Product Description

An utterly captivating story of three young British women in search of freedom and love in 1920s India

Synopsis

Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naïve bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn t be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom. Each of them has their own reason for leaving their homeland but the hopes and secrets they carry can do little to prepare them for what lies ahead in India.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
"a rich historical novel...a taut, never predictable plot" (audio edition) (SUNDAY TIMES )

"The Orion staff gave this beautifully written book an overwhelming thumbs up, and it isn't hard to see why" (COUNTRY LIFE )

Synopsis
Autumn 1928. Three young women are on their way to India, each with a new life in mind. Rose, a beautiful but naive bride-to-be, is anxious about leaving her family and marrying a man she hardly knows. Victoria, her bridesmaid couldn t be happier to get away from her overbearing mother, and is determined to find herself a husband. And Viva, their inexperienced chaperone, is in search of the India of her childhood, ghosts from the past and freedom. Each of them has their own reason for leaving their homeland but the hopes and secrets they carry can do little to prepare them for what lies ahead in India. From the parties of the wealthy Bombay socialites, to the ragged orphans on Tamarind Street, EAST OF THE SUN is an utterly engaging novel that will captivate readers everywhere.

About the Author
Julia Gregson has worked in women's magazines in the UK, US and the Far East. She has had several serials and short stories published and read on the radio. She lives in Wales with her husband and daughter. This is her second novel.

Customer Reviews

Easy read, not thought provoking
I was looking forward to this book but was disappointed. I found it slow and a little dreary. Very little happens. Not even a great love story. So much of the book was taken up on the boat to India, I kept wondering if they were ever going to get there. After reading so many other gripping books recently, I felt hard done by. I perservered and although it had a pleasant ending, although somewhat predictable, I kept thinking "is that it?" Very easy to read but not at all exciting.

Average!
I have to agree with some of the other reviews in that this book isn't brilliant by ANY stretch of the imagination but neither do I think it is rubbish. I have to say I found the end a bit frustrating - some of the descriptions of things were getting tedious and the plot with Guy Glover was really unnecessary. I felt his character was pointless and the book would have been much better had the author focussed more on Tor & Rose. It is as though the author had run out of steam at the end and just wanted to get it finished.. However if you enjoy a beach book / easy read this may be a good one to take away.

Good til the end
It took me a long time to read this book (due to work stuff), and despite it being very different to the type of book I normally read, I found it quite absorbing. Until the end that is....maybe I should have given more thought to what I expected from the end, as I felt a little disappointed. The story offers a wonderful, generous insight into the lifes of these three women and the language is excellent in parts - particularly when describingthe complex relationships of the characters.

Viva Holloway starts off as a brilliant heroine, but I just feel she ends up massively compromising all she believes in a slightly grand fashion...