A complex and captivating multiple POV portrait of the Bedi family through two generations, starting with Bedi and Sushma's meeting in India and following their three children into adulthood as they deal with the loss of their parents who later immigrated to the UK.

The writing is approchable yet lyrical and the characters are distinct and well-crafted while retaining an air of mystery.

I would definitely recommend for people interested in complicated family dynamics and the immigrant experience, and would read other works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A deeply meditative novel featuring three generations of an Indian-Kenyan-UK-based family. Drawing strong inspiration from the author's own family history, the story begins in 1955 as a young Bedi, whose parents emigrated to Kenya, visits Sushma and her family to discuss the prospects of their marriage. The story then fast forwards to 1994 where Bedi and Sushma, now middle aged are settled in London and have three grown up kids of their own: Tara, Selena and Rohan. The major portion of the novel is set in the 2000s as the family travels to Haridwar to immerse their father's ashes in the Ganges. The story is narrated through the points of view of the three children as they ruminate on their past and present, their fraught relationship with their father, their strong emotional ties to their mother, their grief, their dreams and ambitions, their spouses and their children. This is not a plot-based story, It is not historical fiction. it is more a window into the emotional mindset of the three siblings. It is a portrait of family, relationships, expectation gaps, loss and grief. The writing is beautiful, and it is an easy read. The author's note at the end made it all the more meaningful. Read it for the prose and for a glimpse into the emotions of Indian immigrants in the Western world.

Thank you Netgalley, Oldcastle Books and Ammar Kalia for the ARC

The title is what drew me to this book. Bedi travels from Nairobi to India to meet his future wife, if she’ll have him. Fast forward to their adult children who have children of their own. Their memories and reflections tell the story of their family. There are some great observations in this novel but Bedi and Sushma stayed one dimensional. It’s a story about family and grief but I was unable to connect emotionally.

My review will be posted on Litsy under the book title, on IG and I have given it 3🌟 on Storygraph.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

India, March 1955: Bedi meets Sushma: A sweaty, breathless, and awkward young man meets a graceful, headstrong young woman. He immediately finds himself plunged into a philosophical discussion with her book-loving and intimidating father. After his mother's death, Bedi longs for safety and security in his job as a railway yard marshal in Kenya while Sushma yearns for adventure. They clearly have different goals in life, yet for some reason, they still agree to get married. We meet them again in 1994's Bournemouth, preparing for their adult children's visit. Unfortunately, we don't learn anything about their years spent in Kenya and London.

This novel explores our relationship with our bodies, death, grief, and the experience of first and second generation immigrants.

Especially in the earlier chapters, the POV switches abruptly between characters which can be disorienting, but also contrasts their lack of communication and outspoken closeness. The story is later told from their adult children's perspective, with Selena being the most insufferable and Tara being the most insightful.

I really enjoyed how Kalia writes about our relationship with our bodies in a frank and gritty way. By contrast, the inner reflections and conversations between characters felt quite stiff and sterile to me - philosophising and lecturing in an inspirational tone, yet with a mostly bleak outlook.

Kalia shows that he is an observant writer who doesn't shy away from authentic descriptions, and I hope in his future books, this will translate into a more naturalistic style of dialogue.

My recommendation: Kalia's writing is consistent, so just give the first 1-2 chapters a try and see if it clicks with you.

Thank you to Ammar Kalia, Oldcastle Books, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.