A Classic

Book: India Was One
Rating: ★★★★★
Source: Barnes & Noble, USA

I enjoyed this book. It is a must read from the first page to the last. I cared about the characters. The readers watch as Jai and Kaahi form a friendship that develops into love. The young couple marries and moves to the States. During a tour of Europe they visit their homeland to check on their families. Political unrest tears them apart.

"India Was One" by An Indian is a satisfying read. The author makes the words dance across the page in a way few authors are able to. His manner of description is delightful. I could see the scene as he laid it out before me such as: 'On the edge of the cliff was a makeshift railing of wooden sticks made from fallen tree branches. It looked as if someone had hurriedly built it to warn people . . .' I could see the wooden railing which was actually a pile of tree branches with a few leaves withered and dying, with small stems sticking out haphazardly. This is just one example of An Indian's method of description. His style is simple and yet elegant.

"India Was One" offers readers a glimpse of the culture in a way few Westerners ever can experience. There is much about the country that I never knew or never understood. An Indian obviously wants readers to experience the true India. The exceptional part of this book is that the reader is experiencing the country through the eyes of An Indian. He or she shares a bit of the culture and then explains it. He or she is teaching us the true essence of the country. An Indian has written a book that is unique in genre, for it is difficult to determine where this book would fit structure-wise. "India Was One" is a bit everything rolled into one.

There is something about this tale that leaves me thinking it will be considered a classic.