"A murder on Malabar Hill" by Sujata Massey

"A murder on Malabar Hill"

By Sujata Massey

India in pre-independence era, where women barely get basic education is the setup of this story.  Story of a woman who leaves her husband and becomes the first woman lawyer of India.  Her fling, her trust, her faith, the cheating and her bravery is impressive.  Frankly I would call this a complete Bollywood masala story with all the elements - love, romance, treachery, Britishers, Religion and obviously murder.  The biggest plus for me in this book is the time in which it is set - the 1920's.  You get to read about the culture and practices followed in that time.  

When you read such books you actually realize how far the women of this country have come in terms of rights and freedom.  Today we have a right to chose whether it be education, travel or clothes.  It is indeed due to the hard work of women in those times, the ones who took bold steps and fought with the world to ensure today's women get rights in future.  The character of Parveen is my favorite character since some time.  The book also provides lot of information related to Parsi culture and practices around the time period in the country.  

"To the power of Women" - rightly said so by Parveen and Alice in the book.  It is because of women like her that today we enjoy equal rights in this country.  The cheating by her husband makes Parveen more strong and she moves forward and ahead to make her own life.  Such books must be read by all young girls and set as an example.  

Overall Rating: 3.5

Grip Factor        : 3.5

Writing Style     : 3.5

Engaging Plot    : 3.5

Characters          : 3.5

Satisfying End   : 3.5

Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3009601267

  

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

"The Book Thief"

By Markus Zusak

The book is about a little girl, the one who loses her brother and mother but saves herself by stealing books and reading.  The book tells us about her foster parents, her brother, her friends and all events which help her live in the Nazi Germany. This is not only the story of the girl but so much more, it is about Nazi Germany, it is about the story of Jews and Germans during war.  So many stories are brought in together by the writer and told by the eyes of the little girl.  Those are the times where there is death everywhere and who better to narrate it but death itself. 

This book presents a different world to you - a world torn by war, a world where communist and Jews have their lives snatched from them.  This is a world where Germans are living in poverty, on rations.  So many families are eating less to allow the country to fund the war.  Fathers and sons are taken away to fight and no one knows when and if they will be back.  People are angry but cant say anything as there will be repercussions. All this while this little girl is finding the magic of words.  Her reading has brought comfort to a lot of people - her father who teaches her to read, her neighbor who opens up her window to allow her to steal from her library, her immediate neighbor who listens to her reading, the Jew who is hidden in her house and the whole street who listens to her readings at the time of air raids.

Words give her comfort specially when she is writing her story.  As she herself says - "I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right".  There are many places in the book where the author has given us a peek into the future as in what is coming up further in the book. That gives us something to look forward to all the time.  The way the narrator describes war here is so different.  It does not hold life for anyone, it is just there.  "War is like a new boss asking you to "Get it done", "Get it done".  You work hard and hard but never receive anything in the end.  It just keeps asking for more."

Unfortunately her hunger for words are what lead to the end of the world in her story.   

Overall Rating: 4.5

Grip Factor        : 4
Writing Style     : 4.5
Engaging Plot    : 4
Characters         : 4.5
Satisfying End   : 4

GoodReads review:   https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3139403049