A Bride for Sunil

After a slow start, this book really gets going. The central character, Victoria, is an Anglo-Indian girl brought up in Calcutta in the years after the second world war. She has a difficult relationship with her ailing mother (her father having been killed in the war) who will not seek treatment for health problems and dies leaving Victoria alone and penniless, although with a small flat to live in. She becomes pregnant, then meets the Sunil of the title, who employs her and brings her to England. This seems a rather unlikely scenario, as she has known him for only a week before agreeing to come to England to work for him, but her financial circumstances in Calcutta are dire and by this time she has a two-year old son. Sunil cannot marry her as he is Bengali and must go through with a marriage, arranged by his domineering mother, which is not a success. She does not become his mistress, but outward appearances suggest that she is - for reasons that become apparent as you read on. Years pass and their relationship deteriorates, leading to her moving away and marrying another man - originally not for love... Over the subsequent years, the relationships of all the characters develop in different ways - with some tragic consequences. Definitely worth a read, but this book is in need of some careful editing and proof-reading before publication!

The book begins slow but eventually picks up the pace. The characters and their lives were fascinating to read about. Even if the initial few pages make you want to put the book down, once you get over that portion the book does not disappoint. Definitely worth the time.

An interesting insight into life in India for poor Anglo-Indian girls. After the death of her mother Virginia meets Sunil. There are some interesting twists as the story follows their progress, eventually to England. Who is using who – Victoria needs a protector and provider, Sunil needs to show he isn’t impotent.

Their lives gradually unfold in a linear manner – which is a refreshing change from the jumping forwards and backwards in time.