The House of Rani Kapur

This book follows the story of Rani Kapur, the English Teacher's daughter, who was rescued from a ditch following a vicious gang rape. Her rescuer was Harish Hope, and his servant/lover George. She was taken to Hope House where the women nursed her back to health. This house was a brothel and Rani is given the choice of earning money to pay for her keep. We follow her thoughts, her relationships with the people of the house and her new found religion. I quite enjoyed the story but I found the characters a little two dimensional (or at worst stereotypical) which made me feel removed from them and their experiences. A pleasant summer read with an element of fairy tale about it. Original review: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/203589/review/579220

Read this after reading Mr. Gupta's Hardware Store which was excellent. Enjoyed this immensely. I hope it develops into a TV series. Well developed, interesting characters and an excellent time and place to set the story.

I chose this book to read because I am fascinated by other cultures and countries. So one set in India was an obvious choice for me. I wasn't disappointed. It's an easy read in many ways, and straight away you are in India, experiencing the sights, sounds, smells and culture.. I really like the main character - and near the end was the introduction of another character, who is to be one of the main characters in another of the author's books - which I have waiting to be read. I liked this small thread of continuity and connection between the books. If you want a book that pulls you in and along the story, and you're interested in learning more about other cultures, this is certainly worth considering.

The House of Rani Kapur is an utterly gorgeous novel. The writing is beautiful, the setting is vibrant and the characters are all totally unique. It's difficult to go into too much detail without giving the plot away, but it' definitely worth the read!

With such lush descriptions of India, this book places you right into the humble, brutal beginnings of the life of mystical Rani and her experiences first at Harrish House, and onwards through a challenging life. An amazing read! Totally recommended reading!