The Spice Makers Secret is such a beautiful and moving story that touched me to the core. Author Renita D’Silva is a master storyteller, with her vivid descriptions and detailed portrayals of life in India in the 1930’s, and of the unjust disparities between the rich and poor.

The Spice Makers Secret is told from the POV of Bindu and Eve. Bindu’s story begins in a small village in India in 1924 while Eve’s story starts in 1980.

Bindu is being raised by her grandmother in a one roomed mud hut on land owned by a cruel and ruthless landowner. Conditions are horrible, there is drought and food and water are scarce. Bindu and her Grandmother, Ajji survive by preparing meals and spice mixes for the landowner and local villagers. Bindu is a smart, beautiful and ambitious young girl and hopes to better her and her grandmothers lives by going to school. She attends the local school run by nuns and excels in academia and has been offered a full scholarship to attend college. But Bindu’s hopes are dashed when Ajji becomes deathly ill and Bindu sacrifices her future dreams in order to save her grandmothers life.

The reader is introduced to Eve in 1980, who is struggling to deal with terrible loss. Her husband and young daughter were killed in a car accident and both her adoptive parents have passed away. Now Eve must find the courage to face a future alone without her loved ones. She eventually finds solace in an old Indian cookbook her father has given her and starts to explore her own story of adoption and identity.

I absolutely loved this book for so many reasons. First off is my love of the strongly independent and fierce Bindu. Despite her circumstances she held strong beliefs about the inequities between the villagers and her wealthy in-laws. She never tired of fighting for them and those she loved. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of this story learning about life in India in the 1930’s. Also, the vivid descriptions of food and spices was at times mouthwatering delicious. I could almost smell the aromas.

The Spice Makers Secret is a book I will cherish. I will definitely be reading more books by Renita D’Silva. If you like historical fiction, books with strong female characters, learning about other cultures and countries and family drama then I highly recommend The Spice Makers Secret.

Thank you Bookouture for my stop on the tour of The Spice Makers Secret. It was a 5 ⭐️ read for me.

I fully enjoyed The Spice Maker’s Secret by Author Renita D’Silva. It’s well written, engaging and a real page turner. At times I could smell the spices and dishes. It’s told from the 1920s perspective of Bindu, who lost both her parents and is raised by her beloved grandma Ajji, who dotes on her. It’s also told from the perspective of Eve in the 1980s who is still recovering from a loss that would be hard to recover from for anyone.
Bindu’s Story really captivated me, cooking with her Ajji, being watched by her dog Dumdee, hated by the local women, seen as bad luck and yet the landlord’s son is completely besotted by her. Set for a bright future, at the drop of a hat everything changes. I can’t recommend this book enough. It is that good!!!!

I really felt for the characters in this story, it had a great overall historical fiction novel. The characters were what I was hoping for and thought it worked in the setting. Renita D'Silva has a great way of writing this and it took me on a emotional journey.

This is my first book that I have read by Renita D’silva & I must say I’m impressed with her writing.

The author has captured both stories it their connection so beautifully. The book also portrays the vibrancy of India so beautifully. The characters Bindu & Eve are a portrayal of strong women characters. I also love the dual timeline of the book. Though both stories are beautiful as well as sad they do keep you turning the pages.

The food & the spices which there are a lot of mentioned this book also adds a charm to the readers.

Thanks to netgalley, Bookouture and Author Renita D’silva for this Arc.

Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Spice Maker’s Secret” by Renita D’Silva. What a wonderful story, it hooked me from the first page until the end!
This story has two points of view.
Bindu- who lives in India in 1939. She grows up poor and is faced with many difficult circumstances.
Eve- lives by herself in London after losing her husband and daughter. I was able to figure out her connection and her story went full circle.
This book will have you flipping the pages so fast to see what happens. The author did an amazing job of making me feel as if I was in India. The way she described the scenery and spices- I felt like I was there and I could taste everything Bindu was cooking. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheSpiceMakersSecret #RenitaDSilva #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #BooksSetInIndia #BooksSetInLondon #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

It's beautiful. I'm just not sure it's complete

I have never quite got round to writing a bucket list (or should that be a 'book-et list'?) of new authors to read. Not least because I suspect that it would grow faster than I could add to it. However, had I ever produced such a list, there's no doubt that one of the authors on there would have been Renita D'Silva.

