The Direction of the Wind, by Mansi Shah, is a beautifully told story of family, dreams and love.

Sophie's mother died when she was young, or so she was told. After her father dies she learns that her mother actually ran away to pursue her dream of painting in Paris. When her aunts arrange her marriage, she realizes that she needs to go to Paris to find out what happened to her mom before she can get married.
Once Sophie arrives in Paris, she begins an intense search for anyone who might have known her mother. Within days she discovers the hostel that her mom lived at for many months. From there she gets clue after clue about what her mom's life had been like in Paris. Along the way she gets to know herself and understand her desires for her own life.

I loved this book! The writing is beautiful, I was so invested in the characters and the story overall. So much emotion, and the cultural aspects were handled brilliantly. I will be recommending this book to my friends.

I’m having a hard time with the premise of this one. Woman leaves her 6 year old daughter and moves abroad because she doesn’t feel unconditional love for her.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4: Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this lovely novel. This is a bittersweet story of a young woman (Sophie) finding herself through learning about her mother's (Nita) past. I really enjoyed the dual timeline and especially liked reading of the Gujarati/Indian culture that was woven very strongly throughout this novel. The characters are likeable, for the most part, and you find yourself really rooting for Sophie and Nita. There is a lot of sadness in this book: grief, addiction, poverty, and a particularly abusive man in Nita's life, but it was always outlined in a bit of hope. The book ended on an interesting note that I'm still pondering...but I think that might be more because I am a white woman with little knowledge or experience of Indian culture and arranged marriages. I did find the book to be a bit repetitive and perhaps a little over-explanatory of the protagonist's feelings, but I was never bored with the story. I'm also a little disappointed that we didn't get more of the non-primary protagonists. I especially loved Naresh and Manoji and wish we could have far more of Sophie's, in a sense, found family. This is an author I would like to read more of and I'm grateful that NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this book that I may have not otherwise even heard about!

I knew this would be an emotional read right from the get go. And I wasn’t wrong. It’s so touching and wonderfully tender.

I will firstly say there are a few tough subjects such as death and grief, abandonment, drug addiction, relationship and money troubles. And whilst I appreciate these may be difficult things to read about, they’re handled so sensitively that they do wonders to frame the main story.

I love reading about other countries and cultures, be it fictional or fact. I’ve always admired India - I have a number of friends from there - the colours, the noise, the atmosphere, but it’s not a country I know much about. But I’ve felt Mansi Shah has depicted it in such a glorious way that even though her background is in Canada and the US (according to her online bio) you can clearly feel her love for India in this book.

I’d love to know what her inspiration for this book was. Some books you can sort of read their inspiration in the book, but this has so much heart I feel it must have come from a deeper personal place.

Everything is described so vividly, from the heat of Ahmedabad to the seemingly exotic nature of Paris, down to the food eaten and the jewellery worn. There’s a clear cultural difference between the characters which was really interesting to read.

It is heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measures. She doesn’t go into this lightly, it really packs an emotional punch.

There’s a dual narrative/timeline going on with the two main characters, and whilst distinct, there was a slight blurring between the two which helped accentuate the relationship between them.

At first I thought the resolution was a bit rushed - we’d spent 200+ pages on this incredible journey, only for it to be wrapped up within a chapter or two. But now I’ve had time to think about, I think it was absolutely the right way to conclude the story.

It leaves you with questions. What does it mean to be a mother or a wife? What does it mean to be a woman in different countries? What would you be willing to give up to follow your dreams?

When I finished it, it was like having to say goodbye to an old friend.

If I had to sum this book up in one word, it would be gorgeous.

Sophie Shah, was only six years old when she was told her mother had died, but now in her twenties and her father has died, she learn something different. Going through some of her father things she finds some letters from her mother to her father, written not that long ago.
Her mother was an artist and always wanted to live in Paris, so when Sophie finds that, that is where the letters were sent from, she decides she must make a trip there and see if she can find her mother.
Leaving India and an arranged marriage in the works, Sophie decides to head to Paris with very few clues and tries to find her mom.
So with help from some people that she has befriended and some that had known her mom, she sets off to see what has happened to her, and here you will discover what the mothers life had become, but Sophie still had on last place to go, in hopes of finding family.
Great characters, with a lot of different emotions and faults.
Such an interesting read, I really enjoyed it.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book.

I have no words for how good this book actually is. The writing is beautiful with an absolutely captivating storyline and well developed characters that I have taken to my heart. This is such a poignant and powerful novel that I thik everyone should read.

Mansi Shah's THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND follows the story of Nita and Sophie (mother and daughter). Sophie has always believed her mother died when she was six, but following the death of her father, Sophie learns her mother did not die and instead moved to Paris. Sophie goes to Paris to look for Nita.

The story alternates between Nita and Sophie's stories and takes place in both Ahmedabad (where Sophie lives) and Paris. I enjoyed reading the alternate perspectives of the two main characters, even though I did not really like either of them at first, but found there was too much telling of feelings and experiences rather than showing. This really impacted my ability to fully immerse myself in the story and the characters.

Overall, the story was enjoyable and I will probably continue to look for books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of the book.

A lovely book to read. I found it quite moving to be honest. Thank you for letting me read it. Your writing is beautiful.

