corner corner One Hundred Shades of White

Medium

One Hundred Shades of White
by Preethi Nair | Literature & Fiction
Registered by libragirl of Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Sunday, April 18, 2004
Average 8 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by sharp-teeth): travelling


This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!

7 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by libragirl from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Sunday, April 18, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Synopsis
A magical mixture of East meets West, mothers in conflict with daughters, and the healing power of food. 'I cannot easily put into words why I told my children their father had died. What was I supposed to tell them? The truth? ''Monu, Mol, your father has had enough of responsibility, he has another family, he's gone, left us.'' Maybe there are one hundred shades for explaining truth, a spectrum from light to dark, depending on the vulnerability of those who have to hear it. Things are not always clear cut, they are not either black or white, life just isn't like that.' Nalini and her two young children are transplanted from luxury in India to the bewildering confusion of London, only to be abandoned by her negligent husband. At first survival is a struggle, but Nalini turns to what she does best: cooking. Her mouthwatering pickles bring financial stability and domestic happiness, as well as affecting everyone who tastes them. Everyone, that is, except for her daughter, Maya. Maya loves fish fingers, burgers and chips. She's not interested in her history; that died with her father. Resisting the pull of her family, she follows her own chaotic journey which will take her back to India before she can face the truth about her parents, forgive them and herself - and admit that lime pickle is delicious, after all.
 

Journal Entry 2 by libragirl from Christchurch, Canterbury New Zealand on Wednesday, September 15, 2004

8 out of 10

This book was finished in a week, it took me a while to get into the story but when I did enjoyed it. A great tale of the relationship of three generations and how people will alter the truth to protect others, only for the truth to finally be told many years later... 

Journal Entry 3 by wingSherlockfanwing from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Friday, September 24, 2004

This book has not been rated.

Book arrived safely in Wellington today 24th Sept, thanks Libragirl.
Will be a few more days before I can start it.

Currently reading "The Prize" by Irving Wallace, an oldie but a goodie about 5 Nobel Prize winners and incorporating a lot of historical detail about Nobel Laureates over time. Quite rivetting, but a big thick book. 

Journal Entry 4 by wingSherlockfanwing from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Friday, October 01, 2004

9 out of 10

I found this book quite rivetting. Libragirl's synopsis is really good and gives a great idea of the contents. The changing relationships between the mothers and daughters; the enthralling comments on the different properties of spices and their effects on moods and emotions was most enlightening; the various moods of the characters and their changing perceptions were all essential elements making this a great read.
Sometimes really good books like this one have rather feeble endings but the end of this one was just so right.
Thanks Libragirl, not a book I'll forget in a hurry.
I'll pmail scorpiosphynx for an address right now. 

Journal Entry 5 by wingSherlockfanwing from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Tuesday, October 05, 2004

9 out of 10

Released by post to Scorpiosphynx yesterday October 5th. Regret to say that I posted it economy mail ($NZ14) so hope it doesn't take too long to get to England. I'm still awaiting a parcel I posted to myself from England on 3 July!!! Very disappointing. It was all books - of course! 

Journal Entry 6 by scorpiosphynx from Didsbury, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Friday, October 15, 2004

This book has not been rated.

this book has come all the way from New Zealand, I am always impressed with the generosity of the Bookcrossers I have dealt with, so thanks to Sherlock Fan for sending it to me, I'm looking forward to reading it very much. It's off to Ebumu next. 

Journal Entry 7 by scorpiosphynx from Didsbury, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 18, 2005

10 out of 10

Brilliant, fascinating, emotional (pass the tissues), riveting & memorable.

Off to New York tomorrow.

Enjoy!

(sorry it took so long, if I had realized how brilliant this book was, I would have read it the minute it arrived!) 

Journal Entry 8 by Ebumu from Ithaca, New York USA on Saturday, January 29, 2005

This book has not been rated.

Received this in today's mail. I often reallly love Indian literature, so I'm looking forward to reading this after I finish another ring book. Thanks for the postcard, scorpiosphynx! 

Journal Entry 9 by Ebumu from Ithaca, New York USA on Thursday, February 17, 2005

8 out of 10

I found this book really heartwrenching. It seemed like every time I thought the book had settled down for some quiet character development, some new heartwrenching thing happened and I needed a bit of a breather. I did quite enjoy the book. If I hadn't liked the main characters it wouldn't have had this effect on my heart.

Nalini's cooking reminded me of Like Water for Chocolate, and also some foodie movie that I can't remember the name of... I like to think about the expressive powers of food. I liked the contrast between Nalini's narrative voice and Maya's.

