Before the Rains

Having been three times to India, I believe that Dinah Jeffries certainly seems to have done her research very well and everything is authentic. Certainly a book that I wanted to keep on reading as it was not only rather horrifying but exciting at the same time. I felt I was experiencing all the range of emotions that Eliza has, from fear, to passion to overwhelming joy.

I have read all of Dinah Jeffries previous books so I was looking forward to this one but found it disappointing. There are some beautiful descriptions of life in India during the days of British rule and the Maharajas but I felt the plot was weak. Whereas her other books were unputdownable, "Before the rains" simply did not do it for me!

Amazing read.. Every one of her books is written with such authority. She knows her subject so well. Each book features a different country and this one is no different. I couldn't put it down. I learnt so much of the history of India while the British ruled...absolutely fascinating. History comes to life.

Gwen, the heroine, is always on the verge of tears or feeling sick (see The Tea-Planter's Wife). The ending is predictable and completely unrealistic. In fact I don't know why I bothered to read it 'til the end. BTW. - when Ms Jefferies talks about women wearing 'shawls' on their heads, I presume she means 'veils'.

When I first read The Separation and The Tea Planter's Wife I was really excited to see what would come next. Really sad to say this just didn't do anything for me. So much so I abandoned it after about 50 pages. It opened with such promise and then just got lost in too much narrative and detail I lost the plot with who was who. I don't like giving up on books, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish this one.