The premise of this book is very interesting! I was intrigued after reading the synopsis of it and was excited when I won an ARC of it. Prior to reading this novel I was not familiar with Aanchal Malhotra's work so I was excited to take a look at it to see if I would enjoy this story. At its core, this story is about the romance and relationship between a perfumer’s apprentice and calligrapher’s apprentice who fall in love with each other in Lahore, Pakistan. The novel is set against the backdrop of the Partition that was the result of India's struggle for independence. I really like historical fiction novels and I found this one to be interesting and engaging. I was invested in the love story between these characters throughout the novel and I like how the author portrayed the romance between the two. I also enjoyed how realistic the characters came across as. I would definitely recommend this novel to others who enjoy love stories as well as historical fiction!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but once the voice changed I really didn't connect with that character as much, which ultimately led me to DNF this title. The rating is for the part of the book that I did enjoy.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

**Review of *The Book of Everlasting Things* by Aanchal Malhotra**

*The Book of Everlasting Things* by Aanchal Malhotra is a beautifully crafted historical romance set against the tumultuous backdrop of India's Partition in 1947. The story follows Samir Vij, a Hindu perfumer, and Firdaus Khan, a Muslim calligrapher, whose deep connection is torn apart by the violent division of their homeland.

Malhotra excels in weaving a rich tapestry of sensory experiences, especially through her vivid descriptions of perfume and calligraphy. The intricate details of Samir and Firdaus's crafts provide a lush and immersive reading experience that stands out as one of the book's strongest features. The romance between the two characters is poignant and deeply felt, capturing the reader's heart with its intensity and emotional depth.

However, while the novel's romantic and sensory elements are thoroughly explored, the broader historical context of Partition feels somewhat underdeveloped. The political and social upheavals of the time are touched upon but not deeply delved into, which might leave some readers wanting more insight into the historical events that shaped the characters' lives.

Despite this, *The Book of Everlasting Things* remains a compelling and evocative read. It is particularly recommended for those who enjoy richly descriptive prose and emotionally charged love stories set against significant historical events. Fans of books like *All the Light We Cannot See* will likely find much to appreciate in Malhotra's debut novel.

Overall, *The Book of Everlasting Things* is a moving narrative that beautifully captures the essence of love, loss, and memory amidst one of the most turbulent periods in modern history.

I did this book over a year ago, and I'm way behind on my Net Galley reviews. I did this book as an audio so will leave that review here. This book is still memorable to me because I can still hear the narrator from a year ago. I can still remember the respect and love the characters had for each other. I can still see the calligraphy and smell the scents. I am still heart broken at their separation and the scenes from the fire and the India Pakistan split is still vivid in my mind.
My only contention with this book is that it's a bit too long, but I understand that generational stories take a while. I enjoyed the listen. Well done. I gave my copy to a friend to read, because I did enjoy it a lot.

The Book of Everlasting Things by Ananchal Malhotra takes place during the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. While the author's presentation of both sides of the Hindu and Muslim story is commendable, it might be helpful to add some more information or context to help readers understand the historical background and the reasons for the partition of India and Pakistan. This could make the story more compelling and engaging for readers who may not be familiar with the history of the region.

I enjoyed reading this historical fiction book that portrayed the daily lives of Lahore's residents from diverse religious groups who lived and worked harmoniously. After many years of peaceful coexistence, everything came to a tragic end in 1947 due to widespread destruction, fires, violence, looting, and loss of life, displacing both Muslims and Hindu people. I really enjoyed the author's storytelling in which two people, separated by political division, connect again in an unexpected way. The author masterfully weaved perfumery and calligraphy into the story, showcasing how lives can be intertwined even when we do not realize it. It is a beautiful journey of love that I thoroughly appreciate. The book and audiobook of The Book of Everlasting Things, narrated by Deepti Gupta, is a beautiful read and highly recommended.

Thank you, NetGalley and MacMillian Audio, for providing me with a complementary electronic copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I haven't rage quit a book in a long time, and this book became the unfortunate one to fill that slot.
Don't tell me a book is "lush, sensuous, and deeply romantic" when there is almost zero of that. Zero. Especially when seen (if you want to call it that) from Firdaus's perspective- if we ever see that. This book is not about her. It's about Samir.) Don't also sell me a novel, when this is really more of a nonfiction book (I've learned a lot about the Indian Partition, which is great, but I'll get a nonfiction book instead, thank you).
The audiobook on this is a whopping 17 hours long. I took it to a high speed and still kept listening and listening and listening and the book wouldn't end. This author needed an editor very badly- too long, too much description, repetitive (I wholeheartedly agree with other reviewers and the use of "pistachio colored eyes" OK WE GET IT).
Does this author do a great job of setting? Absolutely. Do I know more now about the Indian Partition than I ever did? Absolutely.
I unfortunately selected this for book club at work, as well as my December bookmarked box so I'll be curious what folks have to say.

“It is difficult to forget, but it is even harder to keep remembering.”

