February 2025 – The Daughters of Madurai
February 2025 – The Daughters of Madurai The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar This is a deeply moving and thought-provoking novel that explores trauma, identity, and the complex emotional bond between mothers and daughters. Set between Madurai, India, and Sydney, Australia, the story follows Janani and her daughter Nila as they navigate emotional […]
February 2025 – The Henna Artist
February 2025 – The Henna Artist The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi Ten of us met at Ket Ti’s home on 27th February to discuss The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. Surinder, who was scheduled to lead the session, was called away on urgent business. However, she had circulated her questions earlier, and Nisha used […]
January 2025 – The Lion Women of Tehran
January 2025 – The Lion Women of Tehran This month’s book club discussion focused on The Lion Women of Tehran, a moving and thought-provoking novel that left a strong impression on our group. The story prompted rich discussion around the lives of Iranian women, the depth of female friendships, and the courage shown through quiet […]
January 2025 – Majapahit
January 2025 – Majapahit Majapahit by Herald van der Linde Majapahit is a historical account of one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful empires, told in a way that is surprisingly readable for a topic that includes dates, kings with very long names, and lots of political drama. The author admitted that he took a lot […]
November 2025 – Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
November 2025 – Lady Tan’s Circle of Women Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See Lisa See’s historical novel Lady Tan’s Circle of Women tells the story of Tan Yunxian, a woman who defies 15th century Chinese convention to become a doctor. The narrative is framed by the aphorism, “No mud, no lotus,” emphasising […]
November 2025 – Growing Up Bin Laden
November 2025 – Growing Up Bin Laden Growing up Bin Laden – Najwa bin Laden & Omar bin Laden By Jean Sasson The book is about a name and face that captured attention of the world in wake of 9/11 Osama bin laden. The west called him the most wanted terrorist. His life, his family […]
October 2025 – The Island of Sea Women
October 2025 – The Island of Sea Women The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See Our book club met at Surinder’s lovely home to discuss our October book – The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, the book was universally liked by all the attendees. Everyone agreed it was an interesting and multi-layered […]
October 2025 – The Bonesetter’s Daughter
October 2025 – The Bonesetter’s Daughter The Bonesetter’s Daughter is a novel by acclaimed American author Amy Tan and is a multigenerational novel that explores the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, memory, and cultural identity. The story centres around Ruth Young, a Chinese-American woman living in San Francisco, and her mother LuLing Liu Young, who is beginning to […]
September 2025 – The Golden Road
September 2025 – The Golden Road The Golden Road by William Dalrymple The Golden Road – it could have been a textbook with a wealth of information, facts and figures thrown at us. 486 pages of which over 150 pages are notes and bibliography. On the audiobook, William Dalrymple himself proposes his own new theory of […]
September 2025 – The Last White Man
September 2025 – The Last White Man The novel imagines a world where white-skinned people suddenly begin to wake up with darker skin and how individuals and communities respond when their identities seem to shift overnight. This immediately prompted a lively and thought-provoking conversation. At just over 180 pages, it is a slim novel, but […]