I don't have a lot else to say about this book, partly because I don't want to issue any more spoilers than I already have. Let me take this opportunity to say that I appreciate bookcrossing. I appreciate the generosity of BXers, and I am thankful that this journaling process encourages me to actually stop and think about books after I've read them.

Mailed to goatgrrl on Feb 22, first class with mermaids. Thanks libragirl! 

Journal Entry 10 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Saturday, March 05, 2005

This book has not been rated.

One Hundred Shades of White arrived in yesterday's mail. Thanks very much, libragirl, for making it available, and thank you Ebumu for sending it along -- and especially for the wonderful mermaid postcard (what a wonderful image with which to be associated -- thanks!). (Scorpiosphynx's postcard is also still travelling with the book -- great photo!).

We are leaving for San Francisco tomorrow morning for six days of R & R, so I think this book will be my holiday read (this may be ambitious -- I see more zinfandel slurping than reading in my immediate future). In any case, I'll try to include a holiday snap in my next journal entry. Thanks again, all! 

Journal Entry 11 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, March 13, 2005

This book has not been rated.

The good news: One Hundred Shades of White got a trip to California's Sonoma Valley (here she is, leaning drunkenly against a fence post at the Kenwood vineyard). The bad news: I didn't read a word while we were away. I'm back home now, and looking forward to getting started on the book some time this week. I promise to have it off to the next reader before too long! 

Journal Entry 12 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, March 16, 2005

This book has not been rated.

I thoroughly enjoyed One Hundred Shades of White. The Indian locale (in the first chapters of the book) and the pickle recipes brought to mind Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things (set in the same Indian state of Kerala, with characters who speak the same language as Nalini), and the characters' experiences in London's east end made me think of Monica Ali's Brick Lane (published the same year as Hundred Shades). Oddly, though I think God of Small Things and Brick Lane are more sophisticated novels, One Hundred Shades of White spoke to me at a far more deeply personal and emotional level – I literally couldn’t sleep after finishing it last night.

I loved the book's emphasis on acceptance and forgiveness – the strong messages imparted from Ammamma to Nalini to Maya through their actions and through the food they prepared (I'm wishing now I made notes about the particular combinations of spices said to assist with truth-telling, forgiveness and the release of anger). And I loved the counterpoint between Nalini's version of events and Maya's – all the subtle differences in memory and perspective the author left to the reader to discern.

I don't agree with Nalini that the truth should be withheld, even if it's likely to be hurtful, since the horrible/wonderful thing about truth is it's always revealed in the end.

Thanks so much once again, libragirl, for making this book available to us – I doubt I'd ever have come across it if not for you! (Funny coincidence: I'm now halfway through your copy of The Whale Rider!) 

Journal Entry 13 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, March 16, 2005

This book has not been rated.

PMd Catwoman this afternoon to request her mailing address. 

Journal Entry 14 by goatgrrl from New Westminster, British Columbia Canada on Thursday, March 17, 2005

This book has not been rated.

Mailed to Catwoman in Sherwood Park, Alberta on March 18, 2005. Happy trails, little book! 

Journal Entry 15 by Catwoman from Sherwood Park, Alberta Canada on Monday, March 21, 2005

This book has not been rated.

This book arrived today. The first thing that struck me is: why does a book with this title have a bright pink cover? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Looking forward to reading it, and will start today. 

Journal Entry 16 by Catwoman from Sherwood Park, Alberta Canada on Tuesday, March 29, 2005

7 out of 10

I liked the switching between perspectives of the two female characters, though I think it would have been interesting to see the events from the son's point of view. Enjoyable read. This book is ready to continue its journey. 

Journal Entry 17 by Catwoman at Campus Copy Centre- Zone Closed. Do not use in Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, April 13, 2005

This book has not been rated.

Released 7 yrs ago (4/13/2005 UTC) at Campus Copy Centre- Zone Closed. Do not use in Edmonton, Alberta Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Dropped off at the OBCZ 

Journal Entry 18 by sharp-teeth from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Friday, April 22, 2005

This book has not been rated.

Wow! I'm so shocked that this book has traveled so far! (I'm still a pretty new bookcrosser - first time I've caught a book with such a history!) It's very exciting and I'm really looking forward to reading it, especially with all the rave reviews. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 19 by sharp-teeth at -- Controlled Release in Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, April 26, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Released 6 yrs ago (4/26/2006 UTC) at -- Controlled Release in Edmonton, Alberta Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 



remove ads?

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.