This is despite the fact that, prior to this tour, I actually knew very little about her. I was vaguely aware that she writes historical fiction. Mostly, though, my wanting to read at least one of her books was as a result of watching an interview with the fabulous Angela Marsons, in which she said that she'd like to kidnap Renita, keep her imprisoned in the basement and have her write books just for her. (I really hope that (a) that's a joke and (b) Renita already knew this, otherwise I've probably just unwittingly terrified her.) But I also hoped that it meant her books were good ...

Well, on the evidence of her latest, The Spice Maker's Secret, the short answer is yes: they're good. It tells in parallel the stories of Bindu, growing up in India in the 1930s, and Eve, living in London in 1980 (note: not 1990 as the blurb states). Bindu's mother sadly lost her life in childbirth, leaving Bindu to be brought up, and loved deeply by her grandmother. I know very little about India in the 1930s, but the writing was beautiful and evocative enough for me to clearly see the single-roomed huts in which the villagers lived, feel the sense of community that kept them together and silently scream at the injustice of their daily struggles for something as basic as clean water, whilst the wealthy and tyrannical landowner maintained fountains in his own private grounds just for show. And, whilst the recipes were rather wasted on me - sorry, but my cooking is terrible - I could almost smell the spices.

This was enough to involve me in the story sufficiently that when Bindu, for purely unselfish reasons, enters a marriage of convenience, I shared her sadness, loneliness, boredom and frustration. Once a gifted cook, she is no longer permitted to enter the kitchen. But she doesn't let her circumstances beat her. Instead, she finds solace in her grandmother's recipes, this time sending them for publication and using the rewards to benefit the lives of the villagers that she has left behind. But her achievements are wonderfully down-played: she, and we, are almost unaware of them until the very end of the book, when we see how much village life has changed for the better as a result of her efforts.

Eve's story is no less beautifully told. We are introduced to her as she is still reeling from a personal tragedy which has left her feeling an empty shell of her former self. I could have hugged the life out of her as she realised that using her instinct as a mother was the key to lifting her out of her private hell. And whilst the connection between her and Bindu was not one that became clear until very late on in the book - which did leave me wondering in the earlier chapters, instead of just enjoying the writing - it meant that the ending felt just right. As though what happened was what meant to be.

I have nothing to criticise with regard to the writing, which is powerful and - I've used this word several times already, but I can't think of another that will do - beautiful. I also loved the portrayal of Indian history which, whilst I can't possibly comment on its authenticity, was absolutely believable. But my problem is that the story somehow felt incomplete.

Perhaps it's because the chapters featuring Bindu take up at least two-thirds of the book, which leave the 'Eve' storyline feeling a bit condensed. I'd have liked to have read a few chapters from earlier in Eve's life, which could have made the sense of loss at the subsequent tragedy feel even more palpable. Also, given that the most recent chapters in the book take place in 1980, I thought there was scope for it to include a third generation from the present day.

Obviously, this would make the book quite a lot longer, but I wouldn't have minded. I could have continued to read that wonderful writing for at least another week.

My thanks to Bookouture for including me on the blog tour, and to Netgalley for the digital ARC. I will post my review on my blog at www..mycosybooknook.wordpress.com as well as Goodreads, Amazon and my social media pages.

India 1939, Bindu is unhappily married and doesn’t see a way out. She was a well sought-after cook before she got married and loved being in the kitchen. She loved creating new recipes and spice mixes, but that all changed when she married. Now she isn’t allowed in the kitchen. And when Bindu tells her husband that they are expecting a baby he confines her to her room. When she goes into labor she fears not only for her life but also for her baby’s life.

