Shyama Perera

This book around revolves 4 girls growing up in London,who despite coming from seemingly very differing backgrounds are the best of friends. It spans their life from the age of 10 to 21 taking in such things as the schooling, youth clubs, boyfriends and eventually careers all with a background of 60s and 70s nostalgia be it in music, food or culture. Mala, the narator, has a muddled background, born in Sri Lanka but growing up in London. She wants to be seen as British, wanting to break free of her mother's Sri Lankan influence but because of her heritage and skin colour seen by many as an outsider.

Growing up as I did through the same years as these girls it was great to be reminded of the sounds and tastes of those years long forgotten years. My main problem is with the characterisation. Now initially I was rather charmed by their naivety but as the story progressed this wore off. I found all the girls rather shallow and only put-upon Janice even mildly likeable. Mala was ungrateful and self-centred, Caroline was materialistic and grabbing whilst Bethany disappears for many years comes back as a drug addict/alcoholic who goes into re-hab before coming out a model citizen. Yeah right.

I also failed to note any real change in the girls language despite the passing of 11 years and there perhaps is the nub of the problem. Personally I feel that Shyama Perera was far too ambitious with this book,the story spanned too many years. Whilst it is interesting to see how decicions we and our families make influence our later lives for better and for worse I feel that it would have been better to have concentrated on a far shorter timespan. In the end far too many topics, sexual revolution, racism, the changes in the education system of the time to name a few, are merely skimmed over.

That all said I never felt like throwing in the towel and was curious to get to the end of the book so it can't be all bad. It also made me think about my own relationships with my own parents, siblings and now children.It is just not very likely that this will live terribly long in the memory.… (mehr)

My first visit to this author and it won't be my last. A chance buy that was only because the cover caught my eye. I can't emphasise how surprisingly good this book is. I was taken by surprise as I expected something `chicky' rather than gripping. The book is pitched as a modern fairytale, which it is, but I actually gasped and claimed when I reached the end.

The characters are delightful; they are a pleasure to get to know. Chita (a wonderful woman, without realising it) and Shyam - rhymes with charm - (what I imagine a typical modern Indian family man to be) are our leads through this wonderful novel. Sufficient is left to the imagination as a lot of the plot is not revealed by the blurb - thank God! - and you really get to know all the characters. This novel has everything for me: thriller, romance and a little bit of intelligence thrown in.

Their life is like the mythical lovers of Indian history, Rama and Sita, with trials and tribulations challenging their marriage. I can't reveal too much as it will spoil your enjoyment. All you need to know is it is well written with rounded characters that you can believe in most of the time with a wholesome plot.

Happy reading!… (mehr)