An Indian's Blog: India Was One, page 16

Review in The Indian Express

Review in India Post

4-stars on Amazon

The book is a tad too slow for my tastes. I would have liked a faster pace and more action. However, the author is an excellent writer. I lived in India for several years and so am familiar with most customs and culture in this book. That may be why I anticipated something more fast-paced. For anyone who has not lived in India, then this is a remarkable book about the world's most remarkable people and culture.

Jai Hind!

4-stars on Amazon

India Was One is not an easy read. It is not a love story, a mystery/thriller an adventure, a travel book or anything that fits into a structured genre. But India Was One is all of those things and so much more.

Looking deeply into the culture and mores of a country that most Westerners don't understand, it takes the reader on a journey that is at once heartbreaking and life affirming. This novel will take you to the heart and soul of both the geographic land that is India and the richly diverse culture that is its people.

While none of us can fully understand a people or a culture unless we are part of it, it does open the doors to more comprehensive knowledge of why India is at a crossroad politically and economically.

But this isn't a history book or a travelogue, it is a story of people who love. Living their lives as all of us do. Working, laughing, joking and taking care of themselves and their families. As they celebrate festivals and buy homes you will see people who are living their lives much as we do. Falling in love as we do.

But there is an undercurrent in this rich and warmly penned story. What if India were divided physically? How would that change the lives of the people of India who live there and the lives of those who now live, work and contribute to so many other countries? Are the cultural divisions that are happening so radically in India akin to a physical division. What if there was a wall or a fence dividing India?

For those readers who want a love story and an understanding of a rich diverse culture India Was One will deliver that with warmth and skill. For those that want to understand why India is at such a cross-roads, why so many people are leaving India and emigrating to other countries you will find many of the answers here.

I am glad I read this novel. It increased my understanding and I enjoyed the story. I was disconcerted all the way through the novel by the italic words explaining every native East Indian term used. It took away from the flow of the novel and if the author really felt it was needed a list could have been added to the end of the novel. Most of the words used are not so difficult to figure out in context and for most readers they are not unfamiliar. Other than that and a few editing errors, it was well written. It does use British English so those readers not familiar with usage and spelling will find some differences but they are minor.

It is high on my recommend list.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Try before you buy!

I may praise highly about my book. I may say that it has been reviewed by 50 readers, and has earned an average of 4-stars rating on Amazon. Or I may say that it has earned a 3.75-stars based on 63 here. However, it’s finally up to you to decide. You may not like it. It is impossible to say why. My style, the subject, the content, etc. It is unfair of me to ask you to invest your time and money in a book you may feel cheated about.

So, why don’t you try it? Download a sample for FREE and see if you think it’s worth your time and money.

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AuthorsDB

Find out more at AuthorsDB

Crossword Bookstore, India

The book is now available at Crossword Bookstore Ltd in India at following locations.

- R-City Mall, Ghatkoper, Mumbai
- Inorbit, Malad, Mumbai.

In addition, it is also available at various locations across the world. To find out more about it, go to www.IndiaWasOne.com/FindOut

Various reviews

• "India was One" is a page turner that I wasn't able to put down. – Reader comments on Amazon.

• From the first page to the very last, I was glued to the book. – Reader comments on Amazon.

• Superb illustration seamlessly depicts the essence of the developing plot! Loved the book.... – Reader comments on Amazon.

• The author has now managed to put India on my bucket list of places to visit. I wish all my geography books had been written like this - I might have learnt more. – Reader comments on Amazon.

• If you are an Indian-American who was born in the U.S. and grew up here, you will also understand a bit more about how your parents and other extended family members from India think. Those who grew up in India will relate to the story and the characters in the story immediately. – Reader comments on Amazon.

• Reading India Was One, was like entering through a hidden portal, the reader is introduced to the rich heritage of India – Reader comments on Smashwords.

• There is growing popularity of South Asian culture and spirituality as evidenced by the growth of Bollywood, Yoga, Curry and Kirtan in the US. Bestselling books like Eat, Pray Love and The Life of PI have capitalized on that interest. In India Was One the author provides the reader with an inside view of that culture. – Reader comments on Smashwords.

• I was touched by the utterly simplistic narrative – both in style and content. It comes straight from the heart and the message is not camouflaged in a verbal cloak. – India Post Review.

• Ultimately, “India Was One” makes a statement about national identity and unity. In an age of separatism and faction, this message is becoming increasingly relevant for both Indians and NRIs – India West Review

• In places the book made me smile and in others it brought tears to my eyes. It evoked my emotions and isn't that what a good book should do? – Reader comments on Goodreads.

• I am Indian by ancestry and though I have never visited Mother India, this book paints very vivid imagery of India. – Reader comments on Goodreads.

Find out more at www.IndiaWasOne.com/FindOut