The Kashmir Shawl
-
-
4.6 • 21 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
The beloved, bestselling author delivers "an epic tale . . . A complicated entanglement of family secrets, love during wartime and dangerous liaisons" (Red Magazine).
"Sorting through her parents' possessions after their deaths, Mair Ellis discovers a Kashmir shawl that once belonged to her Welsh grandmother, Nerys Watkins. Nestled within the folds of this exquisite handwoven piece is an envelope containing a single lock of hair. Curiosity drives Mair to trace the history of the shawl, a quest that takes her from Wales to India. As she pieces together her grandmother's past, the two women's stories intertwine, transporting the reader between the Kashmir of WWII and the present day. The bulk of the novel belongs to Nerys, a missionary's wife whose undemonstrative husband urges her to spend the winter in Srinigar with a friend while he spreads Christianity in remote settlements. Nerys is forever changed in this romantic city, blossoming in an illicit affair while being swept up in the dangerous unraveling of another's. The consequences resurface nearly seven decades later, leaving Mair with a life-altering decision. An avid traveler and thorough researcher, Thomas brings the flavors and colors of India to life with vivid detail and develops characters so real one feels a kinship. An engrossing, intelligent, and satisfying read." —Booklist (starred review)
"Mystery, intrigue, a great love, passion, and a terrible sorrow all come together to make The Kashmir Shawl a very touching and satisfying read." —Barbara Taylor Bradford
"A spellbinding tale . . . Beautifully written, honest and compassionate." —Daily Express
"A superbly written novel, marvelously descriptive and especially evocative of the war years . . . A gorgeous treat." —Choice
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thomas (Lovers & Newcomers), best known as a romance author, weaves a love mystery in her latest work that's light on plot, but heavy on rich characters and scenery. While cleaning out her deceased father's house, Mair Ellis discovers an old shawl that belonged to her grandmother, along with a curious lock of hair. Mair, a single woman who has floated through life, is moved to find out more about the shawl, the hair, and her grandmother Nerys, who once lived as a Christian missionary in India. She travels to Kashmir, where Nerys's story unravels in extensive flashbacks, as her then young grandmother's loves, pain, and enduring friendships take center stage. The premise of an old shawl triggering such an extensive journey is a weak construct and advances the story only at a molasses pace. Moreover, Mair never fully reaches her potential as an interesting protagonist. Though Thomas falls short in providing a present-day storyline, she makes up for it with the compelling, scandalous tale of Nerys in 1940s India, set against the dynamic backdrop of Kashmir.
