The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

A moving story of love and loss, The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani is at times a heart breaking book. The book opens with Jaya, a journalist living in New York, who is struggling to come to terms with her third miscarriage and the subsequent damage to her marriage. Despite a difficult relationship with her mother, who she has always found cold and distant, Jaya decides to go to India on her behalf when she learns that the patriarch of the family is dying and wishes to speak to his daughter. Though she arrives too late, she does meet her Grandmother Amisha's devoted servant and over the course of several days he tells her the story of her Grandparents while introducing her to the sights sounds and flavours of her ancestral homeland. As she learns the truth of her grandmother's story set during the last days of British Rule in India she is told a secret that unlocks the truth about her mother's exile and goes a long way to explaining her seeming coldness. It seems like this trip to the past will help to bring about a brighter future for Jaya and all her family.
While the story behind this book may be quite a cliche, and I found it entirely predictable, that did not mean it was not enjoyable. I also know that some of the historical aspects of the story in particular do not ring true, and it is hard to suspend your disbelief enough to really engage with Amisha and her story, but if you are willing to put that aside , you may enjoy this book.
I read and reviewed a copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own,

This was such a beautiful story. The story really sucks you in and is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It was extremely predictable, which did take a little from the story, but overall, I really liked it.

A beautiful, mesmerizing and gripping story told from two different viewpoints. Jaya is searching for the courage to move on with life after yet another tragedy and Amisha is searching for the courage to be with her true love. This book didn't just draw me in it grabbed me and didn't let go.

This was a compelling read.
Told from various points of time, the story moved smoothly.
Very interesting to consider how women’s right have improved in 2 generations. Strong women characters throughout

A difficult read about a woman struggling with her infertility in the wake of multiple miscarriages. I nearly stopped reading at the 25% mark, as I found it painfully real but I"m glad I finished.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful story. I absolutely loved this book. It was like a story within a story, within a story with so many lovely characters.

When Jana finds her world falling apart around her in dealing with her 3rd miscarriage and her broken marriage, she takes the opportunity to go to India to heal. As she finds her way to the village and the house where her mother was born, she meets a man who was a servant to her grandmother. Jana finds out that it was her grandmother, Amisha's dying wish that Ravi, the servant and her friend, share her story with her daughter, or the next best thing, granddaughter. Together they find redemption and healing in one another. Ravidtells a tale of love and courage and reveals her mother's heartbreaking mysterious past.

It's a fantastic story of India's past during World War 1, the people struggling to find their own identity and place in the world, and above all, it's a forbidden love story.

I highly recommend.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

The Storyteller's Secret is a captivating story that grabbed my attention from the first page. The characters are well developed and believable, and I could sympathize with them. I loved the evocative descriptions of the setting in this book, and I was easily transported to India. Highly recommend.

I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a beautifully woven novel. I had a hard time putting it down! The story within a story was lovely and very easy to follow. Jaya's heart was broken, but by going to India and learning of her family's history it helps her rediscover herself and heal.
Amisha is such a strong and independent woman, ahead of her time. She was faced with so many challenges and she overcame them boldly. Her relationship with Ravi was so trusting and forgiving. It was wonderful to see her welcome him into her life and give him a chance. He proved himself worthy time and time again.
This was such a beautiful story. The culture, the history, the family dynamics, and the building of relationships was remarkable.

Good story well told about three women in the US and India. Past and present come together as Jaya looks for healing and a future in the wake of her third miscarriage. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is for fans of women's fiction set in different locales.

I received an eBook from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to do so.