London 1990, Eve’s adopted father passed away and left her an Indian recipe book. With hand-written recipes of spices old and new. She is grieves the loss of her father and she finds comfort in trying the recipes in the book. She never knew anything about her birth mother but there is something about the spice recipes that makes her want to know about her birth mother and the family she was born into. But in her search for answers is she ready for what she will discover?

The Spice Maker’s Secret by author Renita D’Silva was a wonderful time slip novel. D’Silva does a fantastic job of pulling the reader into the story and never letting go. This story grabbed my heart from the very first page to the last. What a wonderfully written story. I felt personally counted to Bindu and Eve and through the tears I was able to finish this story in one sitting. This unputdownable and unexpectedly heartbreaking story is one that I won’t forget. I was inspired by the storyline and I highly recommend it.

This dual timeline historical fiction transported me to India and London. The settings were captivating. I found Eve's story far more compelling than Bindu's, as she has suffered some unimaginable losses. However, both women are multifaceted and interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow!! This book had me in a chokehold. An incredible coming of age story of love and sacrifice. The book follows Bindu, a fiesty young girl born in India in 1924 and chronicles her life in the 1930s, going to school and being unhappily married to the landlord's son and Eve, a woman still reeling with grief from the loss of her husband and 10 year old daughter in the England of 1980.

I haven't read a book by Renita D'Silva before but I loved the way she has potrayed the cultural and social injustice in India, the plight of women, and the hardships and struggles of the villagers at the hands of the landlord. Bindu is a remarkable character, smart and determined to break free, have a good education and fulfill her dreams. Her need for agency and choice was well justified by the author.

The narrative flows effortlessly between Bindu and Eve and the connection between the two women is slowly revealed. I felt the book did drag on a bit, there was quite some repetition and the book could have been a bit shorter. The book has a mention of a lot of food and the author has also included a few recipes that can get your mouth watering.

If you love historical fiction set in India with a dash of family drama, you may enjoy this book.

Thank you @bookouture for having me on the #booksontour and @netgalley for a digital ARC to read and review.

This was such a beautiful book with a lot of love and some sadness. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book.

I don’t know much about India, never mind India in the 1930s. And while the author did say that she some liberties, I had zero idea of what life was like there; I still have zero idea of what life is like there. I learned so much from this book. From the way that the villagers lived, to the hardships, the camaraderie, and even the suffering. How the landlord could single handedly control life for them. I also had and have no idea what it means to be in an Indian marriage. While I suspect now things may be slightly different in than in the 1930s, I would have felt as trapped as Bindu did. I really felt for her and I was hoping that she’d have a happy ending.

The Eve chapters were shorter and interspersed with the Bindu chapters, and at first I didn’t make the connection. I didn’t make the connection until the author wanted me to make the connection. I wish we had a little bit more from Eve. But the ending with Eve was absolutely beautiful. I loved the way that she connected with India.

There, of course, is also a lot of food and recipes in this book. I learned a lot about how spices can be made and used! It was really interesting.

This is a Historical fiction that "chronicles the changing face of India pre-independence alongside an Indian woman's coming of age." It has multiple flavours of life : love, anguish, jealousy, loyalty, gratitude, yearning, to name a few. It submerges the reader through all of them and realizes how human emotions remain same over the decades and generations, its the background canvas that keeps changing.

Its follows dual timeline, 1930s and 1980s each following two different women, Bindu and Eve respectively. But at the end, its majorly Bindu's story. We follow her from childhood to womanhood and finally motherhood. She is strong minded, free spirited and feminist, not a welcome sight in colonised India. I just wonder, how much of that kaleidoscope has really changed in current India but at same time feel grateful that it was such women who paved path for future generations like us.

