with the mystery of her birth and a difficult relationship with her forceful mother. She feels a much stronger bond to her wise and affectionate aunt Winnie and her sons.

When Jock Campbell emigrates to British Guiana (affectionately known as BG by the locals) with ambitious plans to dramatically improve the lot of the oppressed plantation workers, Grace finally feels she has met a soulmate. The story is an insight into the struggles of a woman of colour in colonial British Guiana and also into the politics of change. Jock Campbell is a historical figure, a dedicated reformer and he was also later instrumental in establishing the Man Booker prize. Passionate revolutionary Cheddi Jaggan is also featured. I enjoyed this book although I felt it sagged somewhat towards the end, with a not overly inspiring ending. There were some lengthy political monologues along the way but I would be happy to read another book by Sharon Maas.

#ReadAroundTheWorld. #Guyana
The Secret Life of Winnie Cox is the first book in the Quint Family trilogy by Guyanese author Sharon Maas. It is set in 1910 in British Guiana (now Guyana).

Winnie Cox and her sister Yoyo are Sugar Princesses, growing up to a life of privilege on their father’s sugar plantation, Promised Land. The plantation runs off the labour of Black house servants and Indian indentured labourers, living in horrific conditions. One day the girls see the awful conditions the workers are living under and their innocence is torn away. Winnie finds herself on a journey as she questions everything she held dear about her father and as she begins falling for Black postman George Quint. The story also shifts back to her mother’s diaries set in the 1880s, and gradually exposes some family secrets and dark truths.

This is a pleasant enjoyable story which gives some insight into life on the plantations, the conditions, colonialism and racial tensions. I did find Winnie’s naivety and stubborn ignorance somewhat annoying and wanted to shake her at times. I think this is the author’s choice to portray her like this however, and she does grow and develop throughout the story. I also struggled to believe Winnie could have lived sixteen years on a plantation with no idea of what went on, but there you go. I found myself wanting to hear more of her mother’s story. 3.5 stars½

#ReadAroundTheWorld. #Guyana

The second story in the Quint Chronicles series, by Guyanese born author Sharon Maas, this book is set in 1912 in what was then British Guiana.

It continues the story of sugar princesses Winnie and Yoyo Cox. Their father has gone to jail, Winnie is about to marry the love of her life, black postman George Quint, and Yoyo is ambitiously taking over the running of the sugar plantation. Winnie is bravely trying to adjust to life as the only white woman in Albouystown, and her disappointment at not being embraced and accepted. Yoyo’s ambitions also run to producing sons and heirs, but when this fails to happen, she becomes jealous of Winnie and her growing brood, and maliciously attempts to ensnare George. OK so I have to go there: the sex. While I’m glad to see that a woman can be portrayed as the aggressor, and not always the victim, why is it when men err, it’s always blamed on the alcohol (which they willingly consumed) and of course they couldn’t help that their penis just ran away with them?

This story is about love and betrayal, jealousy and bigotry, and how Winnie and George try to face all of this. I love the setting of these books, the historical background, and the insight into the racial tensions of the time. George educates Winnie about the difference between the British treatment of the Blacks and Indians, based purely on a belief in racial superiority, and their reciprocal suspicion towards the English, based more on previous harsh experiences. The thing I found hard about this book was the irritating naivety of Winnie and her gushingly cheerful brand of goodness, in stark contrast to the almost maniacal evil of Yoyo’s selfishness. When I was young I enjoyed these kinds of stories when the differentiation between heroes and the villains was sharply demarcated. Now that I’m older I prefer a little subtly, the more flawed brand of perfection and the more complex and layered villain that is reality.

Two friends find their beliefs diverging when Hitler comes to power. The novel progresses as the two girls, now women recollect their differing experiences and thought-processes.

I think this is the first novel I have read where a Nazi supporter gives her side of the story. The horrors are not dwelt upon, but are given moving immediacy through the eyes of two girls growing up in the 30’s & 40’s.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Take one terrible family secret, add a pinch of tension spanning generations, finish with an immensely valuable family heirloom and... voilà! You now have a truly satisfying read. This is what I found in The Small Fortune of Dorothea Q. I was initially intrigued by the title and the absolutely gorgeous cover (honestly, it's so pretty it is worth picking up this book for the cover alone!), but I was soon captivated by the story and the colourful characters. True, the beginning I found quite slow, and I did have a little trouble following the narration, as it is divided between the three female protagonists (Dorothea, Rika and Inky), and the action in the three different decades. But as I got further into the story, I was completely sucked in and found myself wondering what the big, terrible secret was. And I'm quite pleased to say that, even though I had called a part of it early on and had been right, the author still managed to surprise me with the way she developed it (I know this sounds very cryptic, but it's incredibly hard trying to avoid any spoiler at this point!). I also liked getting snippets of Guyanese history and culture throughout the book, which I thought added an interesting layer to the story.

