Sona encounters a painter while working as a nurse in a hospital in Bombay. She is enraptured by Mira and her carefree lifestyle. When Mira suddenly dies, Sona finds a note instructing her to deliver three paintings to three people from Mira's past. She travels to Prague, Paris, and Florence following Mira's wishes and discovering a lot about herself along the way.

Thoughts 💭
I was completely engrossed in Sona's journey of self-discovery. The lessons she learns, the people she meets, and the places she travels all come together in a beautifully told story. The author visited all these places to make things feel more authentic, and it really came through! The characters themselves are complex with interesting backstories. Mira was inspired by Amrita Sher-Gil, who was a talented painter who also died young. "People aren't always what they seem," was a reoccurring theme that was well done. This time period immerses you in the struggles of Anglo-Indians at a time when tensions between Britain and India were high. We also get a glimpse of the beginnings of WWII through Sona's travels. I think this resonated with me so strongly because Sona could be any of us, going through the motions of everyday life and struggling to fit in (albeit differently than Sona). Sometimes, we just need a little push to challenge ourselves. I'm predicting now that this will be one of the top historical fiction reads of the year!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My appreciation goes to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I am a huge fan of Ms. Joshi’s The Henna Artist and The Perfumist of Paris and was really excited to read this one. (Although I didn’t think the middle of that trilogy, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, was as good, I chalked it up to my feeling that the author excels in writing women more than men. This book centering around female characters gave me hope for another wonderful read.)

I am thus sad to say that I found this book quite lacking. It didn’t have the artistry, magical-ness, rich sensory descriptions, flow, depth and grace of the other two books. Although all three books center female characters who develop strength through circumstance, in this one it almost seems by accident, and I didn’t get much at all of a feeling for Sona. Although she is portrayed as growing and evolving by her travel, by taking sexual initiative, by speaking up and taking chances, I felt her as passive, nonetheless. The experiences were about going along with the circumstances, sometimes being forced into these situations, rather than her being clever or full of grace and initiative as the other Joshi heroines.

Taking I this book on its own however—with no comparison to earlier books is the fairer way to go. So here I shall:

The plot, centered around a nurse in 1930’s Bombay (Sona) who is not worldly, not well-to-do, and not good at asserting herself, meets up with a wealthy artist female patient whose energetic, out of the box presence changes her life. The patient is modeled after real-life Amrita Sher-Gil: an artist of whom Ms. Joshi in her afterward says is the inspiration for this novel.

There are worthy elements emphasized, such as the fact that Sona is a “half-half”—parentage half British & half Indian, a real difficulty in those years of India’s burgeoning independence movement. The prejudices against her are woven into the story and illuminating. Additionally, how the British controlled India was subtly yet convincingly threaded in. There are also several nods to the rise of Hitler and Mussolini in those times. All of this, along scenes from Sona’s eventual travels out of India to places in Europe, makes this a historical fiction which is well-researched.

There is also in the first part a clear & very upsetting picture of domestic abuse and the ways in which interceding on behalf of the abused is cause for more abuse in that place and time. A very difficult, to say the least, situation; for many such women did (& still do) not want to leave their children behind—and in that patriarchal system, the man would get the kids. (Probably much of this is still true today in many places,; possibly even there).

The attempt to address and weave in these various issues is worthy. Classism, racism, life on the cusp of WW2 in India and Europe, identity and belonging all are fitted into this story. The problems with the book however, lie in many aspects of the plot, as well as quite often a choppiness or abruptness in the scene changes and dialogue. The closeness developed in the six days between patient and nurse, the trio of three tragedies befalling Sona all at once, the unlikelihood of Sona being left with the paintings to distribute and the unlikeliness of her finding the 3 recipients…all this stretched my believability beyond anything that made for good fiction. Additionally, I found her journeys often abrupt and even confusing at times.

In terms of enjoyable aspects, there was a theme of forgiveness (or whether not to) & it was an interesting side, shoring up a warm relationship between Sona and an elderly doctor (Stoddard). I admit I did enjoy the unusually nurturing nature of both of the Stoddard men, and their care for Sona (though, again, somehow timing and money comes more than once, just in the very nick of time for her, via the doctor).

