With a unique, direct writing style, the author conveys much in this short novel. The characters are never fully described but are fully present on the page. So many big themes are explored as well: AIDS, prostitution, meaning of family-friendship-love. I know I’ll be thinking of this story yet in the days ahead.

Thanks to NetGalley and Guetnica Books for the ARC to read and review.

Book title: The Strange Scent of Saffron
Author: Milena Babin
Publisher: Guernica Editions
Publication Date: 1 October 2021
Review Date: 29 June 2021 (will post on Goodreads closer to publication date)

<i>Many thanks to Netgalley, Guernica Editions and Milena Babin for an advance copy</i>

The Strange Scent of Saffron is about the resilience and empowerment of Canadian and Indian youth during the summer of 1988.

First off we meet Nil who has left her "violent" uncle as well as her twin brother to go on a road trip.
Her travelling companion is a vixen named Lavender. In Le Bic, she meets up with Jacob (HIV positive) who works in a restaurant, lives in a trailer and appears to be mixed up with illegally trafficking saffron, the most expensive spice in the world.
Nil starts keeping a diary by carving words into the wooden medicine cabinet of Jacob's van.
The story moves to India, where young Amar is to take part in his first harvest of this "red gold" with his family, among them his older sister Alaka, who is suffering embarrassment as she approaches adolescence.
There are many other characters we meet in this unusual novel - I say unusual as I've not read anything like it before. The colour red plays a significant part, from animal to human to the red gold.
The ending is quite amazing. Congratulations to the author Milena Babin who is currently adapting this novel into a film I look forward to seeing.