This story follows the life of Shalini who is dealing with the death of her mother 3 years prior. Through a current timeline and flashbacks, the reader learns of their rocky relationship and the introduction of a foreign character, Bashir Ahmed. While the writing was exquisite, I didn't understand a lot of the book. Some I attribute to cultural differences but others I just felt were not fleshed out well enough for the reader. I was annoyed with the privileges Shalini took for granted and her lack of thought about the possible impact of her choices might make to those around her.

Madhuri Vijay’s novel tells the story of Shalini, the daughter of a middle-class family in Bangalore.  As Shalini grows from a child to an adult, she separates from her parents: from her childish wish to *be* them, to a critical sometimes harsh independent teen then young adult.  On a somewhat less than well-considered impulse, Shalini goes to Kashmir to find a man who played a part in her childhood relationship with her mother.  What she finds there, and how it changes both her view of herself, and her view of her relationship with the world, are the heart of this well-told story.

4.5 stars
What an unexpected surprise this book was!

This is the first time I read a book that takes place in India, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I decided to request an ARC. 

Two years after the death of her mother, Shalini our main character is still overwhelmed with grief. Looking back at the memories of her mother, she notices that the most happy ones about her, include the visits of Bashir Ahmed, a man from Kashmir, who comes every few months to Bangalore to sell clothes. Those were the only times when her mother went from cruel and sarcastic to joyous and relaxed. So she sets off on the adventure of finding Bashir Ahmed, ultimately trying to make peace with the unexpected death of her mother while at the same time trying to keep the happy memories of her alive.

I loved the alternating chapters between the past and the present, between her family's pretentious lifestyle in urban Bangalore and the modest lives of the Kashmiri villagers. 
The hidden reason of Shalini's journey to Kashmir unfolds gradually throughout the book, presented in flashbacks that portrait Shalini as a child and later on as she leaves for college, carefully laced with the ever-changing relationship between her and her mother. 

I have to admit, that some characters stole my attention more than the main one did. At some point I found myself more focused and invested in the lives and development of other characters, like Amina and her family, or the controversial woman that was Shalini's mother. I really liked Amina and her presence in the story, she was the opposite of Shalini, brave and sure of herself, dare I say, while the mother definitely gave some flavour to the story, whenever with her „little beast” remarks present. 

The writing style was a big plus to the entire story, it's not pretentious nor is it plain, it's rich in a straight to the point kind of style. The writer does a great job evoking all the beauty of Kashmir through her writing. What I appreciate the most is that even though the book is substantial in political issues, the information isn't overwhelming, it's more like a puzzle piece that fits perfectly into the story.

I wouldn't say that the plot was slow, but more like switching from the urban Bangalore lifestyle to the rural life in Kashmir. It did get suspenseful at some point near the end of the book. Another detail that caught my eye was the subtle presence of the language barrier and overcoming it, as the languages spoken by the characters alternated between Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri and English. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading about Shalini's family dynamics, especially her relationship with her mother, and her journey to Kashmir, where she was welcomed with warmth and kindness.

If writing a book was a recipe, I'd say Madhuri Vijay knows the perfect amount of ingredients to use.

I have been excited to read this book since December 2018 when I first heard about it. The synopsis gave me everything I want from a book: 1) diverse characters and setting; 2) complex political conflicts; 3) troubled relationships; 4) hard-to-love characters. And I do not regret AT ALL picking it up and devouring it in three days.

Saying that I adored this book would be a great injustice. It transported me to India, made me love this complicated main character, and wrecked my heart with all the regret and pain that there is in the novel. Since my 2,500-word-long review has been posted on my blog (https://bookishr.wordpress.com/2019/01/19/the-far-field-review-a-novel-set-in-india-about-family-stories-and-regret/), I want to sum up what I loved so much as concisely as I can.

