India on the cusp!

As India moves towards independence so does Sona Falstaff. Sona is a nurse in the Wadia Hospital in Bombay. Europe is galloping towards war, India towards freedom from the British Raj, Sona finds herself also on the cusp, taking steps into the unknown.
Sona is a compassionate and dedicated nurse with a lively sense of humor. Amongst her patients number a vivacious painter, Mira Novak and a charming elderly rascal, Dr. Ralph Stoddard. Both will figure into Sona’s search for herself.
Sona is an Anglo-Indian. At a time when India is looking to govern itself, that mixed heritage becomes a barrier for her. She’s neither fish nor fowl.
As usual, Alka Joshi draws us into the colors of life in late 1930’s India. The emotions are all captured, brimming with reality.
Sona’s journey from the hospital in Bombay to Europe, on a quest for her painter friend, is a journey of self awareness, of independence, and of choices.
Empathetically written, a searching novel from Alka Joshi exploring what it is to belong, to take steps towards freedom, to unshackle from the past and to confront one’s personal history.

A Harlequin Trade ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Book review: 4.25/5 ⭐️
Genre: historical fiction
Themes: identity, colonialism, otherness, coming of age
📖 Read if you like: The Vanishing Half, Burning Heart of the World

Happy PUB-Day! This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, so I was thrilled to receive an eARC thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley. Once again Joshi displays a quiet mastery of storytelling that will shed light on stereotyping and the struggles of women rooted into the fabric of society.

At its heart, this is one women’s struggle with identity. Sona is a mixed race nurse living in Bombay with her Indian mother having been abandoned by her English father. Hers is a small sheltered existence defined by her otherness. She never quite fits in anywhere, and yet she benefits from the lighter colour of her skin and her parentage under colonial governance. When the enigmatic artist Mira Novak is admitted after a miscarriage, she is put into Sona’s care as her night nurse. Turning into fast friends, Sona idolizes Mira’s easy way of being and seeing the world. When what should have been a simple recovery turns into a tragic ending, Sona will be thrown into a world she has only dreamed of. Tasked with a seemingly impossible journey, she must confront her own walls and discover the person she wants to be.

As Sona looses everything - her job, her family, her home she will finally be forced into action and growth. It is a journey that reflects a geopolitical maelstrom as India seeks her independence and the shackles of colonialism. More than that it is a story of the masks we wear and select truths. How identity can be defined both by an observer and by the observed. You can see her naivety on display ripe for the picking, yet those setback don’t seem to weigh her down. As her innocence is stripped away, she discovers that Mira wasn’t quite who she thought she was, nor is she herself.

I realize I have become more and more fascinated with the concept of identity in a landscape where you will always be other, so this was the perfect book for my current mindset. The way you see yourself and the way the world sees you are at odds and finding the strength to be yourself requires courage and discernment to carve out your own space. So this was thought provoking and would make a great option for book club!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this novel
It followed a young nurse’s journey from a young impressionable nurse through adulthood. After being terminated for something she didn’t do, she set off on a trip to deliver paintings to friends of her deceased patient. The story ran a little slower than I normally like, but it’s a beautiful story well worth your time.

A luminous portrait of friendship, art, and identity set against the shifting landscapes of colonial India and pre-war Europe.

From the humid streets of 1930s Bombay to the dusky alleys of Paris and the golden light of Florence, this novel follows Sona, a young nurse whose quiet life is upended when she meets Mira—an enigmatic patient and gifted artist. What begins as a deep, almost fated friendship turns tragic when Mira dies suddenly, and Sona is left under suspicion—and with a final, life-altering request from her friend.

At its heart, this is a coming-of-age story steeped in atmosphere. India, under British rule, pulses with political tension, and Bombay is more than a setting—it has a pulse of its own. The novel distills a moment in time, where history brushes up against the lives of women forging their own paths.

Sona’s journey to honor Mira’s last wish leads her across Europe. What she uncovers is more than a mystery…it’s a quiet reckoning. A story of love, legacy, and learning to carry what’s left behind. A story about women, about discovery, about what we owe each other and what we owe ourselves. Just a beautiful and thought provoking read!

I loved the Jaipur trilogy (even though I still need to read the last one!) and couldn’t wait to dive into Alka Joshi’s newest. In Six Days in Bombay, Joshi’s rich writing style creates an immersive reading experience. Her ability to transport readers to the vivid world of 1930s India truly brings the story to life.

The story follows nurse Sona’s as she befriends a famous painter Mira. Because of their friendship Sona is given the opportunity to go to Europe and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

I went into Six Days in Bombay completely blind and was really glad I did!

If Alka Joshi writes it—I’m reading it! Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced copy.

