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1926, 2000s: Discover the secret of the girl in the painting
The Girl in the Painting
What you need to know before your trail
India, 1926: English Margaret arrives with her new husband Suraj at his family home, set amidst beautiful rolling hills, the air filled with the soft scent of spices and hibiscus flowers. Margaret is unwelcome, homesick and lonely, but her maid Archana, a young woman from an impoverished family, reminds her of her long-lost sister, a tiny glimpse of home in a faraway place.
As Margaret and Archana spend more time together, an unexpected friendship blooms. But in British India the divide between rich and poor, English and Indian, is wide, and the clash between Margaret’s modern views and the weight of tradition on Archana will lead to devastating results…
England, 2000: When Emma’s grandmother gives her a mysterious painting, and asks her to take a message of forgiveness to an old friend in India, Emma is relieved to have some time and space to make a decision about her future. But as she fulfils her grandmother’s wish, a secret kept for over seventy years is finally revealed – the story of a day spent painting by a stream full of water lilies, where a betrayal tore three lives apart forever…
Travel Guide
Travel to India, London and Sussex via The Girl in the Painting
A very interesting story mixing the story of Vanessa Bell, a painter and sister of Virginia Wolfe, to a girl in England who finds a painting, and an Indian girl in a village far far away.
Charleston House – The home of Bloomsbury Art and ideas
The writing is evocative, set at the heart of an Indian village. Sadly the names of villages or even areas of India are few and far between and for the main part are fictional. However, the description of flower, aromas, customs and the sense of community are lovely and evocative. The author explains she made up the villages to be able to mix all the ingredients of the Indian culture she wanted. Well, it’s a very colourful and interesting palette!
The novel also looks at Sati – the practice of a wife sacrificing herself on her dead husband’s funeral pyre.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Girl in the Painting
Destination: India, England Author/guide: Renita D’Silva Departure Time: 1926, 2000s
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