Bindu marries Guru in remorse on sacrificing her independent future, and he marries her for love. They are both an equally stubborn couple who just "got it so wrong". Their dynamics is full of irony and prefect love-hate relationship. Its ironical that when she is poor, she resents Guru for not valuing his privileged upbringing, but later she feels the same claustrophobia in the big mansion among priced jewels and dresses. Her character is ungrateful for my liking as she is never content with her situation, always longing for greener grass on the other side. Bindu's whining over her imagined future is way too repetitive and multiple chapters too long, a missed job by editors . The emotions flowing between this couple, in the last chapter, when one is at deathbed and other is pouring his heart out, is overwhelming, but also shows how the rest 70+ chapters were a missed opportunity. I found last 10-15 pages more emotionally powerful than the entire book.

Book is a tough read if you are in a dieting phase. The spices, aromas and tastes are described well that it can get your mouth watering. By the way, there is no spice maker's secret hidden somewhere in the book, I am not sure what inspired the name.

Verdict : Add to TBR as per your taste for Indian historical fiction with a sprinkle of family drama.

The Spice Maker's Secret by Renita D'Silva transports the reader to India, its vibrant spices, and a world where agency and choice are a luxury.

The storyline of this book alternates between 1924-1939 and 1980. It's the story of Bindu and Eve. What's common between an Indian woman and Eve who lives in London is something that transports us into a whirlwind of a story. I devoured this book in one sitting, and I have not done that for some time now. Being an Indian, I connected with Bindu on a lot of aspects. Her need for agency and choice as the wife of Guru, her need for independence, and her love for her Ajji screams through the author's writing. The colorful vibrancy of the spices that I use in my own daily cooking was so much fun to read. I enjoyed this book immensely.

CW: Death of a parent, loss of a child and loved one, forced captivity, poverty, difficult childbirth, emotional abuse

It’s been three years since Renita D’Silva has published any new books. But now she is back with The Spicemaker’s Secret which is set in India and begins in 1924 taking us on a journey following a young girl named Bindu. The more modern aspect of the story takes place in England in 1980 and follows Eve. It wasn’t long before I figured out the connection between the two timelines but as to the specific circumstances surrounding the connection I couldn’t quite piece them together until much further on in the book.

I’ll admit that I found this to be a very slow burner. I’d say right up until the 40% mark I found that there was nothing much happening and at times there was quite a lot of repetition and I found myself really having to concentrate to read and digest each line. I couldn’t see in what direction the book was going to go in and yes of course a reader wants to be surprised but this needed something major to shake things up. When this finally happened my entire opinion of the book changed and I found myself reading much more quickly through the chapters rather than wading through them as I had been. This turned into a story of love and sacrifice and it’s only as you reach the last quarter or so of the book that you realise what a remarkable and inspiring character Bindu truly is.

In the more modern timeline we meet Eve who is a shell of her former self after the tragic death of her husband Joe and daughter Izzy. She is trying very hard to move on even though without her family her life has lost all meaning and purpose. They were cruelly taken from her and she feels immense guilt that she could have prevented this from happening. She has shut herself off from the world and never leaves the house relying on her friend Sue and neighbour Jenny to do her shopping and to check in on her. She knows she has the rest of her life ahead of her and that she must try and navigate it despite it despite the dark feelings that surround her.

We learn a little of Eve’s family history and how she used to enjoy cooking the recipes from her mother’s cookbook with Izzy but even now that simple pleasure has been taken away from her. When Jenny falls ill and Eve is asked to take care of her daughter Maya this is when a small bit of the former Eve starts to return. She has someone relying on her and she steps outside the walls of her house and takes tentative steps into her new and uncertain world. For a long time I questioned why Eve’s story was here but by the end it does all come full circle and Eve’s ending is very satisfactory and will bring a smile to your face. Her chapters were brief and dotted amidst Bindu’s and if there had been anymore I felt they would have taken away from Bindu’s story rather than added to it.

