This was an entertaining read. Sometimes I am put off by the title of the book, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. It's the story of three sisters, Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina. They all have secrets. They don't really get along with each other. They were raised in Britain, but their heritage is India. Rajni is the oldest (by several years). She has a teenage son who is involved with an older woman in her 30s. Rajni is extremely upset by this news, especially after she finds out she is going to be a grandmother. Jezmeen is an actress. She is having a difficult time getting her "big break" in the industry. She made a huge error in judgement, which is all over the internet. Everyone seems to know about it except her sisters. Shirina lives in Australia with her husband and mother-in-law, who controls her every movement. Shirina chose to enter an arranged marriage and live an authentic India culture-style life. Since Shirina's husband is wealthy, kind, and handsome, Jezmeen and Rajni assume that Shirina is living the "good life".
When the sisters' mother dies, she leaves written instructions to her daughters, asking them to embark on a pilgrimage to India together. She has their trip agenda all prepared, with several stops that have significance to her. She wants them to spread her ashes at one of the locations. Their mother hopes that this pilgrimage will bond her daughters together and that the trip will be meaningful to each one of them since India is their heritage. The sisters feel duty-bound to comply with their mother's wishes, so they each leave their homes (with their secrets) to travel to India.
The trip to India allows all three sisters to think about their own lives and the decisions they have made. Their forced togetherness also gives them a chance to repair their relationships and share their secrets with each other. In the end, blood is thicker than water. I really enjoyed this novel!
Wendy's Rating: ****
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