Sensual, radiant, rich, and potent best describe the voice of The Archer. Walking the streets of Bombay or Delhi is like being blasted by a riot of colors, aromas, and tastes, and also like plunging deep into the feeling of being a woman in a society where women are bound by family and custom. The protagonist is saved by dance, which helps her reconnect with her body.

The way salsa dancing helped me reconnect with my body after experiencing sexual abuse made this a really relatable issue for me. The Archer is not a typical book to read; at times it reads like a stream of consciousness, and it intentionally leaves things unsaid that can be unsettling for the reader. Nonetheless, I rather loved it.

While I think that this is an incredibly important coming of age story, I unfortunately just did not connect with the writing. I felt that it relied heavily on prose, which is not a strong suit for me. I went into this story without any prior knowledge, and this one just leaned to far into literary fiction for my tastes.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
The Archer is a lovely, gently told story about Vidya, a young girl who loves to dance. Set in Bombay in the 1960s, this book not only expands on the culture and tradition of the times but also about being a female. Losing her mother at a young age, Vitya grew up confused and often feeling quite lost. She takes on the role of helping to raise her brother. Dance is her escape and something she is not only great at but helps her stay grounded and get through life. Told in a lyrical way, this is a touching and often tender read and I'm so glad I got to listen to the audio book version. The narrator had an enchanting and soothing tone and really did the book justice in making its voice heard!

1970s Bombay is a colorful and exciting place. the Archer by Shuruti Swamy gives us Vidya, a young woman coming of age in tumultuous times. I loved how beautiful kathak sounded. Vidya is a strong and powerful character, someone other young women could look up to.

The Archer was a strong, compelling coming of age story. I really enjoy stories that follow a character throughout their life. I wish I connected to the main character a little more, but I did enjoy the story and the different hardships the protagonist experienced throughout her childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. I enjoyed the writing style and the author's use of language. I look forward to continuing reading from this author.

I think this book was one of my favorites with it's wonderful character descriptions, exciting storyline, and memorable messages. It was a story that tugs at the very center of emotion. Sometimes it was a bit hard to keep track of the timelines, but the narrator was amazing and the overall story was beautifully written.

Although the story is about a traditional girl from India, Vidya, it echoes the emotions of women of all nationalities. Vidya, whose mother died while Vidya was very young, is raised by her father in a poor neighborhood of Mumbai. When her brother comes to live with them, she not only has all the household duties, but becomes the mother figure to her brother. What she yearns for is the traditional dance of kathak. Becoming a kathak dancer is all-consuming, meaning hours of practice and the giving up of a traditional life. Vidya is determined, continuing her study of the dance through college and refuses to give it up when she marries. She believes her husband understands her passion to be a professional dancer. When she finds herself pregnant, she discovers her husband is thrilled and expects them to move in with his wealthy parents. At times the story is almost poetic, the emotion in Sneha Mathan’s narration provides voice to Vidya’s needs. Manthan ablely conveys Vidya’s devotion and dedication to her art despite society’s attempt to mold her into a dutiful wife, mother and daughter-in-law.

What a beautifully written, lyrical book. Like the main character in "The Archer," who dances ... that's what the language in this book does - it dances.

It flows and moves and meanders so beautifully. I listened to the audiobook and found myself pausing it to type down passages. If I'd had a physical book or ebook, I would surely have underlined or highlighted them.

"The Archer" is like a beautifully choreographed dance. It touches upon difficult subjects... poverty, mental health and wellness, depression, death, regrets. But while it doesn't shy away from the complexities or challenges we see, it always flows back toward the beauty of life.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook.

This was definitely different from what I am normally into but I enjoyed it! It was difficult at times to keep track with the fluid timeline, but the narrator's voice was beautiful and I enjoyed listening.

Vidya is a young girl living in Bombay whose heart longs to dance. Left by her mother, she must serve her father and brother, but Kathak, the traditional dance of India, gives her a sense of joy and expression.

As a bright college student studying engineering, she experiences prejudices due to her gender, skin color, and social class. Vidya struggles with the expected norms of love and marriage, as well as child-rearing. So what is holding her back from giving herself over to her art completely: her painful past, societal biases, or her own body? Written in beautiful, expressive prose, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 is an intimate coming-of-age story with the longing to open oneself.

Thank you to @algonquinbooks for these gifted copies.
🎧 And thank you to workman audio for the gifted audiobook - the narration is fantastic.

QOTD: is there any dance that makes you nostalgic? I’ve never been much of a dancer, but was in elementary school when The Macarena came out and THAT SONG WAS EVERYWHERE. It popped up in one of my @onepeloton classes with @mattymaggiacomo this week and it’s been stuck in my head.

It serves as a decent secure into this blog tour and book review for Shruti Swamy @theshrutster’s The Archer.

Vidya, a girl in (then) Bombay in the 60s-70s trying to find her way in a society that stifled female authenticity in many ways. This is the story of the push and pull she experienced to meet expectations and pursue her own desires (ancient dance) from childhood to adulthood.

I’m always looking for books to diversify my reading, and really enjoyed this one in text and, thanks to @netgalley, the audio also.

Thank you @algonquinbooks for this advanced hardcover copy (and the treats you sent along with it, swipe to see). Pub date 9/7/21

#thearcher #algonquin #algonquinbooks #netgalley #arc #advancedreaderscopy #advancedreadercopy #arcreader #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammersunite #bookstagramming #bookstafam #bookstafeatures #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreader #bookspotlight #reading #bookblog #bookblogging #bookbloggers #shrutiswamy #bombay #indianauthors #diversifyyourbookshelf #diversereads #bookish #booksofinstagram #booktour

I really wanted to like this one, especially after reading the beautiful synopsis, but this one just didn't click for me.

Vidya, living in Bombay in the 1960s and 1970s (now Mumbai) discovers a gorgeous form of dance called, Kathak and her whole live begins to revolve around it and the hard work it takes to practice. She struggles to hold onto her art as she goes to college and falls in love with her best friend. She realizes quickly how hard is will be to balance everything as she tries to live up to her society's expectations.

My favorite parts of the book was her dancing lessons and anything dealing with Kathak. I do think this book did a great job of analyzing the complex role of motherhood and its implications. Plus the writing felt very lush and poetic.

But her personal life seemed disjointed and I never could get a good feel of the storyline or timeline. I found myself struggling to follow the along with the audiobook, but I don't think this should reflect negatively on the narrator. I think they did a great job.

This is still a solid book and I've seen many great reviews of it, so don't just take my word for it.

My gratitude to Shruti Swamy, audiobook narrator Sneha Mathan, Workman audio, and NetGalley for advance review access!

The Archer is a book I will recommend for vivid prose in a coming of age story with a strong, yet flawed heroine in 1960s Bombay. Thought-provoking themes include family & cultural expectations of gender and class versus individual autonomy in major life choices.

I want to better understand the story of the archer told by Vidya's mom, reflected in the title.

And I feel disappointed that Vidya missed the opportunities to travel with her dance teacher.

Hmm.

This just didn't work for me.

The way the story jumped from one timeline to the next only confused me and broke any connection I had with the characters. <spoiler>Particularly the jump from her time at college to being married. Her marriage relationship was so glossed over that it had zero impact on me.</spoiler>

Despite isolated moments of good description (such as her dancing lessons), it is just a hodgepodge of so many different scenes and themes that it doesn't feel like a complete novel at all.

Additionally, Vidya was an annoying, selfish character to read about.

Not recommended, though the audio narrator did a good job.

***Thanks Netgalley for the arc!***