I did also enjoy the new family ending and it felt fluid enough.

Overall I did not, though, enjoy the reading of this book as I found it choppy, unrealistic, and unsatisfying. I am truly sad to say this, as a big fan of the author.

Thank you again to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley.

Expected Publication: April 15, 2025

I enjoyed the books in The Jaipur Trilogy and was excited to see Alka Joshi had a new book coming out, but I have to say I'm more than a little disappointed in the story. I didn't connect with the main character, Sona Falstaff or any other character in the book. Sona is a nurse in Bombay, the year is 1937 and India is under British rule but the country is beginning to experience political upheavals. Sona is caught in the middle because she's considered half/half. Her mother is Indian and her father is British, but her father abandoned her mother years ago and has returned to England. Sona doesn't feel as if she fits in anywhere and struggles with her identity. The only thing she is certain of is that she's a good nurse and in her care is a young woman named Mira who has been admitted to the hospital after suffering a miscarriage.

Without revealing too much of the plot, Sona develops what in my opinion is a rather unrealistic instant connection with Mira and this made the rest of the story implausible. I enjoyed the journey and the description of the places Sona visited, but that was the extent of my enjoyment.
The story wraps up in 1959 and I was a little less than enamoured with some of the choices Sona made.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
#SixDaysinBombay #NetGalley

I was so excited to receive this book from NetGalley as I have read all of Alka Joshi's books and fell in love with her style of writing. She is so descriptive that you can imagine being right there with her characters. Like the Henna Artist trilogy, this book takes place in India and features Sona, who is a young biracial nurse who has led a fairly sheltered life with her single mother. When Sona befriends a female painter who is her patient, she has no idea how much of an impact this budding relationship will have on her life. Another incredible story where we see Sona develop into a strong young woman as she learns more about her friend and herself as she journeys across Europe.

I really enjoyed Alka Joshi‘s previous trilogy that she wrote even though there were times where I could not stand some of the characters, that to me, is the mark of a good writer, when they are capable of writing complex live characters that are not necessarily likable, but it is not overwhelming, and you ruined the rest of the story. I remember Adele reading a review from a native Indian woman Who claimed that the bank was very unrealistic, and that nothing about the way that the relationships work in the trilogy was true to life in India. That made me uneasy, and I couldn’t really put that aside while I was reading this book because part of why I read historical fiction is because I like to learn about different time periods and different places and if I. get the sense that what I am reading is not an accurate representation of a time or a place it feels like something major is missing for me. I would not read historical texting if I did not want a certain level of reality within my book, I would just read fiction if that were the case.

One thing I did very much enjoy a glass, the way this author continuously tackles the matter of women being second class citizens, this is a topic that I very much enjoy reading about and from the perspective I have, and that was no different in this case. We do get to see a lot of what life must’ve been like for women at that time. This was sent during the British ruling of India during the 1930s, and I found this to be a very romantic setting.

This was also based on the life of a real life author, which I was excited about initially, until I discovered that the rest of the story has really nothing to do with her actual life Which I always find annoying if something is to be a reimagining I would like that to be clear, that being said, the dog was still very readable, and already left about average for sure it kept me turning the pages despite all of the complaints I have that room giving Andy three stars. Those three stars are A reflection of my enjoyment, rather than the technical prowess of the author. As a storyteller Alka Joshi is great, but she surely has room to grow but so far everything I have right by her house been enjoyable, so I will no doubt continue to pick up her books.

This is my first book by this author although all of her other books are currently on my tbr. Sona, a nurse, meets Mira, a patient, who changes her life. This book follows the six days Mira is her patients that alter her outlook on life forever, The storytelling was beautiful and I loved the characters and the impact they had on one another.

Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi took me less then six days to read. I have read and loved all Alka Joshi's books. I absolutely loved reading this book, I learned so much about India and Europe from years ago. I loved the main character Sona and the brave, caring person she was who took care of others first. She bravely travelled through Europe, learning so much about herself and the world. I highly recommend reading this book as you will learn so much about Indian and European culture. There was some sadness and difficult topics in this book at the beginning but Sona overcame so much sadness. Thank you to #netgalley for this arc!!

