East of the Sun - Julia Gregson

East of the Sun by Julia Gregson ISBN 978-1-4091-0251-9 WHAT ATTRACTED ME: Once again I was the cover of this book, a beautiful peacock in the foreground and Indian border down the bottom. The colours are green and muted yellows and gold for the border. It looked reminiscent of a romantic image of colonial India. THE AUTHOR: The author Julia Gregson was a former Hardie Amies model and she moved to Austrlia where she took up journalism. This took her to New York, Los Angeles, India and Vietnam as a foreign correspondent for magazines. She was inspired to write this novel by her husband telling her about the Indian 'Fishing Fleet' of ...  Read the complete review

Once again, I pick up a book that had been recommended to me, only to find that it's a bit of a gem. Admittedly it's verging on a chick lit (unheard of for me), but it's only verging! It was a book I packed to come away with me and I was glad that I did! Set in the late 20's, this book features a middle class woman named Viva, who ends up chaperoning two flighty, upper middle class young women to India. While Viva just wants to escape, one of the girls Rose is going over to marry a man she hardly knows and Tor is out to bag herself a man-any man! Throughout the book we see not only the characters develop but also their friendship. Rather ...  Read the complete review

This book is captivating. It is a slow unfurling read that can't be rushed. If you haven't been to India, Gregson's stimulating narrative is going to awaken your senses. If you have been, especially to the places described, a wonderful memory awaits. It's autumn 1928 and the Kaiser-i-Hind is waiting to set sail for Bombay a land promising the start of three very different lives for the three young women we follow on board. Meet Rose, Victoria (Tor) and Viva. Rose is naïve and about to be married to man she hardly knows but is full of hope. Tor is happy to be away from her parents and her life and all she wants from her adventure is a husband of her own. Then ...  Read the complete review