Kashi by Terin Miller (Book Review- 3.4*/5)!!!

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     5 days ago, I read a book "Dinner Date" written by Ishaan Lalit published by Author's Empire. It was quite an entertaining genre. Just after that I picked up another book by the same publisher "Kashi" written by Terin Miller. I am astonished with the fact that a new publisher like AE has guts to publish books of different genres unlike other publishers who release only one genre i.e. love stories based in Engineering colleges. Starting with this book that I read, Kashi, I would say that the cover page is beautifully done. A woman posing in red saree while its showering over her. Traditional building that ensembles fort in the background. A wonderful attraction that will lead in any reader to pick up the book. I always believe that a book is judged by its cover page no matter what. It is a fact and will remain to be. Haha! Wrong but true! Before starting the review, let's see what's the book about.

Synopsis:- 

Kashi is a tale of clashes of cultures, relationship experiments and religious and moral differences in the holiest of Hindu cities, just at the time Indias second generation of independence comes to adulthood in the form of Sumita Meetha Sharma.

Meetha Sharma, educated, attractive, worldly, the daughter of a wealthy import-export businessman in the nascent new Indian middle-class, desires to be like her American and other expatriate friends. She chafes at old world ideas of behavior and conformity and longs to be seen as an equal in society. But her desires have consequences she doesnt fully realize, especially for the traditional Hindu musician to whom she was promised when she was 13.

A story of a generation of Indians unlike any that has come before themborn in a free and independent country, a country only granted its freedom after much effort and sacrifice by their forebears, a country only granted the opportunity to rise in the world as its former colonial status fades into history.

First self-published in the United States as From Where The Rivers Come, Kashi won in the category of Multicultural Fiction in the Best Books 2010 contest, sponsored by USA Book News.

It has also received honorable mention recognition in Writers Digest 2010 International Self-Published Book Awards, the 2010 Paris Book Festival and Beach Book Festival in the fiction category and the 2009 New York Festival, the London Book Festival and New England Book Festival.

 

   Coming to the review, I must say that the book has an Indian smell into it even when its written by an American Author- Terin Miller. Generally, when you will read an Indian based story written by a Non-Indian, you will find only the poor segment of India being discussed. They will either talk about the poverty, slums or crowded Mumbai Local. This book does not treat India as a country that's dealing with crisis and under-development. It depicts the traditional smell and purity that India and Indians have. The character of Meetha Sharma impressed me more than the protagonist got impressed. :-) Other characters, too, supported the story well. I loved the way Kashi, Benaras, Lucknow and other cities are discussed in the book. The emotions and background of each character is continuously discussed that brings a special effect to the story.

      Let's come to few drawbacks- I felt that the book has more conversation and less description of what's happening. It's story that excites not conversation. I also felt that the author kept the things short rather than discussing it in detail with us. The cost of the book i.e. Rs. 175 is certainly too much. It should not have been more than Rs. 125. I am happy that a different story is out in the market by one of the publishers that generally publishes debutante and as we are quite aware that Indian debutante are only interested in writing their college stories and teenage romances. I give this book 3.4 out of 5. It can be surely read if you love reading foreign speakers speaking about India. 

 Thanks.

 ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!