🌼 Unlikeable characters
While some people do not like reading from the perspective of someone who does a lot of mistakes, I think this is a risky decision made by the author that ended up paying off. Despite all the (bad) decisions Shalini makes, I can completely understand why she did them and appreciate her wanting to help...

🌼 Complex political issues
The whole novel is enveloped in political turmoil, which I loved to read about. There isn't a straight answer to Kashmir's problems, but it was amazing to see all the different signs and different opinions. Equal parts heartbreaking and intriguing.

🌼 Lovely writing style
Vijay did such a great job at crafting amazing sentences. Her style is a mix of flowery and straight to the point, which I appreciated incredibly.

🌼 Storytelling
Storytelling was always present in this book. Whether in the form of Bashir Ahmed's stories or in the shifting of present-tense to past-tense. I loved Shalini's flashbacks to her childhood and teen years and how they were intertwined with the main plot of the story. It gave us a lot of context and it was a way for us as readers to understand why Shalini did what she did and who her loyalty lived with.

I can't wait to post my full review on my blog! I really want to see what Madhuri Vijay writes in the future. She quickly became a writer whose books I would buy immediately even without checking the synopsis.

**I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley, but it did not influence my opinion of the novel. All views are unbiased and my own.""

The Far Field follows Shalini, a young woman who is adrift and grieving after her mother’s death, as she journeys from her comfortable home in urban Bangalore to a Kashmiri mountain village.  She is searching for a man who had disappeared from her mother’s life years before.  But while she seeks to unravel the events that led to her mother’s death, Shalini’s presence sparks danger for the local residents.

Madhuri Vijay’s prose is elegant and understated, and she does such an amazing job of evoking the sights, sounds and smells of each locale in such vivid detail, that it’s almost like being there. The bustling streets and shops of Bangalore, the insularity and tensions of military-occupied Kishtwar, a struggling remote village against a backdrop of spectacular mountains: all are brought to life with startling clarity. The setting and its inherent tensions catalyse the dramatic events, but you don’t need more than a passing familiarity with Kashmir’s history to follow this story.

Virtually every character is emotionally distant, either by inclination, upbringing or political necessity, and while this does at times make for a chilly read, it fits the book completely.  For the Kashmiri characters their outward reserve is part stoicism, part ingrained secretiveness required for survival in an area defined by decades-long territorial disputes. They are all grieving the death or disappearance of loved ones, much like Shalini, the fish-out-of-water narrator.  Some much-needed vitality is injected in the forms of two characters: Shalini’s mother, audacious, brittle and erratic, who calls her daughter ‘little beast’; and sunny Amina, a Kashmiri villager whose hospitality towards Shalini has disastrous consequences. 

At 450 pages this isn’t a quick read, and the story takes its time to unspool.  I never found it boring though, and it struck me that as Shalini was adjusting to the slower pace of life in a mountain village, I was being asked to do the same.  The Far Field is an absorbing read and a very assured debut.

3.5 stars

This is an emotional story. It gives the reader an idea of the Indian culture. I’ve read a few books that have taken place in India, so I looked forward to reading this one. There are solid character arcs, though some are a bit more developed than others. The story is told in alternating chapters (present and past). The reason for Shalini’s journey becomes apparent as the story unfolds. Rich prose abounds in this debut release. A bit more action would have been nice, but it was an enjoyable read overall.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

I wish that I could give this book more than five stars because that is how much I loved. It's beautiful and lyrical. It pulls you in from the very beginning until the end. This book really deserves all of the positive attention that it's receiving. Pick it up and find out for yourself why. Happy reading!

A beautifully written book about growing up in India. A novel full of corruption, complicated family dynamics, and the consequences that follow difficult choices. The language in this book is so descriptive and transported me to India, a place I have never been, and really made me feel like I was there. This is a fictional book but the characters seemed very real to me. This is not a fast read but it is compelling and really drew me in from the beginning. I was looking for a read outside of my normal genre and picked this book because I wanted to learn more about what it would be like to grow up in India. I am so glad I read it. The Far Field is not a book I will soon forget. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Press for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. You can pick up a copy of The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay on January 19, 2019.