As I already mentioned, I wasn't too keen on the split narration initially, but it actually ended up being quite a strong point in the book for me as I progressed in the reading. Seeing the events unfold through the eyes of one or the other of the wonderful women in this book made me connect with them on a much deeper level, and actually avoided the terrible 'big-plot-revelation-through-an-incredibly-long-character-speech' pitfall. The character development was also truly well done. I didn't care much for any of the characters in the beginning, since they pretty much all seemed very annoying and/or incredibly bossy. But as the story progressed and I started figuring out all the things that had happened to them, I understood why the characters acted the way they did, and my judgment on them substantially improved. I still didn't care very much for Inky, as I found her just a little too self-centred for my liking, but that's just me being very judgmental about book characters.

Overall, this was a very entertaining read, at times sweet, at times sad. If you like family mysteries mixed with romance and tragedy, I really suggest you check this out.

Savitri, intuitivo y carismático, crece entre los sirvientes de una casa inglesa de antes de la guerra en Madrás. Pero las costumbres tradicionales de su familia brahman chocan contra los prejuicios de la clase alta inglesa, amenazando su amor por el hijo privilegiado de la casa.
Nataraj, criado como el hijo de un médico idealista en la zona rural del sur de la India, encuentra la vida en Londres embriagadora, con chicas y hierba fácilmente disponibles... hasta que lo llaman de regreso a casa para enfrentar la cruda realidad.
Saroj, su fuego oculto por la reserva externa, alcanza la mayoría de edad en Guyana, América del Sur. Cuando su ortodoxo y estricto padre hingú se pasa de la raya, ella finalmente se rebela contra él... e incluso contra su amable y aparentemente dócil Ma.
Pero Ma alberga un profundo secreto... uno que une estas tres vidas tan dispares y las precipita hacia una verdad que podría destruir su mundo.

I read a lot of WWII historical fiction but it's almost always about the war in Europe. Those I have Lost takes place in Ceylon and India and about how they were affected by the war with Japan.

In 1933 when Rosie was 10, her beloved mother died. The family lived in India where the father was a professor of languages and her mother took care of the house and Rosie. She and her father were distraught at the death and when her mom's best friend came from Ceylon, she had a letter that her mom had written several years earlier that asked her raise Rosie if anything happened to her. Rosie and her father both realized that this was the best solution so she moved to Ceylon with her Aunt Silvia and became part of the family with two boys near her age and an older boy in college in England. Her life is happy and carefree until the threat of war gets stronger. All three of the brothers sign up for the military much to Aunt Silvia's dismay. Rosie decides that she needs to do more for the war effort so she starts working as a typist for the government. As the losses to her family start to happen, Rosie wonders if she'll ever find love and happiness. When the war if finally over, Rosie waits to see if any of the men in her life return home.

This coming of age story is told by Rosie and is written as a memoir later in her life. She is a brave girl, true to her friends and family but is often stubborn and set in her ways. The author does a fantastic job of making the story come alive with her descriptions of the scenery as well as the food. It was very interesting to read about the effect of the war that is not often written about. My only complaint about this book is that it starts off very slowly. My advice is to keep reading because when it picks up, it's a fantastic look at how the war affected both the military and their families in this war.

Thanks to Bookouture for a copy of this book to read and review.

A really good WWII genre novel. At times I did like the secondary characters better than the main character Sarah. I will say she redeemed herself by the end of the book.

Her Darkest Hour by Sharon Maas

Set during World War II in Alsace this is a story of choices and how they impact not only the person who makes the choice but also their family, friends, and community. Choices made in “the heat of the moment” tend not to have the same clarity and far seeing wisdom that those decisions and choices that are made carefully after consideration of all the known options. Choices indicate that there is more than one answer, solution or way forward. And in this book the choices made by more than one person have long reaching impact for many.