This book is a standalone novel about Sona, a nurse from Mumbai, or Bombay as it was called in the early 20th century. A patient, Mira, comes into her ward and challenges her to dream big and see the world. Mira unexpectedly dies, but that is the beginning of Sona’s journey. Mira was a painter and Sona is tasked with taking 3 paintings to Mira’s friends in three different cities: Prague, Paris and Florence. Her journey ends in London, where she expects to meet the father who abandoned her. Mira’s life unfolds through the paintings she leaves behind and is not always the way Sona would have expected.

I loved this story. I loved the settings, and all of them seemed accurate, believable and right. I had thought it would be a stretch to get Sona to so many spots on the map, but I think the author pulled it off. I also enjoyed the character of Mira, whose character was inspired by the painter Amrita Sher-Gil. Alka Joshi did a great job of making Mira a character in Sona’s story; not creating a fictional biography of painter Sher-Gil. (I recently read, and got extremely annoyed with, “Frozen River,” which was based so closely on a real life that I almost abandoned it and read the biography instead. It wasn’t fun to continually wonder which details were made up and which were real.) Anyway, a great book by Alka Joshi.

I just finished reading Six days in Bombay by Alka Joshi.
I had enjoyed her first book ‘The Henna Artist’ and subsequent books in the series but Six days in Bombay fell flat for me.

The beginning of the book was very interesting but once the parts outside India started the storyline just didn’t work for me. The charismatic painter who was the heart of every party, Mira and the story line with her past was just not for me. Too many characters in her past that I really didn’t care about.


*** FOR PUBLISHER ---- ERRORS in PRINT ****
On Page 210 it says the women looked disapprovingly at “Mira’s” outfit
It should be “Petra’s” outfit not Mira’s
*******************************

As soon as I saw this book was being offered I just HAD to read it. I’m a big fan of the author Alka Joshi. I absolutely LOVED the Jaipur Trilogy.

Six Days in Bombay tells of the relationship between Sona, a nurse and her patient, Mira who is a famous artist. I love the way the author weaves their lives together and leaves Sona with a new outlook on her life. It takes her to Prague, Florence, Paris and London and leaves the reader wanting more.

The first half of the book was quite slow but the pace eventually picked up. It was a great read nonetheless and one I couldn’t put down. I read it from beginning to end while traveling from New England to Guatemala.

I can’t wait for more from this author. Highly recommend! Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Alka Joshi, I adored her Henna Artist Trilogy. I couldn’t wait to read this new standalone story
You are transported back to India. This time it is 1937, we meet Sona an Anglo-Indian nurse working in the Bombay Wadia Hospital.she is nursing Mira Novak a famous painter, who has suffered a miscarriage. Mira is in the hospital for six days. Sona and Mira become friends. Unfortunately Mira dies suddenly and Sona is blamed for her death. Sona is devastated. She is driven into scandal and mystery when a note is left for her to deliver three paintings to friends and former colleagues. But why?
Sona takes the journey as per Mira’s request to Prague, Florence and Paris.
It is a real life lesson for Sona who lived a sheltered existence.
This is a beautifully written and researched novel It is a compelling story with engaging characters.
This book has everything Historical Fiction, mystery and intrigue.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for this advanced readers copy.

This story takes us to 1930s Bombay, India. India is currently occupied by the British but on the brink of independence. A young woman named Sona works in an English hospital as a nurse. She has no idea, though, that the friendship she strikes up with a special patient, Mira the painter, will change her life forever.

This book took me on a whirlwind journey across Asia and Europe and my desire to jump in a plane and go travel somewhere was loving every second of being immersed in Bombay, Prague, Paris and Florence.

However, I wasn’t completely obsessed with some of the actual storyline. It’s hard to completely put my feelings into words because there were moments I loved and I really enjoyed Sona’s journey and her wresting with being “half-half” (with a British father and an Indian mother) and the conversation around identity. But the storyline that dealt with Mira’s past wasn’t my absolute favorite.

This is my fourth Alka Joshi book and I will read whatever this woman writes!! 3.75 stars.

Six Days in Bombay was a lovely read from Alka Joshi and certainly my favorite book of hers!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Six Days in Bombay publishing might just be my favorite Alka Joshi novel. The way she weaves identity and self-discovery into the story is very poignant.