Madhuri Vijay has done a masterful job with plot, characters and setting.  I'm generally pleased if two of the three are done well, but when all three are, I can't put the book down.  I read this one in one greedy gulp, and kept thinking of it when I could not be reading.

I appreciated the themes of this story- chiefly, coming of age, grappling to understand a complicated parent, and the struggle for crosscultural understanding.  Shalini is a very flawed protagonist and her (understandable) mistakes drive the plot. 

Vijay does not take the time to explain the much about the complexities of the politics and history of the region, leaving the reader to piece things together along with Shalini.  I like that choice; in me it induced some of the humility that Shalini gains during her trip.  Reading on a Kindle was great for being able to quickly look up vocabulary from Kashmiri, Hindi, etc. 

With thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A grieving daughter, seeking answers about her mother’s death, gets ensconced in politics and a story larger than just her family. Lyrical writing, but the plotting was slow and meandering.

A novel that started out slow for me, but got my attention toward the middle. The story is told by the daughter who spends a great deal of time trying to understand her mother and father. The day a mysterious man from Kashmir shows up at her house, it sets  a number of events in motion. 

The Far Field is descriptive, secretive, political, and historic novel. The author is skilled at portraying southern India and Kashmir in a way that makes the reader feel they are there with her.

My first ARC for 2019 was Madhuri Vijay’s remarkable debut novel, “The Far Field” and I couldn’t be more thrilled: the writing completely swept me away, creating a vivid picture of the beauty of and the tragic and brutal conflicts in Kashmir and Kishtwar. It deals with social and political issues, privilege versus poverty, grieving the loss of one’s parent, mental health, and finding one’s purpose in a violence-torn world. The characters, albeit flawed and guilt-driven, are well-developed and, I’d add, their actions are infused by their author with thought-provoking philosophical depth. 

I simply flew through the last 200 or so pages. Couldn’t put it down! 

*Thanks to NetGalley & Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Tl;dr: The Far Field has passages of gorgeous writing but pulls the novel equivalent of a hamstring trying to prove its point about privilege and what it does (nothing good) and how it blinds you.

The Far Field is the recollections of Shalini, a thirty year old privileged woman living in Bangalore who shares what happened to her when, as a twentysomething grieving the death of her mother, she decided to track down a traveling salesman from Kashmir who visited their home (and who her mother was fascinated with) when she was a child/teenager.

As you can imagine, the trip has Shalini realize how different and difficult the lives of others are, while she seeks to find meaning and purpose not just in the actions of her volatile mother, but in her own life. This leads to a series of revelations and actions that don't change her life but do manage to ruin the lives of others.

The writing is gorgeous, although Ms. Vijay tries way too hard to create a poetic and meaningful ending and winds up overgilding the lily. 

The Far Field is at its best when describing the beauty of and loss in Kashmir, and how all the conflict that's happened has largely been glossed over by the world. The sections that focus on Shalini's time there are the best in the book.

Shalini's mother is, of course, a large presence in the book, and The Far Field does a good job of showing how difficult it was for her, constrained by society and broken by her (largely untreated) mental problems, as well as how Shalini coped (or tried to) with her mother's swings from joy to despair and beyond, while assuming that somehow, the journey she takes will help her understand. 

In the end, she breaks herself and, more importantly, others as well. The Far Field is about privilege and the consequences of it, but spends so much time belaboring this that what could have been a spare, haunting novel is a winding road that loops back over and over again.

Sometimes less is more.

A truly magnificent story. The Far Field was a welcome respite from the thrillers being churned out and took me through all of the emotions. Absolutely worth the read!

4.5 stars

A couple of weeks ago, I started seeing this book everywhere - Instagram, Facebook, you name it... When I learnt it was set in India, I knew I had to read it.