I found myself being feeling that
* Marie-Claire was naïve, selfish, emotional, seeking friendship and approval and more often than not made choices that left her less than happy
* Marie-Claire’s family did not understand her
* Jacques was more involved with himself and his cause than with the people he used to serve his “higher goal”
* Kurtz was evil through and through
* Side—supporting characters were expendable
* War is evil
* Victoire, Marie-Claire’s sister, did come through for her in the end
* This was a dark gritty sad read that did not really make me feel good when I read the last page
* Perhaps my past experiences with war impacted my reading of this book

Did I enjoy this book? Yes and No
Would I read more by this author? I would if the subject interested me

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars½

This was the book I was reading when the music stopped and we all went into lockdown for the pandemic. It took me a good six weeks to read when normally I would have averaged 10 days. I wasn’t sure whether it was the mental confusion caused by the world being turned upside down that stopped me concentrating, or just because I didn’t like the book much. I wondered too whether my enjoyment of reading was too interlinked with my enjoyment of sitting in cafes and watching the world go by. After all that’s where I do more than eighty percent of my reading normally. With no cafes and no world going by it started to feel like a chore to pick this book up, and I only read it when standing in line waiting to go into Tesco.

It took forever to get into, and even when I did it had a bitty feel - you would get used to a certain scenario and then, oops, someone would die and there would be a jump shift and the whole thing would move to a different time and a different country. I never felt we had the time to get used to any of them. Then we had the final stretch which I hated most of all - first the central character changes personality and becomes quite arrogant. Fine - no problem, and probably understandable, but then we are expected to sympathise with her as she indulges in some overwrought angst over her on-off love interest, finally culminating in an only-in-fiction coincidence to round the whole thing off. I liked the author’s depiction of India - Bombay in particular - and there were parts of the novel that I liked but they never lasted long enough to make this an overall enjoyable reading experience.

"The Soldier's Girl "wasn't the exciting, heartbreaking read I was expecting it to be. It reminded me of Fiona McIntosh's "The Lavender Keeper", just not as good. The plot was superficial and the pacing was wrong. I found the first part dull but other parts were rushed.

I also didn't connect with any of the characters. Sybil made some stupid mistakes as a spy, Jacques wasn't in the novel enough to form a bond with him and the German major, Wolfgang von Haagan, was obnoxious. In fact I found him quite cringe-worthy and an insult to his rank. The so called love triangle was a joke as there was no chemistry at all between Sybil and the two men in her life. The book finished far too abruptly and left me feeling cheated. Very disappointing!!!

I couldn’t finish this book. I felt that the writing was shallow. It was difficult for me to believe that Jews hiding from the Nazis would be so casual about sharing information with people they didn’t know.

There is quite a history between France and Germany over Alsace and I so enjoyed the history lesson within this story which sent me on a quest to learn more. Sharon did not hold back in painting the picture with her prose of a gloomy, horrifying time in humanity. Then to lighten things up she also gave us a love triangle like no other between Sibyl, Jacques (her childhood sweetheart), and Major Wolfgang von Haagen (a German officer). How Sibyl kept her different persons straight (Sibyl, Jeanne, and Marlene) amazed me, as I waited for a slip. If I had to pick a favorite character it would be Wolfgang as he was so complex and the interaction between him and Sibyl kept me reading.

To be honest I actually read this story prior to its release date and only gave it 3 stars and didn’t publish my review which I am glad I did not because after reading it again it deserves 4 stars. Since I read an ARC copy both times I am hoping that what bothered me so much the first time I read this book was re-edited and corrected...in the first quarter there was some redundancy making me think that my bookmark was not working which took away from the beginning for me. However, once Sibyl arrived in France the story took off and I mean really took off.

I have had the honor of reading the Quint Chronicles Series by Sharon Maas and at first was hesitant as to whether a story about WWII spies would be a stretch for this author. Thank you Sharon for proving me wrong, for writing such a captivating, heart-wrenching story with parts with so much emotion I clenched my fists, gritted my teeth, held my breath... Best writing by this author thus far. I recommend this different take on a WWII spy novel to those who really enjoy reading gripping historical stories based on actual facts.

I received a complimentary copy (or ARC) of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a quite an interesting and evocative tale about a childless couple who, whilst travelling to India to set up a charitable organisation, decide to adopt a little girl called Jyothi who they find on the streets of Bombay. Jyothi has a special musical talent and this propels the story forward, music I would say being the main character of the novel.

It's a thought provoking book, but I did find the plot somewhat predictable and, at times, contrived. It's beautifully written and vividly told. Personally, however, I thought it was a little long winded. There was far too much emphasis on Jyothi's inner feelings and it got quite tedious. Jyothi's tale is a sad one, a story of rags to riches. It's also about grief, its repercussions and how music can provide a salve to the soul - I thought this was very sensitively done. I liked how the tale came full circle at the end and made sense of the prologue.