This is a great read, digested it in one sitting! Such an easy book to follow, and did not want to put it down!

his is a story about finding yourself. Sophie, a Gujarati woman in her late 20s, has just lost her beloved Papa. Since she was 6 it has just been the two of them and he devoted his life to ensuring that his daughter had the skills to be independent - which maybe was not the true Gujarati way. In her aunts' eyes, she should already have been married, but looking after her father was a valid reason for not being. But now Sophie is on her own, it is important to arrange a marriage as soon as possible. Sophie had been told that her mother died, but when she starts sorting through her father's belongings she finds letters from her mother, Nita. Letters that prove that she never died, she left them to go to Paris. With a marriage arranged, Sophie knows that she needs to find her mother and ask the question - why?

The stories are told in two timelines - Nita's when she goes to Paris to become an artist, and Sophie's when she goes to Paris to find Nita. Some of the things that happened to both women, I did feel were contrived sometimes and, with regard to Sophie, maybe sometimes, things fell into place just a little too easily. But, it was a satisfying read and I enjoyed watched how both women navigated a life that was very different to the privileged life that they had enjoyed in India.

The Direction of the Wind is an emotional journey of one young woman’s search for the truth. Having lived her early life believing one thing and then learning something completely different upon the death of her father has sent her life in a tailspin. She is reminded of the proverb her father often quoted:

The direction of the wind cannot be changed, but we can change the direction of our sails.

With themes of depression, anxiety, substance abuse (to list a few) author Mansi Shah kept me turning the pages hopeful for a positive outcome for Sophie. There were a few places where I thought things played out a bit conveniently and times where I wished for more character development Overall, not an easy read in places but a good story.

A heartfelt and empathetic look at a free-spirited mother and her daughter, estranged by choice, time, and circumstance, yet irrevocably bonded by their shared desire to learn who they are meant to be. Shah creates an unforgettable story, steeped in Parisian atmosphere and braided with compassion. This book will break your heart and then mend it, in the most wonderful way.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union, and the author for the review copy.

How far would you go to save the core part of yourself? THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND is a fearless novel that explores the boundaries of motherhood and takes readers on a journey across the globe.

This was a really enjoyable book about Sophie and her mum. It was set in the past and the current time as Sophie searches for her mum, hoping to find out why she left her to go to Paris when she was a small child. It talks about life choices, loss and finding oneself

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I requested a copy of this book as a huge fan of historical fiction. I thought that the story's settings were well-portrayed (so far as I could tell) and the story itself was both interesting and sad. Unfortunately, however, there was just something about the writing style that I didn’t like. In particular, I found that there was too much repetition of themes, such as how dependent both mother and daughter are on men. I also found the protagonist's use of 'mummy' throughout bizarrely annoying - it just didn't seem appropriate for an adult.

This was so tragic and awesome!

The direction of the wind is about a girl name Sophie who's just discovered that her mom didn't die, she ran away to Paris for her artsy endeavors. Grown-up sheltered by her father and family, she goes out on an adventure to look for her mom in Paris. Will she be able to find her? Or her search will stop at a dead end?

I thought this was going to be dramatic and with a happy ending. But it was rather realistic and tragic. The story was an emotional rollercoaster, and I couldn't help but cry as the climax approached. I love the dedication author has put into this book, researching and putting all the culture's perspectives in place. On that note, I feel India and its customs have been shown in a bad light here. But then, I may be biased, and the timeline is about 24 years ago when things really were rigid for women,

The narration was gripping and I finished the book in one sitting. Overall, I loved the book. Highly recommend.

Sophie Shah was six when her mother, Nita, died and she was left to be raised by her father and his family. She's always felt the loss of her mother and when her father also passes, she is consumed with grief. Before leaving her childhood home, she discovers a stack of letters in her father's room, from her mother. She is shocked to learn that her mother didn't die, but had abandoned her and her father. In a search for answers, Sophie travels to Paris, where her mother had gone. In the course of her search, Sophie discovers more about herself, as well as the mother she thought she knew.

The story alternates between Sophie and Nita. I enjoyed reading both perspectives. I didn't think I could emphasize with Nita, but as the story progressed, I really felt for her. I wasn't too fond of Sophie at the beginning, but her character became a bit more likeable by the end. I did feel some parts were a bit too easy and convenient to push Sophie's story forward. I really would have loved more depth with the ending, and while satisfactory, I wanted just a bit more. I was disappointed with how some parts of the story ended.
I enjoyed Mansi Shah's previous book as well and look forward to reading more from her.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

As the author of this novel, I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read and review it. This particular novel is special to me because it takes place in Paris, a city that has always felt like home to me and one that I keep returning to. My experiences there have been different from those of the characters in the novel, but I loved being able to immerse myself in the city that I love so much! I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the copy of The Direction Of The Wind. This book is beautifully written and it grabbed my attention from the first page. The story of Nita and Sophie and their culture shock in Paris was great and I loved their thoughts and emotions seeing Paris through their eyes 20 years apart. They both figured out how to survive with help from newly found friends. It was a sadder and heavier story than I expected and it moved me to tears a couple of times. If you’re looking for a beautiful book exploring friendship, love, and family ties, you should give this book a try.