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"a rich historical novel...a taut, never predictable plot" (audio edition) SUNDAY TIMES "The Orion staff gave this beautifully written book an overwhelming thumbs up, and it isn't hard to see why" COUNTRY LIFE "a finely written story full of characters you can care about...highly descriptive and persuasively told" THE LADY

An easy read that suited me as a holiday choice - a rich, narrative that surprised me really, I even found myself checking out what the flowers and places so well described were on the web!!!! You become carried away with the lives of the girls and their travels, their naivety and dreams. Not stunning or anything profound, but most definately enjoyable and read-worthy.

This book relates the story of three girls travelling to, and consequently living in, India in the 1920's. In the main this is a very gentle story, each girl experiencing a different aspect of life in the subcontinent. I would describe this as a romantic novel, a genre I do not usually subscribe to so perhaps, understandably, I found myself wanting something more gritty to happen and felt the author could easily have done this. There are a few loose ends which aren't explained so one has to form one's own conclusions. It wasn't a great book by any means but maybe okay for an easy holiday read and I am sure fans of this type of novel will enjoy it as it is well written with some nice descriptions of the various locations.

I was looking forward to this book but was disappointed. I found it slow and a little dreary. Very little happens. Not even a great love story. So much of the book was taken up on the boat to India, I kept wondering if they were ever going to get there. After reading so many other gripping books recently, I felt hard done by. I perservered and although it had a pleasant ending, although somewhat predictable, I kept thinking "is that it?" Very easy to read but not at all exciting.

I have to agree with some of the other reviews in that this book isn't brilliant by ANY stretch of the imagination but neither do I think it is rubbish. I have to say I found the end a bit frustrating - some of the descriptions of things were getting tedious and the plot with Guy Glover was really unnecessary. I felt his character was pointless and the book would have been much better had the author focussed more on Tor & Rose. It is as though the author had run out of steam at the end and just wanted to get it finished.. However if you enjoy a beach book / easy read this may be a good one to take away.

It took me a long time to read this book (due to work stuff), and despite it being very different to the type of book I normally read, I found it quite absorbing. Until the end that is....maybe I should have given more thought to what I expected from the end, as I felt a little disappointed. The story offers a wonderful, generous insight into the lifes of these three women and the language is excellent in parts - particularly when describingthe complex relationships of the characters.

Viva Holloway starts off as a brilliant heroine, but I just feel she ends up massively compromising all she believes in a slightly grand fashion...