loved it

Posted on by Palo Stickland

Thanks Helen: I have just finished this gripping book. I have lain in bed, hours after my husband was asleep, just to get to the next part of the story. There was the odd Indian word I did not understand at first but it made no difference to my enjoyment of the book. It was sad to finish it. I look forward to reading more from the author.

Thanks to ‘Wee Bird’: I really enjoyed the way the author creates a family history and makes it so interesting and so riveting to read! It was a surprising ‘page turner’ which appealed to me because the characters were so well written and so absorbing, to such an extent that I became very curious about their lives, worries, traditions, hopes and fears. I learned so much about the ‘culture’ of the time too, but in such a way that it was seemingly an accidental part of the overall story. I really recommend this book!

Thanks to PR: A lovely book, based on fact, and a most enjoyable read. It describes the intertwining of the lives of the characters and the hardships they had to endure. It told me a lot about the history of India prior to Partition and gave much insight into arranged marriages and the love you had to close your eyes to. Where you did what was expected of you for the sake of the family, rather than being allowed to follow your own heart – which left me feeling quite sad. It also shows how sadly value-less a girl-child was.

A book to recommend. I applaud the author.

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Posted on by Palo Stickland

Thank You A J for this – Finding Takri: A beautiful story, beautifully written.

I was surprised and delighted by the story told in this book. A quick read, it held my attention to the end.

I loved the detail of the lives of the women portrayed, the courage and companionship expressed and most of all the gentleness in what seems a harsh environment.

Thank you Juji for this – This book took me by surprise

I was a little doubtful for the first several pages as I got my head around both dialogue, people and places. However, very soon I was engrossed with the story and the characters. It is insightful, heart-warming and often very moving and I found myself gradually absorbed into the extended family, culture, history and country. However, the disclosure at the end has me looking for a significant epilogue!

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Posted on by Palo Stickland

Thank You, scafftag, for this – A journey through life

This is romance in its true, original meaning – a life story, a love story, an intertwining of characters and places and history. It’s well-written (always a plus in my book, I like writers who can write in decent English), expressive, and emotive; you care about the fate of the people in its pages. Deserves to be a runaway bestseller.

Thank You, M.M for this – A wonderful story I could not put down

In many ways this is also a love story, yet – for someone like me who does not like romantic tales, it was unusual.

It was very instructive in terms of how much I learned about the history of India and the Punjab, but at the same time, it was like living someone else’s story and wanting to see how it would end.

I was completely absorbed by it , to the point that I had to take some time off on the Monday to finish it. I have read a lot of books and novels in my life, and often I feel they’re not good enough to keep me reading, that I ‘guess’ what the writer is trying to do.

This was a complete surprise, and I just let the story take me to new places.

When I finished it I realised I was a bit sad because it was over. The last time I have felt like this was when I read The Great Gatsby.

Although it is not poetic in its language, it nevertheless has a few poetic moments that I have underlined. I ended up getting another copy as a gift to my sister as I feel it has to be shared.

Absorbing and enjoyable

Posted on by Palo Stickland

Part biography – of a family and of a nation – part love story, part mystery – told through the tales of women. The crafted and deceptively gentle narrative draws you into the (sometimes brutal to our modern eyes) story of Takri and the women around her, and holds you entwined to the final page. The ideas and images will linger long after the much enjoyed reading of the actual book.

Thank You, Jen – fellow member of Arrochar Book Group 🙂

Finding Takri

Posted on by Palo Stickland

Cover of 'Finding Takri'

My publisher asked, when we’d finished editing, if I was excited but that didn’t happen until my copies were delivered. I had two friends with me on the day the books arrived and we looked at them with genuine delight. I had made a list of everyone I wanted to gift a copy to, and those two friends left with sixteen copies (mainly for a book club). The next day my Befrienders group took twenty-four and this continued for the month of August 2013. It was a great month and I gifted one hundred and fifty-eight copies. The furthest places in the world that copies went, from Scotland, were Shillong near Assam, India, to the east and Reno, Nevada to the west. To the north, the Orkney Isles and to the south, Paris, France. Not bad in a short space of time.

So, what’s it about? Takri is the name of my maternal grandmother, Basant is my grandfather but the third hero of the story, Karam, is entirely fictional. There is a thread of truth running through the narrative but the novel is mainly a work of fiction.

The feedback has been very good and I feel an enormous sense of achievement in a task completed and well received. I feel blessed in having so many friends who had known that I was writing, showed interest in the work as it progressed and took the time to read Finding Takri.