Read if you like:
📜 Historical Fiction
💔 Forbidden love
🌹Perfume
🇵🇰/🇮🇳 Would like to learn more about the Partition of India

Lahore 1938. Samir, a Hindu perfumer’s apprentice, meets Firdaus, a Muslim calligrapher’s apprentice. Both are talented and over the years fall in love. Their families, once friends, are torn apart during the struggle for Indian Independence and Lahore is divided. Firdaus’s family becomes Pakistani and Samir Indian, now forbidden to be together. Their paths now diverge and we follow them as they make decisions that will change their lives and the generations that follow.

This story is beautiful and heartbreaking. I liked learning more about Indian Partition and about the making of perfume. The first part of the book was wonderful, but after the split the author writes mostly follows Samir and for me I had a hard time connecting with him because I thought some of his decisions and actions were poor. I wanted more from Firdaus. I did enjoy all of the detail of Samir’s family’s past and how they became perfumers. I also liked all the detail about making perfume but it might not be for everyone.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much! The writing was absolutely amazing with vivid imagery and overall poignant prose. I fell in love with the characters and their stories; my heart hurt for them when they were separated and I felt like crying at the end of the book. This book touched my heart deeply and also illuminated parts of history that I previously wasn’t familiar with. 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

Thank you for the advanced readers copy Netgalley, but this one ultimately was not a book worth finishing for me.

This epic tale of romance, war, and heartbreak, laced with the scent of tuberose and written with a quill of many languages was gorgeous and infuriating, stunning and bleak. The calligraphy and perfumes were described in a way that they seemed to rise off the page and I really would have loved to have seen some of the calligraphy on the page. And, oh my, if only we had smell-o-vision!

Unfortunately, the book felt at least a hundred pages too long, and while it was multi-generational in that we met many generations of people over the 70ish years of the timeline, after part 2, it was really just about one sad guy, stuck in the past. The story was good, and the ending just, but it did feel like uncle Vivek's story could have been told slightly quicker and with less neglect of our MC's family. That was pretty crappy.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of the book.

I thought this was beautiful and well done! I'll be rereading this one in the future! The descriptions were lush, vibrant, and alive in all of the best ways. I thought about this book long after I closed the (e-)pages.

I wasn't able to finish this novel. I struggled with some of the non-English language, which I view as my failing rather than the failing of the author--usually languages other than English don't bother me, but for some reason I couldn't get through this novel's references to things I am wholy unfamiliar with.. Alas, I hope to return to it at a later date when I can focus more fully and give it the attention it deserves.

I want to start off by saying that I apologize for a very late review. But I still wanted to put my review up. This book is very beautiful. And so honored to be able read such a book. I have never read a book like this before. I will definitely be adding more of this author books to be my tbr.
I have to say that this will be a book that I remember for along time. Will be purchasing my own copy of this book. I learned a lot from this book and the story and world and characters that this author has created just very beautiful.
I wasn’t disappointed while reading. Yeah there were language that I didn’t understand. But nothing google couldn’t help me.
Being in love with perfume and writing this was my type of love story closing my eyes at times to almost see what these characters see or smell.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for allowing to read and be part of these characters and their world of love and heartaches. So many generations changed during 1940’s during the war and how it changed things for these two characters.
My reviews will be up on instagram and Amazon and goodreads and bookbub.

Four and a half stars, rounded up!

The Book of Everlasting Things was captivating. It felt like there were several big plots running concurrently throughout the book, in the most wonderful way. As I was reading the book, I knew I really liked it. As I finished the book, I knew that I loved it. But now, having taken some time to really think about and dwell on the book after having finished it a week ago, I am so impressed and maybe even stunned at how seamlessly and expertly the author managed to weave together so many deep plots. There is the story of Partition, the stories of two different families (of which multiple generations are explored), stories of individual characters, love stories, stories of different cultures, and stories of the artistry of creating perfume and calligraphy. Upon rereading that sentence, I can see how that sounds like A LOT, but I'm telling you, the author managed to bring all these things together beautifully. Every plot was given it's own spotlight while also seamlessly blending into the others.

I really enjoyed learning more about the craft of creating perfume. While I have always worn and can appreciate perfume, I never gave too much thought to what goes into making it. I love that this book explores not only the craft of creating perfumes, but also acknowledges how much of a role scent can play in our lives.

The love stories in this book were both beautiful and heart-wrenching. All of the relationships between the characters were so varied and deep, and I love how real those relationships felt. Not every writer can capture that feeling, but Aanchal Malhotra certainly did.

I also love that this book taught me a lot. Somehow I knew nothing about the Partition of India in the 1940's. I don't know if I was just never taught about it in school, or if I just didn't retain that information (it's safe to say that I did not have a great love or appreciation for history as a teenager). I really appreciated that I could walk away from this book knowing that I learned a lot. I then shared with other people what I was learning and was able to teach them about the Partition as well.

