Serena Singh Flips the Script

Finished December 16

Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli

This novel is a romance, but it also touches on other life issues that give the novel real depth. As the novel opens, Serena is about to start a new job, as creative director for a woman-led advertising agency. She is also immersed in her role as emcee for her younger sister Natasha's wedding. 

Natasha is marrying a white man, who comes from a wealthy family, and the couple will be living in the Washington home of her in-laws. Since the in-laws often travel, and the house is large, they aren't anticipating any issues with sharing the home. 

When Serena first moved into the city from the suburbs she grew up in, she had to save up for a long time to get the rent money and she had to be firm about her decision to defy the cultural norms of living at home until marriage. Serena has no plans to ever marry or to have children. She loves her career and although she's had serious relationships, only one ever threatened to get serious enough to involve marriage, and that one is far in the past. 

When Natasha pushes her towards the attractive photographer doing the wedding photos, Serena is open to dating, but they are both busy and see each other only a couple of times a week. 

Serena is dealing with a new challenging job, a team of staff that report to her, not all of whom are enthusiastic about her hire, and the loss of her best friend, Natasha as she is now busy in her marriage. As Serena explores options for finding friends, from social media apps to clubs and activities, she also finds herself opening herself to the possibility of finding a friend in her daily life. 

It is only gradually that we see what has led to Serena making herself into an independent woman who doesn't need a husband or family, and that we realize that she still has unresolved issues around this area of her life.

I really liked her as a character, and how she is both a successful woman in her career and an empathetic one who cares about her family, friends, and coworkers. She has dealt with men taking credit for her work and has found ways to get past that and shine in her own right. 

Because the setting is in D.C., it was only partway through the book that I realized that the author is Canadian, an added bonus. 

A quick and enjoyable read. 

Victory Colony, 1950

Finished January 3

Victory Colony, 1950 by Bhaswati Ghosh

This historical novel is set in Calcutta, India shortly after Partition. It follows two young people whose lives interact. One of them is Amala, who arrived in the city with her younger brother Kartik as a refugee from East Bengal. They have few possessions and no money, and when Amala looks for food on their arrival, Kartik goes missing. Faced with the threat of police, Amala agrees to join a group of refugees being taken to the Gariahata Refugee Relief Centre. The group of young men that volunteers at the Centre and helps organize the supplies needed includes the second main character, Manas Dutta. Manas is from a good family and near the end of his studies. His father raised him to be considerate of others and encouraged his participation in the larger world. Although his father has passed away, his influence is still strongly felt by Manas. 

Manas lives with his mother and his grandfather in a large, stately home, with a small number of servants who come in for their daily work. But it is a far cry from the situation at the refugee centre, where the housing is temporary, food supplies are limited, as are other amenities. 

As we see Amala grow in confidence, moving through her grief to help others around her, organizing the women in ways to make themselves not only useful but to find ways to bring in some much-needed money, we see her inner strength and goodness. She is a smart woman, who learns quickly and wants to help those around her get ahead as well.

Manas too grows here from a schoolboy doing good deeds, to a man who becomes self-sufficient and starts his life independent of his elders. He is smart as well, and a good organizer and planner, who thinks of trying to make life better for everyone in his world.

I enjoyed see both of these characters grow, both in themselves and in their regard for each other and those that shared their world. I enjoyed Manas' grandfather as well as he came out of his shell of privilege and took the time to learn more about his grandson's friends.

I also learned a lot of Indian phrases and terminology that were conveyed seamlessly here, without the need for a glossary. The author reaches back into her own heritage to create a world I would be interested in following further. A very enjoyable read.

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted

Finished March 2
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted and Other Small Acts of Liberation by Elizabeth Berg

This was a fun read. Stories that shows small acts of liberation by a variety of female characters. The title story is definitely a fun read, and there's another related one, where the same character doesn't eat anything that she really wants to.
There are stories of relationships, aging, loss, friendship, and many other moments that I could definitely relate to. The women here are generally middle-aged. Some are married, some are not. The stories had me laughing out loud at shared experiences, feeling umbrage on behalf of the behaviour of other characters towards these women, and generally enjoying it all.
I always enjoy Berg's books, and this one has a lot to offer.

Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus

Finished August 11
Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus by Joyce Magnin

Harriet Beamer was expecting her son Henry and his wife Prudence just before Christmas, and while preparing the house she fell and hurt her leg. Insisting that she wasn't badly hurt against her daughter-in-law's worries, Harriet agreed to move out to California from her home in Pennsylvania if she had truly broken something. And so the motivation for the plot of the novel is set.
As she is doing the final preparations to give her house up to the new owners and hand over her belongings to the mover, Harriet is suddenly struck by the realization that she has never really been anywhere. Her late husband Max wasn't a big traveller and so they only did an annual trip to the Jersey shore each summer, and she hasn't gone anywhere since his death fifteen years ago. As she packs up her large collection of salt and pepper shakers, she sees that they have all been given to her by others who travelled to these places. And so, she sends her aging, beloved dog Humphrey out to her son by plane and decides to travel west her own way, using local buses and trains as much as possible to see the country.
Henry, more than Prudence, worries about her travelling alone in such a way, but her friend Martha is supportive. As she wanders west, seeing the sights, purchasing more salt and pepper shakers and sending them ahead, and making new acquaintances, Harriet gains confidence, knowledge and rich experiences. She documents her trip in her journal, writing to her late husband there, and relying on a higher power to take her where she needs to go.
This is a novel of faith, of adventure, and of independence. Harriet is a real character, and I enjoyed her moments of discovery, her quiet calmness in adversity, and her sense of adventure.

The Sandalwood Tree

Finished April 7
The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark

This novel takes place in two different times. In 1947, Evie Mitchell is moving to India with her husband Martin and young son Billy. Martin returned from World War II changed, and Evie hopes that this time in India will help bring him back. Martin is an anthropologist and is coming to India on a Fulbright scholarship to research the end of the Raj and Partition. The two met while at University, where Evie was an aspiring astronomer. They come from different background. Martin's parents are Jewish academics and Evie's father is a blue collar Catholic.
In the small bungalow the two rent near Simla, Evie finds a cache of letters hidden behind a brick in the kitchen. They are dated from the 1850s, and Evie becomes fascinated by the two women who wrote the letters, searching for their story.
Felicity Chadwick and Adela Winfield are the two women, and we learn of their friendship, which began when Felicity was sent to England for her education while her parents continued to live in India. The letters date from when Felicity returned to England as a young woman.
Both time periods are ones of unrest. In the 1850s, there was the Sepoy Rebellion also known as India's First War of Independence, and upcoming Partition causes great unrest within India.
Evie is feeling lonely and isolated, without even her husband as a real companion. The local British have their own outlook that Evie finds colonial. Her ayah Rashmi, takes it upon herself to offer puja and advice to resolve what she sees are Evie's problems, much to Evie's embarrassment. She explores the local area, despite her husband's concerns, as part of her search for Felicity and Adela's story.
Felicity and Adela are both rebels in their time as well, dreaming of independence and a life without subjugation to a husband. Living on her own in India, Felicity is outside the world of her fellow Britons in many ways.
In both time periods, it is a crisis situation that changes how the women interact with those around them, bringing them closer and changing their relationships with those around them. I liked the independent spirit and curiosity displayed by the characters and their growth over time.

The Life List

Finished August 23
The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman

This novel is set in Chicago. Brett Bohlinger has grown up in a privileged family, her mother running a multi-million dollar cosmetics company. Her mother has recently died and Brett is hit hard by the loss. She fully expects to take over as head of the company, but it turns out that her mother had other things in mind.
Back when she was fourteen, Brett has made one of the lists that many of us have made listing all the things she hoped to do in her life: things like have children, learn languages, go places, etc. Brett had long forgotten this list, but her mother had found it back then and saved it and now expects Brett to fulfill the goals on this list as a condition to her inheritance. Brett is stunned. She feels her goals have changed radically, but her mother has left her more than just the list. There are messages for every goal she completes, and it turns out that her mother knew her even better than she guessed.
This is a feel good book despite the fact that it starts with a major loss, and I would call it a coming of age book even though Brett is in her 30s. Sometimes we need to be reminded of our hopes and dreams, because we have got off course somewhere along the way. Women, particularly, have a tendency to please others at the expense of our own needs, and sometimes lose the confidence we had when we are young to try new things and take risks. This book reminds us that sometimes we need to take those risks if we want the reward of happiness or just greater self knowledge.

Looking for Me

Finished August 14
Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman, read by Jenna Lamia

This book is the story of a woman from her childhood, through to her thirties. Teddi grew up in rural Kentucky, on a small family farm with her parents and younger brother Josh. Very early on she developed an interest in making objects nice, and had an eye for furniture. She began finding pieces, doing work on them and selling them by the side of the road. She knew she wanted to find a way to do this for a living, and relying on the one contact she had in distant Charleston, she makes her way into a career that fits her.
Her younger brother has always been attuned to nature, and, following an incident with animal cruelty leaves home suddenly. Teddi's search for her brother has been a constant in her life for years, and despite everything she still lives in hope that he is out there somewhere. Meanwhile, though, her life in Charleston goes on, and she finds that if she wants happiness, she must let her brother go and live for herself.
A story with a strong female character, with a good storyline, and a bit of romance. Very enjoyable.