Gosh this book made me hungry 😂 Very hungry! As you might guess from the title, there is a fair amount of food discussed in the novel, and I felt the whole plot was beautifully seasoned with the spices of life.

The book begins with Maya and her boyfriend Ryan arriving in the Arctic. I am a fan of cold temperatures but even for me, that’s extreme! And the only reason why Maya ends up there is because she is accompanying Ryan, who decided to move there for work. Alarm bells rang in my head when I understood the context behind their arrival and getting to know Maya only reinforced my feelings about the whole situation. Some might find following your love to the end of the world romantic, but I’m on the cynical side of things and it sounded crazy to me! Frozen ground, few people around, and anxiety for main company? It is far from ideal.

But don’t we say good things can be born from bad choices?

Maya is half Indian, half English and she’s never really felt home anywhere. She thinks she doesn’t fit in, so why not get on this adventure? The author did a great job describing the harsh reality of the Arctic and the loneliness of the place. I couldn’t decide if Maya had brought the loneliness along with her or if the remoteness of the place was simply the best echo chamber for her emotions The cold was not just coming from the wind and outdoors, but Maya had yet to discover it.

The Arctic Curry Club is a lovely read taking its main character on a journey (or several journeys) to find herself. Maya felt disconnected from her roots and her past, and the ghost of her deceased mother haunting her pushed her forward, into a crazy storm of secrets, choices, disappointments, encounters, and opportunities. Oh, and polar bears. The smooth and warm writing, associated with a lovely array of secondary characters made this novel an absolute joy to read. No over-the-top happy moments, just how I like my stories to be told.

Food brought the warmth stolen by the brilliant yet scary setting, and acted as a glue, creating a new puzzle out of Maya’s life pieces.

Anxiety is one of the characters in this book, plaguing Maya on a daily basis. I appreciated how the author incorporated some of the things we anxiety warriors do or think oh-so-often. Although, unlike Maya, I need to sleep for hours after a panic attack, or even the beginning of one. It is nice to see mental health not making an appearance for the sake of the plot, but as a full part of someone’s life, and many will appreciate Maya’s efforts to live and tame the monster.

I really had a lovely time reading this novel and imagining the spices and views.

Fragrant, spicy food contrasted with sub-zero temperatures and permanent darkness; The Arctic Curry Club is a beautifully written novel full of rich contradictions. It shouldn't work, but it does!

This is a story with a difference. Main character Maya jets off to Longyearbyen, a freezing town situated deep in the Arctic circle. Struggling with her anxiety and her unfamiliar surroundings, it's a rocky start to a new life for Maya. Her boyfriend Ryan, on the other hand, takes to Arctic life like a duck to water.

However, Maya soon has no choice but to face her fears. Before long, she's started carving out a place for herself in Longyearbyen. Armed with her late mother's treasured recipe book, Maya is ready to take the Arctic by storm!

Maya is a likeable and relatable main character. Although she does have her demons, she's also passionate and endearing - not to mention, she's an excellent cook! The biggest hurdle that Maya has to overcome, though, is her anxiety. It's so easy to relate to this part of her character on a personal level - from her fear of the unknown to catastrophising every little detail, all of Maya's deepest internal thoughts are laid out on the page. This humanises her, as well as raising awareness of how difficult even the most seemingly mundane things can be for those who suffer from anxiety.

Aside from this, though, The Arctic Curry Club is a foodie's heaven. The descriptions of the meals Maya makes are absolutely divine and it's all too easy to imagine the delicious aromas wafting through from her kitchen. Make sure you have plenty of snacks to hand when you read this book!

It's not just the food that is perfectly described, however. The essence of both India and the Arctic are captured with ease and described well enough that you can easily conjure these two vastly different parts of the world up in your mind's eye.

Above all else, this is a story of finding yourself and your place in the world. Maya shows us that a little courage can go a long way - after all, you need to believe in yourself if you're going to succeed in life.

Inspirational, heart-warming, and unexpectedly emotional, The Arctic Curry Club is a real gem.