The writing and prose were also really lyrical and beautiful. Between the prose, the history, and the level of detail, I will say that this is a slow read. If you are looking for a light, breezy read that you can get through quickly, I'd suggest you select a different book. This book is so full of detail that you'll want to take your time with it and enjoy the journeys it takes you on.

While reading the book, I did feel that it was a bit long-winded. As much as it was well-written and managed to cover so much ground, it did feel a little longer than it needed to be and there were certain points where it dragged a bit (kind of like this review...haha). That said, I can also admit that although I felt that way as I was reading it, I can now look back on it and realize why it was so long. The author accomplished a lot with this book and to remove one of the subplots or reduce the stories of some of the characters could have changed the book entirely (and not in a good way). So just be prepared that when you pick up this book, it's going to contain a lot. Let yourself get drawn into the story and enjoy the journey it takes you on. I know I sure did.

One last thing to note - I gained such an appreciation for perfume while reading this that it made me want to look into some new perfumes for myself. I had been wanting two different perfumes for several months and this book caused me to finally get them ordered. They arrived today and smell amazing - but I know I have an even greater appreciation for them than I would have if I had not read this book. And I was even more excited to see a little label on the box that said they were made in Grasse, France (this will be meaningful to you once you've read the book). Two weeks ago, that detail would have been meaningless and lost on me, but thanks to this book, I took a minute to absorb that detail and it brought a smile to my face.

I'm going to end this review with one of my favorite lines in the book: "That day, two hearts broke, like the fragments of a newly divided land.".

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Book of Everlasting Things is about Samir, a Hindu, and Firduras, a Muslim, during the partition of India. Samir comes from a family of perfumers and Firduras's family are calligraphers. The two meet and slowly fall in love, but are separated during partition. The book spans the entirety of their lives and their differences in circumstance. I thought this book sounded interesting and I was excited to learn more about perfumery and calligraphy in Lahore.

I really liked the setting and setup of this book. I hadn't read about the time period in India before and it was interesting to see how the events shaped the character's experiences. I liked learning more about perfume making and calligraphy. Outside of that, I thought this book was just okay. I thought the characters made their lives harder for themselves later in life for no reason. Samir becomes the worst and I felt badly for his wife and child. I was very frustrated by Firduras's inaction later in life. This book is also pretty long and it just draaaaagggggs. I ended up scanning a lot to try to get to the next life phase when something might change. I found the ending unsatisfying for all of the heartache that the two characters went through over the years. It was a VERY slow burn that never really seemed to reach a strong conclusion.

If you're a huge fan of long stories of people's lives and are interested in the setting or time period, I'd give this a try. 3.5 stars from me rounded down to 3. Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was a stunning novel, historical fiction is a genre I have been trying to diversify my shelf with. I can see why this book was suggested to readers who enjoyed 'All The Light We Cannot See.' It was a heart-breaking, yet moving story that spanned the generations and touch on trauma and war, overcoming differences, finding your way and finding family. It was a beautifully written story, however at times it was a little wordy and descriptive.

4⭐️

<b><i>Tumhari yaad ki kashti iss dil ki darya mein doob gayi hai.

The paper boat of your memory has drowned in the river of this heart. </b></i>

I don’t typically pick up historical fiction, but this was a pleasant surprise. This book is full of love and heartbreak and grief and life. It follows Samir and his family, who are Hindu, as well as his love, Firdaus, and her family who are Muslim at a time where their country is about to be divided. Samir is a perfumer, and Firdaus is a calligrapher. This book is very heavy and full of accounts of war, both internationally and locally. The star-crossed lovers are forbidden from being together, and when Samir loses everything, he must pick up and move on, but the two still carry each other in their hearts for a lifetime. This is a beautiful book rich in culture and romance.

<b>” This truth is endless. When you read this, look to the sky. That is where I shall be. Now we will only meet at the place where the winds touch the edges of paradise. That is where I will wait for you. Keep me in your heart, keep me there until we meet again.”</b>

A fascinating historical fiction that gives new insight into partition, the British Raj, and the intensity behind perfume making. There were some historically heavy parts that may be distracting to some readers, but I enjoyed them. A lot of time was spent on the romantic story at the beginning and then the characters developed into realistic and memorable individuals. This was an intriguing read and I look forward to seeing its success.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! It gave me a similar feeling to The Stationery Shop so if you liked that one please check it out! The Book of Everlasting Things is at its heart a love story beginning in Hindustan right before partition. Two young teenagers in a blossoming romance find themselves torn apart when riots begin and Hindus are forcibly driven from the city of Lahore. Samir, the nephew of a Hindu perfumer must leave the city and his beloved Firdaus, the Muslim daughter of a calligrapher. They both forge on with their own lives but always a piece of them is hidden away for the other. I won't give away the ending, but this is such a sweet, heartbreaking and heartwarming story and I loved the descriptions of scent and perfumes throughout (as that is the passion of Samir).

This book attempts to humanize a piece of world history that I feel far removed from and very unfamiliar with and it has stoked my curiosity. I will be thinking about these sweet characters for a time.