Overall, an enjoyable read but it did seem to dwell enormously on Jyothi's relationship with her violin, her feelings towards a certain young man and how it affected her violin playing. I found her irritating towards the end and I wanted to bang my (and Jyothi's!) head on the table with regard to some of her thoughts and actions!!

As an aside, It makes me want to visit Rishikesh - it sounds very relaxing. :-)½

Thirty years of family secrets. Three generations of women. One family heirloom that could change everything.

This was a great book, telling the stories of Dorothea, her daughter Rika and Rika's daughter Inky. Beginning in present day London, Rika and Inky's lives are thrown into turmoil with the arrival of Rika's wheelchair bound mother from Guyana. Rika has not seen her mother for thirty years since she ran away from home in Guyana, and Inky has never met her grandmother, or known why her mother ran away.

The arrival of Dorothea inevitably stirs up lot of emotions and the friction is heightened with the discovery that the heirloom she has brought with her is literally worth a small fortune.

The story is brilliantly told by means of flashbacks of both Dorothea's and Rika's lives so we are finally party to why Rika ran away. I loved the fact that it was set in Guyana and not Britain because it gave the story an additional cultural and historical interest that helped set it apart from the typical troubled mother/daughter tales. The characters are all well drawn and very believable and it is very easy to get drawn in to the plot.

The story is essentially one about love, relationships, dealing with loss and learning to forgive. It is very touching, tragic and full of surprises with an ending that I had not anticipated.

If you want a read that is entertaining, romantic, tragic and thought provoking then I thoroughly recommend this book.

I recieved an ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

There are many retellings of the Mahabharata, India's classic epic. I have read several and would recommend Sons of Gods for anyone not already familiar with this ancient tale.

Taken as a whole, the Mahabharata is unwieldy, to say the least. It is filled with digressions and stories within stories that resist linear narrative. Sharon Maas's version is admirably streamlined for readers who want to get a grounding in the basic story before exploring in more detail the rambling conglomeration of myths, legends, and history that make up this massive tale.

The greatest strength of Sons of Gods lies in its introduction to the complex Kuru-Pandava lineage. Understanding the complicated issues around the succession is key to understanding the tragic war between the two princely lines. Maas lays out the whole convoluted tale, from the grandfather Santanu to the grandsons Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra, who is born blind, cannot rule. Pandu, the younger one, will inherit.

The princess Kunti serves the great sage Durvasa and because of her piety receives a boon from him. He teaches her a mantra that enables her to summon any god, and though she is warned not to use it lightly, she can't resist trying it. She summons the sun god Surya, and by him she bears a son. Her honor is at stake, however. Not daring to reveal she has borne a child she sets her little son afloat in a basket. Unlike Moses, who is rescued by a royal princess, a charioteer's wife finds Kunti's son. She and her husband, ignorant of his illustrious lineage, raise Karna as their own child.

In due course, Kunti marries Pandu. Because of a curse (read the book if you want to know more!) Pandu is unable to father children on his wives Kunti and Madri. To ensure her husband's line, Kunti uses her mantra to summon the gods Dharma, Vayu, and Indra, who father sons on her. She allows Pandu's other wife to use the mantra to summon the Ashvins, twin gods who father Madri's twins. These sons of gods, who by ancient law of levirate become Pandu's heirs (the Pandavas), grow to manhood ignorant of their half-brother Karna just as he is ignorant of his lineage.

Maas's version goes straight and true from the early conflicts between the young Kuru and Pandava princes, who are raised in the same royal household, to the martial contest where an unknown charioteer's son Karna challenges the haughty Pandava prince Arjuna and becomes an ally of the Kurus, through the infamous game of dice to the Pandavas' thirteen year exile to the final war. I read avidly; didn't put it down, even though the ending was no mystery to me. It hits the most important events and illustrates the moral conflicts, but necessarily leaves out a great deal. Also, Maas's prose is lovely and descriptive, and it reflects the fact that the Mahabharata is a religious text as well as a ripping tale. For me, this sometimes renders the characters two-dimensional.

For a lengthier version, I highly recommend the poet Carole Satyamurti's [b:Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling|22253716|Mahabharata A Modern Retelling|Carole Satyamurti|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407112729s/22253716.jpg|41629744]. It includes more of the digressions and backstory from the 75,000 verses that make up the whole. (Note: it includes a useful guide to pronunciation of the impossible names.)

For lively retelling, wonderfully illustrated by the author and including discussions of themes, history, and philosophy after each chapter, see Devdutt Pattanaik's [b:Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata|9864913|Jaya An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata|Devdutt Pattanaik|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357361164s/9864913.jpg|14756358].

