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| (Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!) |
In the spirit of Khaled Hosseini, Nadia Hashimi and Shilpi Somaya Gowda comes this powerful debut from a talented new voice—a sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends in Mumbai, India, whose lives converge only to change forever one fateful night.
India, 1986: Mukta, a ten-year-old village girl from the lower caste Yellama cult has come of age and must fulfill her destiny of becoming a temple prostitute, as her mother and grandmother did before her. In an attempt to escape her fate, Mukta is sent to be a house girl for an upper-middle class family in Mumbai. There she discovers a friend in the daughter of the family, high spirited eight-year-old Tara, who helps her recover from the wounds of her past. Tara introduces Mukta to an entirely different world—one of ice cream, reading, and a friendship that soon becomes a sisterhood.
But one night in 1993, Mukta is kidnapped from Tara’s family home and disappears. Shortly thereafter, Tara and her father move to America. A new life in Los Angeles awaits them but Tara never recovers from the loss of her best friend, or stops wondering if she was somehow responsible for Mukta’s abduction.
Eleven years later, Tara, now an adult, returns to India determined to find Mukta. As her search takes her into the brutal underground world of human trafficking, Tara begins to uncover long-buried secrets in her own family that might explain what happened to Mukta—and why she came to live with Tara’s family in the first place.
Moving from a traditional Indian village to the bustling modern metropolis of Mumbai, to Los Angeles and back again, this is a heartbreaking and beautiful portrait of an unlikely friendship—a story of love, betrayal, and, ultimately, redemption.
my thoughts:
What an emotional read! I absolutely fell in love with The Color of Our Sky by Amita Trasi. My heart broke, wept, soared, and laughed over this unforgettable tale about the value and depth of friendship between Tara and Mukta. Born in India, each girl comes from a different caste system. Tara enjoys the riches of the Brahmin caste (the upper echelon of the caste system) in spite of her parents' marriage (their families did not approve); while Mukta's mother is a temple prostitute (which means that she will have to become a temple prostitute). The two girls meet and become best friends when Tara's father rescues Mukta from her dismal future and brings her to his home. Tara isn't surprised that her father has brought Mukta to their home as he is always rescuing orphans. Except instead of staying for a few days, she winds up living with the family for years. One night Mukta is kidnapped and never heard from again. Tara is devastated. Eventually, she moves away to the US with her father. Haunted by the memory of her friend and the role in her kidnapping (sometimes doing nothing is doing something), Tara heads back to India in search of the truth - what happened to Mukta?
Talk about a fantastic debut! The Color of Our Sky showcases Amita Trasi's talent in so many ways. The writing is spot on with its clear, rich prose that sweeps its reader away. The characters are unforgettable - you can't help but befriend them and want to know what will happen to them in the end. They are just so endearing, especially Mukta (she's my favorite!). And the story brings India to life with its rich descriptions of its culture, history, and people. I found the way that Trasi tackled such heavy topics (child prostitution, sex trafficking, caste systems) to be open and honest. It was difficult at times to read about the life that was forced upon Mukta, but it was also important to read about a very real problem. The Color of Our Sky is an important book and a MUST-READ!!
I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for their next great read - you will not be disappointed!
Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Color of Our Sky
4 comments:
How you describe this book as both heartbreaking and unforgettable is how I felt after reading The Kite Runner. I love novels like this. I'm moving this one to the top of my To Read list! Great review. :)
Lark, I've never read The Kite Runner, but would definitely read it now if its at all similar to the feelings that this book gives. I think you'll definitely like this one :) Thanks!!
Wow! This sounds like the kind of book that sucks readers in and doesn't let go even after the book is closed for the final time. What a great read!
Thanks for being a part of the tour.
Heather, thanks so much for having me on this tour!
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