3.75……..I have wanted to read the Henna Artist for so long but never got around to it. I received an ARC of Six Days in Bombay and was excited to delve into a book written by Alka Joshi.

Sona was born to an English father and a Hindu mother. She grew up in Bombay in the 1930’s as a half-caste a blackie-white. She is a nurse, who has led a secluded life. She becomes very attached to Mira Novak, a famous painter. Mira sends her on a mission to Prague, Florence and Paris to deliver paintings to people from her past, allowing Sona to explore, venture out and see the world.

There were so many things I enjoyed about the book, the writing style, the relationship between Sona and Mira and the opportunity Mira gave Sona to travel and explore, the male relationships Sona had, especially the one between her and Dr. Stoddard. I enjoyed watching Sona’s character grow throughout the book by taking risks and stepping out of her comfort zone. While the chapters were long, at times I felt they ended abruptly. I wished Joshi delved deeper into the mixed race issues during that time. When I read the last word I turned the page expecting to read more, I was surprised it was the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am going to move up The Henna Artist on my list, and read it soon.

The main character of Alka Joshi's latest novel is a half Indian/half British nurse at the local hospital named Sona. The story is set during the 1930s while the British still occupied India. One of her patients is the famous painter Mira Novak who is admitted after a miscarriage. She is also biracial and the two become fast friends. Worldly Mira tells sheltered Sona of her of her exciting travels and encourages Sona to come with her. Sona does end up traveling the world, though now with the company she'd hoped. Along the way she meets Mira friends, and learns about the world around her and also herself.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I did The Henna Artist trilogy. The settings and descriptions were spot on. The historical tidbits made the setting come to life, but didn't overshadow the story. But poor Sona was so innocent it seemed like she lived under a rock when she wasn't at work. And even at work she didn't see what was in front of her. Many of the things that happened to her seemed a little too convenient.

Don't get me wrong, I was rooting for her the entire time, and I'm happy things worked out for her as they did. The story just seemed to plod along at its measured pace. When the climax came, it seemed a much simpler answer despite all the effort Sona had put in. I'm glad she found what she was looking for.

Six Days in Bombay was a tad slow for me, but also steady-paced, filled with fascinating sights explained throughout the book. The audiobook narration added a to the journey and experience, making the characters and settings quite interesting. It was like taking a trip to all the places along with the characters. While the story took its time to unfold, the topics it explored kept me intrigued too.

The book dives into themes of identity, friendship, and the search for belonging, all set against the beautiful backdrop of Bombay and beyond. It touches on the complexities of cultural intersections and the struggles of women navigating societal expectations. The narrative also weaves in a bit of mystery and self-discovery, which creates emotions and revelations.

Though the pacing wasn’t as up to speed as I would have liked, the depth of the story and the thought-provoking themes made me continue to explore the journey. If you’re in the mood for a reflective and collective tale, this one might just be for you.

Alka Joshi does it again! 5 glowing stars! I am incredibly familiar with this author, as I have read and dearly loved the entire Jaipur Trilogy (which I highly recommend if you have not read it yet). Six Days in Bombay is a sweeping, emotional novel of mystery, adventure, and self-discovery. Once again Joshi’s incredible storytelling does not disappoint!

Sona is a young Anglo-Indian nurse living with her mother and working at a hospital in Bombay in the 1930’s. Her new patient is the infamous painter named Mira Novak who is admitted after having a miscarriage. Mira is also half Indian and the two develop a close friendship over the course of a week while Mira is in hospital under Sona’s care. Sona is enraptured by Mira’s stories of her exciting, salacious travels through Europe. After an unspeakable tragedy occurs, Sona finds herself in trouble and must set off on an unexpected solo quest across Europe to seek answers to a mystery and attempt to clear her name. Along the way, Sona encounters many characters, learns of political unrest throughout Europe, experiences the first potential romance of her young life, and tries to come to terms with her own Anglo-Indian identity and history of her English father who deserted her and her mother in India when she was a small child.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was incredible to learn that the character of Mira Novak was inspired by a real painter of Indian Art from the 1930’s named Amrita Sher-Gil. Alka Joshi’s rich, vivid descriptions and miraculous storytelling transport the reader in both time and place. The authentic history and politics weaved throughout the book really help set the scene, showing a different perspective of the 1930’s without becoming the main focus. It felt as if I were right there with Sona as she experienced the most joyful and tragic moments of her life in such a short time frame. I really connected with Sona as a character and felt deeply for her. The relationships she had with both Mira and her mother felt genuine and loving. It was fun, although stressful at times, to watch her grow and venture out into the world. I was really hoping she would get the happy ending she deserved. However, I never would have guessed this ending and it very much caught me by surprise – absolutely in a good way!