For an interesting (if not as well-written) take on the epic, see Neelakantan's [b:Ajaya: Roll of the Dice|18684615|Ajaya Roll of the Dice (Epic of the Kaurava clan, #1)|Anand Neelakantan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382018715s/18684615.jpg|26525093]. This version makes Dhritarashtra's son Duryodhana, the Kuru prince whose envy and lust for power bring about the war, into the misunderstood hero, and the Pandava princes into hypocritical prigs.

For a feminine point of view, [b:The Palace of Illusions|1774836|The Palace of Illusions|Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396229073s/1774836.jpg|25128382] by Chitra Divakaruni tells the story of Draupadi, the wife the five Pandava brothers share. In Divakaruni's version, she's in love with Karna.

[a: Sharon Maas|456016|Sharon Maas|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1393691969p2/456016.jpg] is a superb storyteller. This multigenerational novel alternates between the viewpoints of three main characters: the Indian woman Savitri, who possesses near magical healing powers; an orphan boy Nataraj who is adopted by a British physician; and Sarojini, a rebellious girl growing up as part of the Indian diaspora in British Guiana.

Maas moves effortlessly from one character's story to another, shifting time and place from pre-Independence India to British Guiana and swinging London of the 1960s and 70s to war-torn Indonesia in the 1940s. In the 1920s, Savitri's Brahmin family serves the Lindsay family, and as children she and the Lindsay son David play together and fall in love. However, tradition and prejudice divide them. In the 1950s, a British doctor rescues Nataraj, called Nat, from an orphanage and in a little village near Madras and raises him like a son. In the 1960s, the girl Sarojini rebels against her strict Indian father as racial and political unrest threaten their comfortable life in Georgetown, British Guiana. Sarojini discovers a dark secret about her birth that sends her to London and back to India, where she will learn the truth about her mother.

Maas weaves a compelling and complex tale as the connections between these three are revealed. World War II, the fight for independence in India and racial conflict in Guiana, and swiftly changing social customs propel the characters forward. Lyrical descriptions make the locations come alive. There's also a lovely touch of magical realism in the healing powers that Savitri and Nat possess .

I enjoyed the book thoroughly. My one quibble would be that the plot sometimes moves so fast that it's difficult to truly get to know the characters. Their inner reactions to important and sometimes tragic events are not fully developed as the action races forward.

All in all, though it is a compulsively readable book that tells a lot about India and its far-flung children in the 20th century. Fascinating and vivid.

This is a nice read but I wasn't quite as enamoured with it as other reviewers. It tells the story of Dorothea, a woman living in British Guiana in the 1930s, her daughter, Rika, in the 1960s, and Rika's daughter, Inky, in the 2000s. Some of the issues tackled are well done but I did find the storytelling a little superficial and also a little disjointed. I felt maybe it could have done with being a bit shorter for me (I did read an advance review copy so some of this may have been dealt with by publication).

The female characters are interesting and strong and I liked how the story unfolded. We know something momentous happened between Dorothea and Rika and they didn't see each other for a long time but we are left guessing about this until the end. I particularly liked the growing friendships between the three characters and their male friends.

I think this is a pleasant and undemanding book but lacked a certain something for me.

This is a wonderfully crafted tale that explores Indian culture and tradition through the life of multiple generations of a family living in India and Guyana, and their strict adherence to or rebellion against the deep-rooted customs of the Indian people with respect to love and marriage and their interactions with other cultures. The story and its characters are richly developed, and the author is quite clever in her delivery, revealing just enough delicious details to keep the reader satisfied, but leaving just enough mystery and intrigue to keep them wanting more. I was completely immersed in this book right from the start, and would highly recommend it to everyone.½

A wonderful story set in India & Guyana (South America). A story of three people across three decades, of forbidden love and intertwined dramas. I was totally lost in It from the moment I picked it up, it painted vivid pictures in my mind that have stayed with me always. This is a wonderful book, one of my all time favourite reads _ I have recommended it to everyone.

A good read, but not ultmately a great one.

"If you like sweet, sappy love stories, or rich Indian culture and tradition, or even if you just liked the movie "Monsoon Wedding", this book is highly recommended for you."
more @ http://toogood2read.blogspot.com/2006/05/of-marriageable-age-by-sharon-maas.html

This was a wonderful, beautiful book. The descriptions were so rich, and the characters fully developed, flaws and all. It is a love story fueled by tragedy and spanning generations.

I highly recommend this book.