There are some books that I re-read every few years, and always with undiminished pleasure. As it so happens, several of them are about India, some of them my ritual pre-monsoon, hot-weather reading. Kim. Heat and Dust. And, of course, “Chasing the Monsoon“, Alexander Frater’s marvellous travelogue about following the …
This book is a smashing follow-up to the wonderful “Midnight at Malabar House” which introduced us to the feisty Persis Wadia, India’s first female detective. “The Dying Day” is every bit as engaging and clever and if, by a strange oversight, you were not immediately a die-hard Persis fan after …
Disclosure time. Like the author, Mr. Harris, I, too, am a “firangi” (foreigner) married to an Indian, and based in Delhi. Like the author, Mr. Harris, I, too, am a runner – this piece of information will make sense anon. I haven’t met Mr. Harris, by the way, but we …
Over 120 years ago, an intrepid British woman lived in the hills of north east India, where her husband was a British officer. Connie Shakespear kept a detailed diary of her time in the Naga hills, which has just been published by Highlander Press, giving us a fascinating insight into …
Wilting in Delhi’s fearsome summer heat and humidity, and still wary because of the pandemic, I am currently on a mountain reading binge, trying to imagine/will myself out of the heat and up into the hills. Of all the books I’ve read of late, this one might just be my …
Quick aside, before I begin this review. Since the pandemic started, I find myself increasingly drawn to non-fiction and the more adventurous the book, the better. Doesn’t take much deduction to conclude that I am missing travelling and especially being in the mountains, and so am compensating, by reading tales …
The third in the delightful Parveen Mistry series takes us into the heart of early 1920s Bombay, as the emerging Indian independence movement sees protests and riots over the visit of the Prince of Wales and the future colonial ruler. It is an inspired choice by Ms Massey to make …
This is the second book by Mr. Horrell that I have read in as many weeks, all part of my “trying to escape from lockdown tedium” strategy, and it has certainly worked, firing me up with all kinds of crazy plans to Go Forth And Conquer. The book tells the …
This book about trekking and climbing in Nepal is a fun, non-technical read, and you can almost hear the relaxed voice of the author, Mark Horrell, as he recounts his adventures climbing Mera Peak. Apparently Mr. Horrell writes a diary every evening during his trekking and climbing trips, which accounts …