Alka Joshi is one of my favorite authors of all time and I could not be more thrilled to have read this book in advance. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone! Thank you to NetGalley, Alka Joshi, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the gifted ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

“…a famous painter, a quest across 5 cities, a journey of self discovery.”

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If Alka Joshi writes it - I’m buying it! I had the absolute pleasure of seeing her speak a few years ago at the @leelibraryfest when she was in the early stages of Six Days in Bombay, and while I wanted to continue the Henna Trilogy and live in that work with Laksmi, it was easy to slip into Sona and Mira’s timeline! Alka has such a fabulous way with words, creating atmospheric and immersive novels, that are true escapism. There is a huge plot twist that I wish they would have left out of the summary, and while I know it drives the plot, I would have loved to been blind to this, so go in blind! I loved seeing Sona’s journey through self discovery and honestly felt like this book was a trip for me around the world! Alka Joshi is simply the best, and the literary world is better because of her!

Synopsis: When renowned painter Mira Novak arrives at Wadia hospital in Bombay after a miscarriage, she's expected to make a quick recovery, and her nurse, Sona, is excited to learn more about the vivacious artist who shares her half-Indian identity. Sona, yearning for a larger life, finds herself carried away by Mira's stories of her travels and exploits and is shocked by accounts of the many lovers the painter has left scattered throughout Europe. When Mira dies quite suddenly and mysteriously, Sona falls under suspicion, and her quiet life is upended.

The key to proving Sona's innocence may lie in a cryptic note and four paintings Mira left in her care, sending the young woman on a mission to visit the painter's former friends and lovers across a tumultuous Europe teetering toward war. On the precipice of discovering her own identity, Sona learns that the painter's charming facade hid a far more complicated, troubled soul.

When the famous painter Mira Novak is brought into Wadia Hospital in Bombay after suffering a miscarriage, her nurse Sona, is excited to learn more about the vivacious artist who shares her half-Indian identity. They form an immediate bond, and Mira regales Sona with tales of her life and the many lovers she has had, scattered all over Europe. Mira is expected to only be in the hospital for a few days, but she doesn't seem to improve and then she suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, forcing the hospital to put the blame on Sona. The key to proving Sona's innocence may lie in a cryptic note and four paintings Mira left in her care, sending the young woman on a mission to visit the painter's former friends and lovers across a tumultuous Europe teetering toward war. On the precipice of discovering her own identity, Sona learns that the painter's charming facade hid a far more complicated, troubled soul.

This book was based on the life of painter Amrita Sher-Gil, the "Frida Kahlo of India,". I love this author's books, and have thoroughly enjoyed everything she has written. While it took me a little bit to get into this one, once I did, I didn't want to put it down. This was as much about Sona's personal growth as it was Mira's life. As Sona travels around delivering the paintings Mira left in her care, she not only learns about Mira's past, but at each stop, she steps out of her comfort zone, with new experiences, and meeting new people and trying new things, and even finding love along the way. If you enjoy historical fiction, or just fiction in general, then you should definitely check it out.

Alka Joshi does not disappoint with her fourth book! Six Days in Bombay is both a literal and metaphorical journey that readers take with Sona Falstaff, the protagonist, an Anglo Indian nurse, who’s life is turned upside down when a patient dies in her care. As Sona travels through Europe in an attempt to fulfill her patient’s last wishes, Alka Joshi does a phenomenal job of transporting readers to late 1930s Paris, Prague and Florence. Being an art lover, I enjoyed the author’s name dropping of prominent Impressionist and modern artists. And it was a lot of fun to see the sheltered Sona experiencing and experimenting with Europe’s bohemian lifestyle. At the same time, a major selling point of this book for me was its exploration of identity. Throughout the story, Sona grapples with her identity as a woman in a strictly hierarchical society and as Anglo British in a country struggling to break free from its colonial past.

From beginning to end Six Days in Bombay was a 5 ⭐️ read for me. Highly recommend if you enjoy historical fiction!

It is 1937, and renowned painter Mira Novak has been hospitalized in Bombay following a miscarriage. Her young nurse, Sona Falstaff, who shares an Anglo-Indian identity with Mira, becomes attached to the worldly and charismatic artist. With her British father out of the picture, Sona leads a sheltered life with her Indian mother, struggling to make ends meet. Sona becomes captivated by Mira's stories of her travels and numerous lovers. As India moves towards independence, Sona's mixed heritage proves increasingly challenging. After a tragic turn, Sona leaves the hospital and is sent by Mira on a mission that takes her to Istanbul, Prague, Florence, Paris, and London. Throughout this journey, Sona not only discovers more about Mira's life but also learns more about herself.