Bindu’s story is what shines through from this book and despite the slow start I did become completely engrossed in her tale. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father was killed in a freak accident during her mother’s pregnancy so her grandmother Ajii was left to raise her. They live in a village in India where the villagers are beholden to the local landlord. Times are tough with lack of food and when there is a drought, they pray diligently for the rains to come for if they don’t what will become of them? The setting of India was fabulous. You could feel the tropical heat seeping from the pages and the descriptions of the landscape were very vivid. There is a very strong focus of food and spices and cooking throughout the book and if Indian food is your thing then your mouth will be watering on more than one occasion. Bindu helps hers grandmother with the cooking as she is often tasked to prepare meals for the landlord when he throws parties. They eke out a living in this way and by cooking for the villagers when needed. It is a tough life but Bindu is happy but as time goes by her grandmother becomes frailer and Bindu steps up to the plate. The relationship that exists between Bindu and Ajii was lovely and they protected and nurtured one another.

Bindu is a remarkable character who we see transform from a little girl to a strong, fiery and feisty young woman. She is clever and attends the local school set up by the nuns where she eventually will win a scholarship to study in the city. Bindu is a person who knows what she wants in life and as well as that she is a beauty which in turn means she attracts unwanted attention from men which only means the women of the village dislike her intensely. I loved the creative way she came up with detracting the men and in this manner that is how she came to meet the landlords son, Guru. He will go on to pay a pivotal role in her life when she is faced with a very tough decision. Bindu is a good student and friend and dutiful granddaughter but there is a rebellious side to her too that yearns for something more beyond the small village that she calls home. She wants to be independent and not follow the rules of society and when she wins the scholarship she feels all her dreams and aspirations are within reach.

When Ajii falls gravely ill and shows no signs of improvement Bindu is faced with the one of the toughest decisions that she will ever make. She goes to the landlords compound and appeals to Guru for help as he has access to English doctors. You know when Bindu does this that it is the last resort for her as she is a woman ahead of her time who believes that she can do anything and that she doesn’t have to rely on others but making this huge sacrifice shows how much she loves her grandmother and appreciates everything that she has done for her. Guru puts Bindu in a awkward position, help will be granted if she marries him.

Bindu is aghast as she sees her dreams sliding from her not to mention the fact that when the landlord hears this news from his son he will be appalled for it is not the done thing for someone at such a level of society to marry a commoner from the village that one owns. I felt every bit of Bindu’s indecision as she knew that by accepting that she was in a contract with Guru and he held all the cards and made the rules and regulations. Bindu was not a person cut out for being stuck indoors with lack of access to reading materials nor was she someone who would love spending time attending parties where she could only congregate with women. But she deserves much admiration as she knew her Ajii needed help. So an arrangement is made and the marriage takes place Bindu and Ajii move into the compound where she is tended daily by a doctor.

From this point on we see a more mature Bindu emerge but one who has to fight on a daily basis as she feels claustrophobic and trapped by the rules and regulations imposed on her. Guru’s family represents everything that she is against but maybe she can turn this to her advantage. I thought it was brilliant as to how she went about this and in doing so she provided a better life for so many others. She sacrificed her freedom by marrying Guru and day by day she loses more of herself. She is hemmed in, closeted and imprisoned to a degree and this is not the Bindu that the reader has become familiar with and nor is it one that I wished to see as her passion and fire is threatened. When an opportunity comes her way she pounces on it and in a small way she is achieving a little liberation for herself but will this ultimately prove to be her downfall? At times I felt Guru did love Bindu and that perhaps she could grow to love him and then at others he came across as being cruel in his attitude and showed a complete disregard for Bindu and her needs wants and desires. He was unpredictable, selfish, callous and ruthless for the majority of the book.

The Spicemaker’s Secret was a great start to my 2024 reading. Renita D’Silva has written an incredible story highlighting the poverty at the time for so many and how it was in stark contrast to those who lived in such great wealth and luxury. The social and cultural dynamics are expertly explored and Bindu becomes a warrior of a woman who will stay on long in your mind after you have read the final word. Love, loss, power, connections and family are all strong themes which you will certainly enjoy here and I hope many readers enjoy The Spicemaker’s Secret as much as I did.

