A terrific read a book so well written,a story that drew me in, this is a multi layered thoughtful novel that is a special read with characters that come alive and keeps you involved till last pages,#netgalley#bookouture

This is a heavy book. It’s heartbreaking but still in turn a moving book. It’s definitely not a light and fluffy book but it’s vivid, with amazing characters who were very well developed who kept having to overcome adversity. If you want a super cheerful book, this isn’t for you but if you want a book that’s well written and truly makes you think and appreciate the characters, this is a great read.

I was enchanted by this book! It’s a delightful read that will have your emotions all over the place and maybe even shouting out what you think at the end. It makes for a nice read if you wish to get away from the cold and imagine a warmer climate. A nice winter read really :) the writer paints a graphic book that is easy to image as though you are standing right next to the characters!

I do not usually read sad books, in fact, I actively avoid them. However, I love historical fiction so I decided to pick this one up. It was kindly given to me as an ARC through NetGalley, but all opinions are my own. I am so glad I decided to read this. This book is so stunningly tender and beautiful, all mixed in with some seriously tragic and heart-wrenching events. 
This story follows two women in colonial-era Amsterdam, and later Batavia. It deals with some heavy themes such as sexism, colourism, homophobia, sexual assault and slavery. A warning, this book may be extremely triggering to some. I found the use of tragedy a little overwrought in this book, as some of the later events lost their impact as I had already been exposed to so much of the terribleness occurring at that time. However, I do think it added to the realism of the book - a lot of historical fiction writers tend to gloss over some of the more unsavoury aspects of this particular era, and I appreciate Rajaram's ability to include the horrors of slavery, malnutrition/disease and the position of women in society without flinching. 
Rajaram is an extremely skilled writer, and I love her writing style. I was extremely surprised to find out that this was her debut novel. Initally, I found the interspersion of Dutch and English words a little distracting, but I soon got used to it. Her character development is stunning, and the book as a whole is extremely character-driven and not much focus is given to the intricacies of the plot. I do think that there could've been more focus to the plot as a whole, but I hardly noticed while I was reading. 
Jana's relationship with the different masculine and feminine influences in her life was especially intriguing to me, and I found myself resonating with a lot of her thoughts and feelings throughout the book, as I'm sure will be the case for most women who are marginalised by society. The themes of sisterhood and female love were so present in this book and I found it very moving. I found myself especially attached to the characters of Madaleen and Griet, and I thought the character-development was the main strength of this book.
I would give this book a 4.25/5 overall. Rajaram is an exceptional author and I am excited to see what she releases next!