Sona Falstaff is a nurse in a Bombay hospital in the 1930s, a time when India's fight for independence from the British is at its peak. Half Indian and half British, Sona once saw her mixed heritage as an advantage. But as tensions rise, she’s forced to confront where she truly belongs. Enter Mira Novak and Dr. Stoddard, two of Sona’s patients who unknowingly become the catalysts for her transformation. How do they change her life?

The Bombay in this novel felt incredibly familiar to me. Having spent a lot of time there growing up, the places Alka Joshi describes brought back so many memories. It was like stepping into the past but seeing it through a new lens.

On a personal level, this book resonated deeply. I was born in India, but my children were born in America, and the struggle with identity is very real. Whether it was Sona, Mira, Petra, or Edward, their journeys showed how identity shapes our experiences but also how we can learn to embrace who we are. Sona’s character growth, especially through her travels in Europe, highlights that truly understanding someone (including yourself) requires looking beyond the surface.

I could go on and on about this book, but I’ll just say this it’s a beautifully written, deeply moving novel that I won’t forget anytime soon.

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing, The Hive and Mira, for this book.

Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi is a novel set in Bombay and tells of the relationship between Mira, an artist, and Sona, her nurse in the hospital where Mira is recovering from a miscarriage. After six days of listening to Mira talk of her life as an artist and the people she has been involved with, she unexpectedly dies and leaves Sona with the task of taking four of her paintings to each of four people in Paris, Prague, Florence and London. As Sona, new to traveling outside of her country, meets each of these four people and finds much more about her friend Mina. The characters that Sona meets along the way and the locations she ends up in are well depicted and the story moves along well.

very talented and well-written story with some awesome vibes in this work of historical fiction. would definitely recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Six Days in Bombay is a standalone novel by Alka Joshi.I loved her trilogy and was glad to have the chance to read this new book!It did not disappoint!It is the story of the connection between two women from different backgrounds.Mira Novak is a patient at Wadia hospital in Bombay and Sona Falstaff is her nurse.The story takes place as World War II is brewing.. Sona travels to Florence,Prague and Paris to deliver three paintings for Mira.The book has a great sense of place on her travels and you will enjoy smells.sounds and tastes!The book studies identity showing that things are not always what they first appear.SPOILER ALERT. I did wonder why Sona was not upfront about the parentage of her child when she was so upset about her own father’s secrets .I really enjoyed this book!Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Mira for allowing me to read this ARC.

Another book in Alka Joshi series about women in India. An Anglo-Indian nurse tries to clear her name when a patient dies on her watch.

The major theme of this book was about how certain people can come into your life for such a short time and have such big influences over the rest of your life. I found myself wishing that I were as brave as the main character to explore the people and places that she was led to... I enjoyed the various settings of this book (Bombay! Florence! London! Prague! Paris!) and enjoyed Sona's journey. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sona Falstaff, a hospital nurse in Bombay, has things more or less where she wants them. Yes, she faces a certain discrimination, positive and negative, because of her mixed heritage, which makes her a “half-half” in the lingo of 1930s India. She lives in a poor section of the city, and she must work to support herself and her aging mother. India itself is a state of flux as the British Raj comes to an end and demands for independence increase in intensity and volume. But all in all, Sona wants nothing more than to cling to the job and the life she knows.

Yet when the painter Mira Novak is admitted to the hospital, she upends Sona’s carefully constructed world. Mira’s vibrancy, passion, and generosity awaken a yearning to explore that Sona didn’t even know she had. But just as she begins to cherish the possibility of friendship, Mira dies, six days after entering the hospital. The job Sona loves is threatened by suspicion that she somehow contributed to the painter’s death.

Sona soon discovers that Mira has left her a set of four paintings with instructions to deliver them to their rightful owners. Now she faces a choice: fight for her job and play it safe at home, or take a chance on finding her true self in the wider world, whatever risk that involves?

The contrast between Sona and Mira, the friendship that develops between them, and the slowly revealed history that lies beneath Sona’s reluctance to take chances are all beautifully laid out in this well-written novel, making it a delight to read.

I hope to chat with the author on the New Books Network (link below) in April 2025.