It took me a bit to get into this story. I was focusing on how slow the story felt and then suddenly, the story grabbed me with full force. What an emotional and heart-breaking book. Bindu's relationship with food and her Ajii's recipes are such a strong reminder of how food connects strangers and also connects people back to their roots and memories. Its such an important element to who we are as people. I enjoyed Eve's chapters as well and her journey through grief and identity. Will definitely read more books by this author.

This story is heart wrenching, having me fully in tears on multiple occasions. There are moments of hope, moments of fear, and moments of devastation.
I must admit when I first started reading I was thrown off by the nature of the duel perspectives, but as the story progressed it all came together for a beautiful conclusion.
If you grew up loving the story of Esther or simply have a love for people who do the right thing against all odds you'll love this story.

I have read almost all of this authors books. I love her stories, she has wonderful characters, complex themes and she writes beautifully.
She always gives us a wonderful descriptions of India and is people, and a lot of it is through the scent of smell, color..
This story start off when one of the main characters Bindu is growing up with her grandmother, in a small town in India, Her Grandmother a wonderful cook and sought out by many, also is wonderful at mixing spices for her dishes. Bindu from a young age has helped her grandmother with the cooking and becomes a great cook herself, one which she will use to her advantage.
Bindu is very smart , and grows up independent, and wanting more out of life than she has. She is able to study with some nuns who open up a free school for the children of the town, and learns to speak, read and, write in English, with the hopes that she can further her education.
Circumstances keep her from doing this when her Grandmother falls ill and she decides to marry the wealthy landlords son, to be able to get help for her grandmother, but living in a place where she can't follow her passions, just go to senseless function and be a good obedient wife is more than she can bear, and goes behind her husbands back to have a piece of herself back.
Bindu despite her circumstances, never gives up on wanting change for for her village and its residents, and fights hard to make that happen.
So much goes on in this story, which is so good. I would say it is a must read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this eCopy to review

I loved The Spice Maker's Secret it was an epic journey through India and London, about a woman's role and how they can gain power for themselves. Bindu is a poor girl who helps her mother cook and excels at the local school. She is forced to give up here scholarship to University and marry the local Lord's son to save her mother who is desperately ill.

She is very lonely in her marriage and deeply unhappy despite now living in luxury. She forms a friendship with a British magazine editor and supplies him with recipes for his magazine. Their relationship deepens but Bindu won't stop writing. Her husband finds out when she goes into labour and Bindu dies tragically. Their daughter is brought up by the villagers as her wishes.

The modern part of the story is Eve's who is Bindu's daughter. She was adopted by the magazine editor for a safer and better life. Her most treasured possession is her mother's recipe book. Facing great personal tragedy Eve is in a deep depression following the death of her husband and daughter. Unexpectedly she has to look after here neighbours daughter who brings Eve back to life and she embarks on a journey to India to find out about her mother

I was completely swept away by this book the characters, setting, colour, recipes all added depth to the story

