The Book of Everlasting Things, by Aanchal Malhotra (2022)
Samir Vij was a 10-year-old Hindu boy living in Lahore, Hindustan in 1938 when he first met Firdaus Khan, a young Muslim girl. Samir was born into a family that made perfumes and Firdaus’ family were calligraphers. They were born in a time when their country was under British rule, but families of the various religions lived side-by-side. Their fathers become friends, and Samir learns calligraphy from Firdaus’ father. Samir and Firdaus become fast friends and soon fall in love.
On Samir’s 10th birthday, he was given a bottle of ittar by Uncle Vivek, who operates the family’s perfume atelier. Samir has been blessed with a keen sense of smell that will be an asset when he enters into his family’s business. He is moved to tears as he inhales the essence of the tuberose ittar given to him by his uncle.
Firdaus’ father, Altaf Khan, is a master calligrapher and teaches the art to young students, including his daughter, whom he wants to be educated. When Samir joins Altaf’s classes, he also gets to spend time with Firdaus.
Ten years later Samir and Firdaus hope to plan a life together. In 1947, however, the plan to Partition the Indian subcontinent is put into force. Suddenly, what the citizens have considered to be Hindustan, is now Pakistan and India. Lahore is now Muslim Pakistan. Immediately tensions arise between the Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs. Overnight, Samir’s neighborhood was burned to the ground. Samir’s family is all killed in the fire. Only Samir survived, and with him a few family artifacts, including numerous journals from Vivek’s experiences during World War I. Samir went to Altaf, hoping to live with the Khan family, but Altaf rejected him.
On his own, Samir has no desire to relocate to India, instead finding his way to Paris, France. He chose Paris because that was where his Uncle Vivek learned the art of perfume and where he fought during the First World War. He never stops thinking of Firdaus but eventually he met and fell in love with Léa. They marry and have daughter. Meanwhile, back in Lahore, Firdaus entered into an arranged marriage. Each goes on to a separate life, but they never truly stop loving each other.
[Spoiler alert: Before the Partition, Samir created a special perfume for Firdaus from the tuberose. He never knew until decades later that Firdaus was unable to smell certain scents, thus could never truly appreciate the perfume that he made for her.]
The author beautifully describes the city of Lahore. One can feel the city through the writing. The author carefully details the methodology of creating the perfumes. One can almost smell the scents as they are created. Additionally, while learning of the perfume trade, I also learned about the Partition that separated India into Hindu and Muslin countries.
This is truly one of the best books I have ever read. It will not appeal to everyone, as many Urdu phrases and words are scattered throughout the book, and the names are not common to the English speaker. Still, I highly recommend this book for its beauty.
5 Stars
Read: February 26, 2023
Murder at the Grand Raj Palace, by Vaseem Khan (2018)
Ashwin Chopra is a retired police inspector who has started his own investigation agency. Somehow, after his retirement, he was gifted with a baby elephant that he named Ganesha. Ganesha follows wither Chopra or his wife, Poppy, everywhere … even to the posh Grand Raj Palace.
The novel begins when art collector Hollis Burbank was found dead in his hotel room with a knife in his chest. He had just outbid a rival collector for a painting by one of India’s most famous artists. The police commissioner is ready to call Burbank’s death a suicide, but the officer in charge thinks otherwise so calls Chopra to assist with the investigation. When the commissioner learns that Chopra has been called in to assist, he quickly tells him to back off the official investigation.
Lisa Taylor, the art broker who convinced Burbank to go to Mumbai for the auction, then hires Chopra to continue with the murder investigation. Lisa is a sexy young British woman who always seems to pop into Chopra’s investigation when Poppy is around. Poppy, who has trying to plan a special 25th wedding anniversary, begins to get jealous.
While Chopra is looking into the potential murder of Burbank, Poppy becomes involved in the wedding plans of two aristocratic families with a decades-long family feud. The two families are ostensibly marrying to protect one family from the brink of bankruptcy. Poppy’s advice to the young bride to follow her heart, leading the bride-to-be to vanish without a trace.
Meanwhile, Burbank, it seems, was a very unpleasant man. No one liked him and he made enemies everywhere he went. Thus, Chopra quickly comes up with a long list of potential killers. The list grows longer when Chopra learned that 30 years earlier, Burbank was known as Roger Penzance and was a chemical engineer at a company involved with a chemical leak. The chemical disaster had been covered up, but some survivors continued to harbor guilt.
This mystery was light-hearted and fun to read. The solution came with a twist, but was very satisfying. This is a delightful little “cozy mystery” that takes place mostly at the Grand Raj Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India. It’s the fourth mystery in the Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation series, although it’s the first one I read. I will definitely go back and read this series from the beginning.
Read: May 18, 2021
5 Stars
The Henna Artist, by Alka Joshi (2020)
At age 17, Lakshmi Shastri left her abusive husband and set off to fend for herself. She had been forced into an arranged marriage at age 15. As was the custom, she moved into her husband’s home. She had a loving relationship with her mother-in-law who taught her traditional herbal medicine. Her husband, however, beat her often, thus, she felt she had to leave him to save her life.
Thirteen years later, she was living in Jaipur, a city in northern India, where she was a successful henna artist. Life was good. She cast herself as a young widow and set up business as a henna artist. She had learned the trade while living in Agra with “pleasure” women. In Jaipur, she had many high-caste clients and was earning enough money to build herself a home. Her intricate designs provided her with top dollar fees. She had visions of contacting her parents and having them live with her.
The husband of one of her clients had many mistresses. Lakshmi supplemented her income selling him and others herbal sachets that would make babies disappear.
One day, out of the blue, her estranged husband appeared at her doorstep with a young girl in tow. Shortly after Lakshmi left her husband, her parents had another child, Radha. Lakshmi had no idea that she had a younger sister, who had been deemed the Bad Luck Girl in her hometown. These unexpected visitors have the potential to turn Laskhmi’s life upside down.
I enjoyed this book. It showed a small slice of life in India in the 1950s and the struggles a woman had while trying to live on her own. The novel’s ending, however, was a bit too pat. Everything was all resolved in an amicable way.
Read: February 6, 2021
4 Stars
