'Your child is missing - presumed dead.' Hours after receiving the phone call that every mother dreads, Alida Salter flies to India to search for h...
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May 18, 2009
Christine
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Clare Jay’s Breathing in Colour ( Piatkus, Little, Brown Book Group, March 2009) weaves together threads from many disparate areas of life – dreams, travels,the creative mind, family dynamics, memory, and relationships between men and women. The story, which takes place in the UK and India, blends the characters’ dreams into the narrative with seamless artistry, no easy task (which I know from my own experience of including dream imagery in my writing).
Throughout the course of the no More...
Throughout the course of the no More...
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Jan 23, 2010
Heather
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I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy the style of writing of this book about the dysfunctional relationship between a 37 year old mother,Alida and her 18 year old daughter, Mia. Their past relationship is explored from each ones perspective when Alida flies from London to India in search of Mia who has gone missing whilst backpacking. Mia has synaesthesia, and Clare Jay has incorporated this both from Mia's perspective as well as Alida's understanding of this to create a read rich in sensory st
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Feb 24, 2011
Aileen
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Alida Slater receives a phone call in the middle of the night to say her Daughter has not been seen for some time, and she may be dead, her Daughter is backpacking in India.
Alidia flies to India, although her Ex-Husband Ian tries to talk her out of it.
Mia has Synaesthesia (when the senses get cross wired) we find out that Alida and Mia have had a hard relationship in the past, she manages to get help from one of Mia’s friends Taos, but do they find her?
The book has beautiful de More...
Alidia flies to India, although her Ex-Husband Ian tries to talk her out of it.
Mia has Synaesthesia (when the senses get cross wired) we find out that Alida and Mia have had a hard relationship in the past, she manages to get help from one of Mia’s friends Taos, but do they find her?
The book has beautiful de More...
Jul 28, 2011
Melanie
rated it: 
A good heartwarming story. Alida is trying to find her missing daughter Mia, who was last seen backpacking in India. Clare Jay takes us into the world of a synaesthesic - someone who has mixed senses and sees in colour. As we journey through the story we learn more about the relationship between mother and daughter and realise that a previous tragedy has blighted their relationship. As the sights, sounds of smells of India are brought to life, we realise that everything hinges on Alida's forgive
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Apr 27, 2009
Yasmin
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This book is the best I've read in a long time! Loved everything about it, the author has done lots of work on lucid dreaming according to her website www.clarejay.com and the dream imagery in the book is beautiful and emotive and doesn't detract from the story at all, far from it. I found it enriched my own dreamlife!
Similarly the synaesthesia the daughter has lifts the narrative into the most amazing sensory perceptions, it's as if you can taste the words. The plot gripped me from More...
Similarly the synaesthesia the daughter has lifts the narrative into the most amazing sensory perceptions, it's as if you can taste the words. The plot gripped me from More...
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Jun 20, 2010
Bryan
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An outstanding book by a new author. Vibrant brilliant flowing text about a girl, Mia, who suffers from synaesthesia - a condition where the senses are mixed up- sound is colour / taste and those who have this condition see different colours and patterns. Mia is travelling in india and her mother gets a call to say her daughter is missing, and so she goes out to find her.
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Apr 25, 2009
K
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I so wanted to love this because I love the cover, the author sounds lovely on her website and India is fascinating to say the least.
I did find the sections describing India and the love relationship enjoyable, but I found the lucid dreaming stuff quite labourious and the premise rather silly.
So slightly disappointing on the whole.
I did find the sections describing India and the love relationship enjoyable, but I found the lucid dreaming stuff quite labourious and the premise rather silly.
So slightly disappointing on the whole.
Feb 18, 2011
Ratesjul
rated it:
I really enjoyed this, what with the rich language and the elements of treasure hunts, and the awful realisation near the end that there is a deadline, and it's going to be very very close. The exploration by both key characters into moments of their past is very well handled, and everything just adds to the story as it unfolds.
Dec 27, 2009
Kate
rated it:
Absolutely amazing book. Not only because the protagonists (a mother and daughter) are synesthetes, but because the lyrical, lush writing is perfect for the story and the setting. I loved the characters, and had to slow myself down to savor the writing, as I wanted to know what happened next!
Jan 07, 2012
Kate
rated it:
What a lovely emotive read. This is a story about the pain and seemingly interconnected ecstasy that arrives the moment we give birth.
Clare Jay has captured many of those fleeting thoughts and feelings that occur during ones lifetime. I often attempt to journal but it seems to come out stilted and not convey the mind images and experienced emotions. This clever lady has captured those feelings and put it all in this delightful read - wow!!
Obviously my story and the disap More...
Clare Jay has captured many of those fleeting thoughts and feelings that occur during ones lifetime. I often attempt to journal but it seems to come out stilted and not convey the mind images and experienced emotions. This clever lady has captured those feelings and put it all in this delightful read - wow!!
Obviously my story and the disap More...
Feb 26, 2010
Kim
rated it:
What a beautifully written book. The language used is just so gorgeous and sumptious and tangible.
It felt like a decadent experience even if the basis of the story, once revealed and confirmed did make me cross.
I am glad I read it though and would recommend it.
Jun 20, 2010
Spoon
rated it:
Gorgeous, well worth a read! India, synaesthesia, a strong mother-daughter relationship, the daughter goes missing while backpacking and the mother sets off to find her...
Apr 26, 2009
Excellent book! Read in a day! The descriptions are mind boggling and makes you see, taste and smell in such a vivid way!
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Dec 22, 2010
Sadie
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Sooo good. Swept me away, have only just finished and still wiping tears from my eyes!!
May 08, 2010
Anna
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it was a very intersting book. colorful. different. full of thoughts, memories and life. disturbing but beautiful.
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Oct 25, 2009
Jo
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Every parents nightmare, a phone call late at night and your world falls apart. When Mia Salter goes missing in India, her mother Alida feels that she can find her and bring her home. Using her maternal instinct and a smattering of clues her journey begins. Beautifully descriptive, this story just warms your heart.
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Jan 21, 2012
Michaela
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I had to finish this book in 1 way, it was gripping, amazing story of a mother looking for her daughter lost in India when backpacking is revealling the old family secrets...
Nov 01, 2010
Emese
rated it:
The original idea was great, so I expected more from this book. For the love of me, I could not sympathize with the mother.
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