After having 3 miscarriages Jaya’s life and marriage are falling apart. Jaya finds out that her grandfather has requested that her mother goes back to India so that he can give her something before he dies. When Jaya’s mother refuses, Jaya, hoping to get away from her life goes instead not understanding her mother’s refusal to return to India to see her father. When she gets to India she meets Ravi, one of her father’s former servants. From hearing her Grandmother’s story she learns things about her family and herself.
I have mixed feelings about The Storyteller’s Secret by Sajal Badani. On one hand, it it is a fun story to read but on the other it didn't have anything in it that wasn't unexpected. Everything that happened in the novel I saw coming from a mile away and this ruined some of the fun of reading it. For instance, as Jaya learns more about her Grandmother, and in turn her mother, she suddenly forgives her mother for all of her years of distance and apparent dislike of her. I find it hard to believe that this could happen just from learning a few things and having very minor talks with her mother on the phone while she was in India. Wounds like that take longer than a few weeks to heal.
Badani does do a good job of giving the main characters personality. I found myself really enjoying Jaya’s interactions with Ravi and his family. Really, I would read a book that is just about Ravi, he has such a well constructed character and he is so fun to listen to. However, I did have some issues with relating to the characters just because of the subject matter. I’m privileged enough to not know what extreme poverty is like. I haven’t experienced the grief of a miscarriage or divorce. I am glad that can’t relate to those experiences, it just makes it hard to relate to at times. But I did enjoy the characters. Jaya’s husband and her parents could have been developed more, but overall I did like the characters.
The romance is this book annoyed me a little bit. It seemed like the two characters went from hating each other to suddenly loving each other again. This could have been delved into more so it didn’t seem so sudden. Their conversations between each other didn't really hint at the fact that they were ready to make their relationship work. Here again is the problem with things that seem like a huge issue healing over a few weeks times.
If you’re looking for something that would be a quick read without much real sustenance this would be a good book for you. It is definitely not a book for someone who is easily annoyed when they can guess future plot point in a novel.

I am usually prefer suspense books but was wanting a "feel good" book. Boy did this deliver. It was a great story about a woman, Amisha trying to find herself by going back to India where her family came from. Badani does an awesome job describing India and the culture within. I was continuously intrigued. Not very often do my emotions get involved while reading a book but this was definitely a tear jerker.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of the The Storyteller's Secret in exchange for my honest review.

I would give this book ten stars if I could because it is one of the best I have read this year. Jaya and her husband are becoming estranged with each miscarriage. Jaya has not learned much about her mother’s family, and decides to go to India after the death of her grandfather. Jaya meets Ravi and hears the story of her grandmother, Amisha, and begins to understand her own mother and their relationship. Through heartbreak, social issues such as the caste society and a woman’s place, this is a powerful and enduring story. It’s a must read!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel.

This was a duel timeline novel of daughter-mother-granddaugter that takes place mainly in India. I liked how the relationship of these three women unfolded. I also liked how Jaya, present day character, grew and learned from her infertility struggle. I also appreciated the use of Ravi as a strong secondary character. I would recommend this novel for those that enjoy women's fiction dealing with family bonds.

After Jaya painfully endures her third miscarriage her marriage starts to unravel and in an act of desperation, she goes to India to look into her family's past.

There she meets Ravi—her grandmother’s former servant and keeper of all secrets who shares all of
her grandmothers struggles during the occupation of the Brittish.

The author does a fantastic job at telling a story and painting a picture. The characters are so well developed and thought out. I really enjoyed this book , though heartbreaking at times

This is the type of book you read for something culturally different. Especially if you know nothing about that particular culture. The blend of romance and historical references was good. Maybe not totally accurate but it gave you enough to know what could’ve been real and not.

I gave this 3 stars out of 5. I received this ARC for an honest review.

This was a story that swept me away along with the characters and transplanted me to India, side-by-side, with our story lead, Jaya. The writing brought every table, every cloth, every spice to life in vivid detail. The emotions evoked were strong, both its sadness and helplessness, but also in hope, friendship, and love. This was an incredibly powerful and moving story. Jaya has suffered three miscarriages and finds her marriage and her life crumbling around her. When the opportunity arises for her to go to India and meet her dying grandfather, she jumps at it...if only to escape her problems at home. What she finds is not at all what she was expecting. We are treated to a story that oscillates between the contemporary time and the time of Jaya's grandmother, Ameesha, during the British occupation of India during the War. I really enjoyed the writing of this author and look forward to reading more of their books.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Fabulous! I learned about India in a well written story. Reccome d to all. Also reviewed in goodreads.

This book is well written but it is a story I have read numerous times before. Even the setup of the travel to India is a story that I feel has been overused. There are no surprises - I could have written the outline of the book after the first chapter. Yet I gave it 3 stars because I still enjoyed reading it - I liked the characters especially Ravi. Ravi was such a good guy - almost too good to be true - loyal, wise and funny. I envied Amisha's ability to craft and write a story. I learned a few new things about Hinduism but much of it had been covered in prior novels I've read. I do think I am going to put a personal ban on stories told in two time periods - there has to be some other literary device just as effective!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release of this book in exchange for an honest review.