This is a dual-timeline book, with the main timeline happening in India in the 1930's. Bindu, orphaned at birth and raised by her grandmother, spends her days going to the school the nuns started and helping her grandmother fill orders for their spice mixes. As her grandmother gets shakier, Bindu has to take on more of the work in their small kitchen. When her grandmother falls ill just as Bindu graduates and is set to go off to college, Bindu is forced to make an unappealing compromise - Bindu will marry their landlord's son, whom she has had a bellicose relationship with for years, and in return, her grandmother will be cared for by the same doctors that attend to the landlord. It is not a happy marriage, because both Bindu and Guru are too strong-willed and stubborn to make it work, so Bindu becomes lonely and bored. She strikes up a secret friendship with a magazine editor who wants to print some of her recipes. She begins to dream of leaving Guru and running away to England, and taking her baby with her, since she is now pregnant and convinced it will be a daughter.
The other timeline takes place in 1980 London, where Eve is struggling to cope with life, after the death of her husband and daughter. Some of her most treasured memories are of cooking with her daughter, using the hand-written Indian cookbook that Eve's adopted father had given her.. Eve had never asked about her birth mother, but now both of her adopted parents are gone, so it may be time to delve into the past to find out where she came from and who her birth family was.
This book was SO good. I could not put it down. There were a couple of heart-wrenching parts where I went through quite a few tissues, I will admit. It was also hard to read about the poverty they lived in, and the oppression they experienced, especially the females. The author did an excellent job with detailing everything. I felt like I was actually there watching it all unfold. I loved Bindu - she was so fearless and determined.. I especially loved how she defended herself against all of the boys and men who tried to take advantage of her! I highly recommend this one.

🔹My take: 3.25/5

💖 Wows - I loved the plot and era based on which the story was set. Being an Indian, I could understand a lot about the pre independence struggle and issues that people faced in those decades. Characters were very well drawn and they floated vividly before eyes while I read. The spices, recipes shared in the book made me reminisce my childhood days when I cooked same delicacies with my mom. The loss of Eve was equally heart breaking like it was to see Bindu bound by shackles. Devotion of Ajji for Bindu and her words of wisdom to handle her husband was well portrayed.

💔 Ows - However, there are couple of bits which did not work for me and hence I couldn’t rate this 4 stars and above. First, the length of the book is too huge and hence it becomes slow paced after a point. Second, the editing which seems to be missing altogether. The sentences are too long - like literally long. Many times, the sentences are compounded multiple times that first full stop you see is after 5 lines. Also, the story does not flow coherently. You will notice that the chapter starts with some theme and then in between; some other topic is covered, explained which might go to 2 pages and after that the original theme again comes back. It became difficult to cope with where the reader started first. Hence, for above reasons I couldn’t enjoy as much as I had wished. But will try another book of D’silva for sure to see how that one goes.

This was a beautiful story of resilience and sacrifice. Bindu’s family is very poor and her mother dies giving birth to her and as such, the village she is raised in considers her to be bad luck. She is raised by her grandmother, Aji, in a one room hut and her grandmother is fiercely protective and loves Bindu with all she has and feels that Bindu is not bad luck at all-after all, she has two crowns in her hair! That has to be a symbol of good luck. Bindu has many gifts, among them being the cooking skills that she learned from her grandmother who cooks for the big landowner in exchange for rent.
Bindu has dreams of being independent and going off to college so she studies and does well on the tests, but when the time comes, she can’t go because her grandmother is sick and Bindu can’t leave her. Bindu makes her peace with her life and soon settles & marries the son of the landowner and gives up on her dreams. She’s trapped in a marriage she never really wanted and not able to convince her husband that she has more to offer him than her looks, she starts to write to a magazine editor that she met at one of her husbands parties and he prints what she writes in his magazine. Soon they develop a close friendship and Bindu sees this as her way out of her marriage. But she finds herself pregnant k so it’s not just her she has to get out, but also her child. Her husband finds out about what she’s been doing behind his back and leaves her to give birth all alone and this changes everything for both of them.
In an alternate timeline, we meet Eve, who lives in London and who has experienced the kind of trauma that has forced her to retreat from life until her next door neighbor needs emergency help and forces Eve to come out of her shell and face the world she’s buried her head in the sand from. In doing so, she finds her desire to cook again using an Indian cookbook that was given to her by her adopted father. The cookbook is the key to her past, and slowly she realizes that she needs to unlock the secrets it holds. She discovers the impact that her mother made on the lives of others and wants to follow her mother’s footsteps.
The symbol of the daffodils as a rebirth and new beginning was so powerful to the story. It was part of Bindu and Eve’s journey and I will not be able to look at a daffodil in the spring the same way again.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.