Koul"s writting engaged all my senses. Reading the memoir I felt as if I was a part of Kashmir. The landscape, food, people, and culture were written about so wonderfully that they jumped of the page and became a part of my reality.

I've rarely read books about India. The only history I've read of India was "Freedom at Midnight" by Larry Collins & Dominic Lapierre [1975] describing the partition of India and the end of the British Raj. Little did I expect that thirty years later there would still be war in India.
I enjoyed learning of Kashmir and I enjoyed the insight into women's lives. I know three women born and raised in India, one Hindu, one Moslem and one Christian. None of these women are from Kashmir. I would consider them "pussy cats' not "tiger lady's". All of these women are peaceful and accepting of different cultures and values. From my experience of these women I do not understand how the war can occur. I found it heart breaking that such a unique and vibrant culture no longer exists. I was impressed by the courage of the author and her grandparents. I am greatful that she wrote this testament to her culture before it was lost and forgotten forever. I passed the book to a family member in British Columbia.