Journal Entry 1 by tangledthreads from Derby, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Steeped in Indian mythology, this is a story of love, grief, discovering roots, and coming home. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, I quite enjoyed it but also it didn't quite touch me. By the end, I thought it was trying to be deeper than it needed to be.

Reading the acknowledgements you can see that the author was working through his own family history/demons in some ways, and that does make me like it more.

I will release this book into a bookray at some point in the near-ish future. Please PM me if you are interested, and I will make it sooner rather than later.

A Couple of Books with Similar Themes:
Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Salt and Saffron by Kamila Shamsie 

Journal Entry 2 by tangledthreads from Derby, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 21, 2004

I am starting a bookray to release this book – please send me a Private Message including your screen name and country if you would like to join (please specify if you are NOT willing to ship overseas).

*I will make a list below of members in the order the book will travel (this may be amended later depending on shipping preferences/location etc).

*The current and previous owners of the book will be shown on the list in bold, with the current owner also marked with an arrow (>).

*Please make a journal entry when you receive the book, then read, review and release the book within 1 month of receiving it, to keep the circle turning.

*When you are ready to release the book, send a PM to the next member on the list asking for their postal details.

*When the last person on the list receives the book, you can keep or re-release it as you prefer!

BOOKRAY MEMBERS
1. TangledThreads (UK – will ship internationally)
2. GlasgowGal (UK – will ship internationally)
3. robert-walker (UK – will ship internationally)
4. Zarylia (Poland or USA - will ship internationally)
>5. vicki9170 (USA – will ship internationally)
6. morpha (USA - will ship USA, Canada, Mexico)
7. spaceystacey (USA - will ship internationally)
8. caligula03 (USA – ship internationally)
9. BecFromMD (USA - will ship internationally)
10. lauraloo29 (Canada - will ship internationally but prefer US/Canada if possible)
11. adah-price (USA - will ship internationally)
12. Ramya (USA)
13. TramGirl (Australia - will ship internationally)
14.

(Shipping order not yet finalised so above sequence may/will probably change)
 

Journal Entry 3 by tangledthreads at In the hands of Royal Mail! in -- By post or by hand --, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, February 02, 2004

Released on Monday, February 02, 2004 at In the hands of Royal Mail! in Postal release, England United Kingdom.

Forwarded to GlasgowGal, the first member of this bookray. Hope you enjoy it! 

Journal Entry 4 by BC-08041015142 on Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Received in the mail this morning. This is now 2nd in my TBR pile.
Thanks tangledthreads!

:-) 

Journal Entry 5 by BC-08041015142 on Saturday, February 14, 2004

This is, overall, a lovely book. In places I found the writing confusing - especially when the story is being told by different people in different ages. The author does not always make it clear when the narrator changes or when the time the story is set changes. I also agree with tangledthreads in that although I enjoyed the book, it didn't quite "get" to me - and in places was trying to be deeper than the author could handle. In places it felt a little slap-dash as though the storyline hadn't quite been thought through clearly before writing.

I've written the next bit in white as it reveals some of the storyline, so highlight the text with your mouse to read it.

* I really didn't see the point of the character Kay. Surely if you find out your family isn't your family like Val did, you wouldn't go on a personal journey of discovery with a stranger you pick up in a foreign city. This part of the book just didn't gel for me and I felt as a result I didn't get to know Vel as well as Swati. The background of her alcoholic mother and violet father was just an unnecessary distraction in my opinion. I think the story would have been better if Vel had had a "signigicant other" to take with him from NY to share the experience. *

I did enjoy this book though, and I think it's possibly a book I would like to re-read at some point in the future. It's definitely a story that I could probably get more out of next time round. I think I would possibly even enjoy it more as a re-read.

I already have robert-walker's address, so I'll be popping this in the post to him on Tuesday. 

