We meet a large cast of characters, including Harish Hope, his good friend Delilah, both teenagers as the book opens, then Harish's mum and various people who help her run Hope House, once a sort of safe and kind brothel, now a home for unmarried mothers, including George, his father's ex-lover, and various locals. Harish's grandfather was disinherited when he married an Indian woman, and neither he nor his son dared to go back to claim their rights. Then there's Delilah's aunt and uncle over in London, who run a hardware shop with the help of a beloved worker, recently widowed. And THEN there's the current stand-in Earl of Wishanger Hall and his faithful retainers, all of whom fairly early on seem more accepting of the situation than they might, especially in the 1970s, when the book is set.

It became clear early on that this was part of a series, and indeed there is one book telling Harish's mother's story and one telling the story of the London folk - both are recapped in this book such that you don't need to read the other two, however I think it would probably really read better as part of the series. And as it's set in the 1970s, and there's a sequel on its way already, I suspect it's a long planned series. I did find there was quite a lot of repetition, for example when mentioning what happened previously to characters - maybe an area for a tighter edit.

I liked the positivity of the book - especially the characters in England are moving on with their lives and looking to greater things, in the service of their community or with their creativity. There are lovely strong female characters and sweet, supportive male characters. Harish might be said to be representing asexuality (that's in a lot of my reads at the moment!) but I'm not sure if that's a real thing or a temporary plot point. Religion is also seen positively, with two Catholic priests helping to raise Harish and a prayer room in Delhi that has icons from all religions.

My review on my blog (published 10 July) https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2022/07/10/book-review-a-k-karla-harish-hope-and-the-earls-of-wishanger-hall/

With such lush descriptions of India, this book places you right into the humble, brutal beginnings of the life of mystical Rani and her experiences first at Harrish House. Remarkable concept and impeccable execution from start to the end. Every single page gives a full-throttle effect. The story moved marvellously. I finished the book overnight.

Overall, this was a positive read with some strong female characters interwoven with individuals who cared about the concepts of community and kindness. There was a bit of repetitiveness throughout but it was a sweet, kindhearted story. I will certainly look into other works by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Good writing in a story with an exotic setting and interesting characters. It has a little bit of everything, such as humor, friendships, sadness, and more. I hope this finds an audience.

Thanks very much for the free review copy for review!!