The story follows a 24 year old Shalini, a privileged young woman from Bangalore, who, after her mother's death, decides to set off on a journey to find her mother's long lost friend from Kashmir. The narrative switches between the presence and Shalini's childhood memories of her eccentric mother. Finding a pleasure in mocking and ridiculing people, Shalini's mother was not an easy person to be around. While the scenes of Shalini's mother's outbursts seemed entertaining to me at first, my heart soon started to ache for the poor child. 

It is not easy to describe this book as I feel that my summary above doesn't do it justice. There are a few different layers to the story. The Far Field is a story of a young woman's journey to self-discovery, a complicated heart-wrenching mother-daughter relationship, and ultimately, forgiveness. It also offers a sensitive insight into the conflict in Kashmir.

I found the writing extremely powerful. It transferred me back to India within the first few chapters. Even if the build up can seem a bit slow, the prose is beautiful, compensating for the slower pace. The only thing that frustrated me at times was Shalini's behaviour. I thought she came across too naïve for her age, but thankfully, the story was compelling enough for me to forgive her.

Many thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the layered, rich prose in the novel, and found myself interested from beginning to end.  Lovely sense of place, and characters with depth to them.

A special debut book examining a young women’s relationship with her mother as she comes to term with her mother’s traumatic and sudden death. The Far Far Field is a fresh take on the coming of age story, taking a hard look at discovering the type of person you are, owning your identity, and living with/accepting the choices you make in life. It’s a long read, well worth it but best read in several sittings.

Shalini is at loose ends  following the death of her mother, Nothing is working right. It's been more than two years since her loss and she cannot manage her grief and fury. .Shalini and her mother were close--surprising since her mother was one of those acidic, funny, cruel women who would be a nightmare to have as a parent. In thinking about her mother's life, she recalls the few times she saw her mother happy and bright, those times when a Kashmiri man selling clothing would come by their house in Bangalore. He only came every few months, but then her mother became different somehow. Shalini has not seen him for years, but she decides that she must travel to Kashmir to find him, a risky journey since she does not know where he lives and the region is wracked by war. 

Now wanting to ruin anything for the reader, this is an engaging novel that explores new terrain in its setting and  political background. The characters are prickly and believable, scary, compromised.."The Far Field" is not a light read, but it's a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital advanced reader's copy for review.

The Far Field is a fictitious story of a girl who goes searching for answers to the questions she has about the enigmatic life of her mother but ends up becoming deeply embroiled in the political turmoil of Kashmir.

Madhuri Vijay's prose is hauntingly beautiful. It took me quite a few pages to realize that the book was not actually a work of fiction because the characters seem so real straight off the bat. Throughout the book, Vijay's attention to detail has a way of transporting you to their world; it's almost as if you exist in the same space as these characters. Each one has a complex, intricate personality to offer and despite being highly character-driven, the book manages to balance out the emotions with action.

As someone always familiar with the conflict in Kashmir, this story was all the more moving. A lot of the opinions expressed by the characters resonated with me and quite a few situations in the book distressed me to no end as if I had to experience them myself. That made reading this story an even more powerful experience.

Highly recommended.

PS. My favourite part was when a character who is fluent in multiple languages (Urdu, Kashmiri & English) is asked why he learnt this many, he states that different languages are good for different purposes and goes on to say that poetry is always more beautiful in Urdu and Kashmiri was made for stories. I've been saying this for years about Urdu and it made me fall even more in love with this story!

Rating: 4/5 stars

An emotional and moving story about humanity and political conflict. It gave me a good perspective about the culture in India. It is a country that I have never read too many stories of so it was nice getting that new perspective and reading a story in a setting that was completely unfamiliar to me. 

I loved the character arcs, although I believed Shalini lacked substance where all the other characters were complex and interesting. I loved the Mom the most, but Zoya also holds a place in my heart. 

The plot was slow moving, and mostly character driven. I thought a little more action and suspense could have enriched the story a lot more. 

Overall, an enjoyable read. Rating: 3.5