After Alka Joshi's impressive series, The Jaipur Trilogy, I was excited to read Six Days in Bombay. This book is a satisfying mix of historical fiction and self-discovery wrapped in a mystery. Sona begins as an innocent woman yearning for a larger life and is inspired by Mira, a woman she believes has it all. The depiction of India under British rule and the changes emerging in Europe were well-researched and vividly presented. Joshi reveals in the Author's Note that the character of Mira Novak was loosely based on artist Amrita Sher-Gil, a woman of Indian Hungarian heritage. I immediately started researching her life and artwork. Once again, Joshi has crafted a richly descriptive and moving tale.

I am struggling a bit with writing this review. If this book had been by almost any other author I think I would have given it 5 stars without hesitation. But having read her other two amazing books I was disappointed with some of this one. Her main character was a quiet, naive and sheltered woman in 1930s Bombay prior to India gaining independence from England. Her actions just didn’t ring true to me. After meeting a famous artist she changes very quickly and much of her behavior seemed so much at odds with her personality. That said, I do look forward to Ms Joshi’s next book.

Six Days In Bombay is an incredible historical fiction story of a young woman who embarks on the journey of a lifetime to learn about who she is after dealing with tragedy after tragedy. This novel not only touches on self reflection, but love, sadness, human connection, adventure, and travel.

The beginning of the book is a slow burn as we get to know Sona and the work she does as a nurse and Mira, a patient of Sona’s who is also a painter. Tragedy finds Sona and we see how this young half Indian/British woman responds. She now has to figure out who she is and how to be that person. Joshi did an extraordinary job depicting Sona’s struggle with identity throughout the novel.

The characters were magnificent too, each taking on a life of their own. Throughout the story I felt as if I had known each of them intimately. The details of each place Sona traveled to were described just as vividly as the characters; I felt like I was in Florence, Prague, Paris, and everywhere in between, traveling with Sona!

This story will stay with me for a long time and will be a story I will tell everyone about. 5/5 stars for Six Days In Bombay. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this novel.

Sadly I didn't enjoy this. Sona didn't start traveling through Europe until half way through the book and the first half was head pounding boring. Sona was also half simpering most of the time. This book read like a tour guide plus self help book.

Thank you for my digital and physical arcs of this book. I had to leave a review here because this book is so special! It blends historical fiction with mystery, completely pulling you into the past and the lives of the main characters. I loved the travel aspect, the author obviously knows her stuff. Her writing is so beautiful and descriptive that I could easily see where we were visiting. The large cast of characters who we meet on the journey were so authentic. The topic of identity seems so timely in our current climate. I absolutely loved this book!

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Thank you @_mira_books_ @htp_hive & @htpbooks_audio for the gifted ARC + ALC ♡

Are all great artists tortured beings? Broken artists litter the pages of history — maybe that which inspired their brilliance also hides a darker side..

Mira Novak, a half Indian / half Czech painter was inspired by real artists Amrita Sher-Gil and Frida Kahlo. Mira is flamboyant, sexually fluid, unrepentant, outspoken, a prodigy, and a riddle. She draws everyone in.

Nurse Sona Falstaff, also half Indian and half British, is the opposite: quiet, shy, a bit of a prude, holds everyone at arms length, leading a sheltered life in Calcutta/Bombay.

Set in 1937, India is still under British colonial rule, but independence (as well as WW2) is around the corner and the tides are turning against the colonizers.

Which identity can each of these women claim? Which will society allow them to and which will they choose?

I loved traveling to Paris, Prague, London and Italy with Sona on her journey of self-discovery. The pacing ebbed a bit in the middle, but I cheered and clapped at the conclusion! And the romance subplots 🥺💕

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|||။‌‌‌‌‌၊|• 🎧 listening to Sneha Mathan’s smooth oration was a pleasure. She captures Sona’s voice: her inner monologue, her sorrow, her anger, her resilience.

💚 Six Days in Bombay releases this Tuesday, April 15. It’s also a @bookofthemonth pick 🙌🏽

TW: Racism, Assault, Domestic Violence

I want to thank everyone for this early gifted copy of Six Days in Bombay.

While I have enjoyed Joshi’s works in the past, for some reason this story didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t feel much for the characters or the storyline. I do think this will be a book people will enjoy, it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was a unique story and different than anything. I read this year which I liked. I liked the art aspects, learning about this time in history, and the mystery. I enjoyed the travel and meeting all the characters. I was not a big fan of Sona and did not feel like she grew throughout the book. The epilogue didn’t do it for me.