Darjeeling

By: Bharti Kirchner

The name drew me to the book, and the fact the author was a Seattle resident, prize winner author of Cookbooks, a immigrant Indian ( a Bengali no less) and in a previous life had been software consultant.
The book is a story of two sisters, Aloka and Sujata, stretched over a decade, and two continents.
It starts with Aloka's marriage disintegrating in New York and with flash backs and fast forwards entwines the story of the two sisters and a man both of them loved.
Other dramatis personae include Thakurma, the eighty one year old matriarch; Bir, the father; Pranab, the husband and the lover and Mreenal, the suitor. It is a feministic tale to some degree, the 'loyal and true' Aloka who after eight years with a man, learns that she can not only live, but flourish without him, and the ' dark rebellious' Sujata, who learns that the passion of the youth is not enough to satisfy the woman she had grown to become.
The story is engaging enough but --- How is that Aloka the perceptive 'Seva' never realizes that the man she is married to is unhappy pining away for someone else? The very black and white descriptions of the two sisters one a beauty and social success and the 'good' girl as opposed to the dark, defiant and difficult little sister are very hard to stomach, given the ‘liberal’ end of the story. The descriptions of New York are from a 'tourist' – clichés. Darjeeling seems closer -- Jahar, is a 'strange' character, strange name and absolutely no background--- which is at odds with the depths of description of the 'Bengali' characters – even Eva. Dale Chihuly reference is one of the few times she gives herself away as the narrator in the story--a very northwest touch, as is calling chickpea curry Gughni( a very Bengali touch).
This is a felt story-- the opinions and ideals and the depictions, including the death of the past experienced by the immigrants seem, to come from her heart.
As I read the book, I compared it to another book set in similar environs 'Inheritance of a Loss'. Though both stories contained somewhat eccentric characters, what made Kiran Desai's book a tight narrative-- no gratuitous references, no lengthy explanations of seemingly strange behavior and dialog, plague this book by Ms Kirchner. The details on tea and tea estates are a great education. Read it, however, if you are hungry for authentic Bangla references—and possibly some cooking tips , you won't be sorry.

The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857

By : William Dalrymple


This books is third of a four book series by the author. Although I have not read 'City of Djinns' or the 'White Mughals' I found it easy to follow. Years of force fed history lessons about the Muhgal dynasty did help in setting the context.
It is a wordy book, and somewhat tedious to read, interspersed with 'quotes' which, though lend it an air of authenticity -- become an impediment to the reading process.
The book is titled - 'Last Mughal', but really it is about the last decade of Zafar's life with a blow by blow description of the 1857 rising in and around Delhi. The authors ambivalence about who to make the centerpiece of the book ( the mutiny or Zafar) makes it a somewhat rambly.
It is full of detailed depictions of the people around the Emperor, the City ( Delhi) and the siege and the fall of the city to the the 'Sepoy's' and ultimately the British. The description of the city and the culture before 1857 destroyed the city is amazing in the quality of research and attention to detail.
The book provides a different view into the cause of the mutiny, the rising 'evangelical' element of the British occupation which stoked the religious ire of Hindu's and Muslim's alike. What happened after in the next century with the widening chasm between Hindu's and Muslims in the country leading to partition and creation of Pakistan is there for all to see.

Nothing threatens the liberal and modern aspect of Islam so much as aggressive
Western Intrusion and interference in the East, Just as nothing so
dramatically radicalises the ordinary Muslim and feeds the power of the extremists: the
histories of Islamic fundamentalism and Western imperialism have,
after all , often been closely and dangerously, intertwined..

It is a new look into the battle, and an interesting insight into a society where Muslims ruled the predominantly Hindu Indian sub-continent.

Today, West and East again face each other uneasily across a divide that many
see as religious war ... Against this bleak dualism , there is much to value in
Zafar's peaceful and tolerant attitude to life; there is so much to regret in
the way that the British swept away and rooted out the late Mughal's Pluralistic
and philosophically composite civilization.

Imperial Life in the Emerald City

By : Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Interesting and a somewhat chilling account of what happened in Iraq. The book is written very well, reads like a story, author's wry sense of humor permeates the narrative. The details take over the tale, but the overall picture if one takes a step back to consider - is scary-- it really happened!
Reminds me of the adage- ' good intentions do not sanitize bad impact' and this was terrible impact!