Journal Entry 6 by BC-08041015142 at ... by mail :) in Sent to a fellow BookCrosser, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, February 16, 2004

Release planned for Tuesday, February 17, 2004 at ... by mail :) in Sent to a fellow BookCrosser, Bookring Controlled Releases. 

Journal Entry 7 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Arrived this morning (thanks GlasgowGal) will start to read this afternoon. 

Journal Entry 8 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 25, 2004

I can only echo the thoughts of GlasgowGal, i enjoyed reading this book but at times, especially the first half of the book which deals with Swati's journey home,the meeting of his old play-friend, and the stories he learns thereafter of his ancestors, a little lon-winded at times, and i felt that the the book didn't quite gel. But then i felt that with the Swati's cousin, Vel, and his discovery and subsequent journey home, that we didn't quite learn enough about him. And the character of kay just wasn't needed.
But overall an enjoyable read once you're through the first hundred pages or so.

I will now forward the book to Zarylia. 

Journal Entry 9 by R-W from Rotherham, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, March 01, 2004

Mailed today to Zarylia 

Journal Entry 10 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Monday, March 15, 2004

Warsaw/Poland - Just got this in the mail today, what a lovely surprise! I'll probably be getting to it at the end of the week as I've got another bookring to finish first. Thanks for sending it to me robert-walker! 

Journal Entry 11 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Warsaw/Poland - Seems like we all got the same feeling from the book. I really loved the descriptions and all the mythology was great but at times I was left thoroughly confused and tempted to start a family to tree to figure out how everyone connected. And maybe it's just me but Swati didn't seem as grief-stricken as someone who has just lost their wife might be...but that's just me. On the whole I really did like it though and would, as GlasgowGal said, be tempted to re-read it again some time.

I'll be passing this on to vicki9170 as soon as I get her address. 

Journal Entry 12 by Zarylia from Saint Paul, Minnesota USA on Sunday, March 28, 2004

Warsaw/Poland - Sent it off to vicki9170 on Thursday. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 13 by vicki9170 from Saint Petersburg, Florida USA on Friday, May 07, 2004

received today 

Journal Entry 14 by vicki9170 from Saint Petersburg, Florida USA on Saturday, July 09, 2005

Loved this, thanks for sharing. Mailing out on Monday to Morpha 

Journal Entry 15 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Book has arrived. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 16 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Monday, September 26, 2005

I'm going through a lot of stress right now in my life and this book is just too heavy for me. I'll try readin g a few more pages but I've contacted the next person on the list and will most likely release it to her without finishing the book. 

Journal Entry 17 by caligula03 at on Monday, September 26, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (10/16/2005 UTC) at

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing to BecFromMD. 

Journal Entry 18 by BecFromMD from Washington, District of Columbia USA on Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Sorry for the delay "catching" this. It arrived last week and I've just started reading it. Thanks tangledthreads!

12/21/05 update:

I just finished this. I found it somewhat disappointing. The plotlines were interesting; I guess the writing was just a bit too contrived for my taste. Thanks for sharing, anyway!

Will contact the next person for an address and send this out as soon as possible. 

Journal Entry 19 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Arrived today. I have a couple of books before it, but I'll keep it moving. Thank you. 

Journal Entry 20 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Monday, January 09, 2006

I've been trying to read this book. Every time I pick it up and start to read, I have this incredible urge to put it down and take a nap. Not going well. I may try to read this again at some other point. For now, I'll pop it in the mail to the next person next Monday, January 16th. Thank you for sharing! 

Journal Entry 21 by adah-price from St. Louis, Missouri USA on Saturday, March 25, 2006

Recieved a couple weeks ago--currently reading. I started it when first got it--but somehow got side tracked. I'm looking forward to reading it--the first couple pages took my breath away...actually made me cry was so sweet (not an ooey gooey kinda sweet).

(Swati is in an airport, he drops his beloved...some of her ashes fall out. As he's collecting, with a police man, who suggests he check his wife. To which Swati says "It is the last journey we will be taking together.")