This was a magical book that hit all five of my senses. A time period and piece of culture I knew nothing about, so fascinating, yet timeless and universal. Anjali is a talented author and I am so looking forward to reading her future work! ( )

I found this book difficult to get into at first. In fact I left it aside for quite some time before returning to it. I'm glad I did because as I continued I realized what a beautiful story it was. You empathized with the characters and felt saddened by the lives the Devadasis were forced into living. ( )

faint promise of rain by Anjali Mitter Duva is a superb historical novel that takes us to the desert of India during the 16th century. Adhira, the youngest child in a family of Hindu temple dancers, tells her story. She begins by saying:

In Rajasthan, where I was born, a child of five is likely never to have seen rain. For hundreds of years, the monsoons have been elusive. In the children's rooms in the royal palace, not far from what used to be my family's home, the walls are painted with black and blue cloud designs, so the little ones will not be afraid when the skies finally break open. But for less fortunate children, such as my brothers and sister, the day of their first rain can mean an intensity of fear and hope.

It is fear and hope that are at the core of Adhira's life. A Muslim emperor threatens with an expansion of his territory, there is threat of rebellion from within when her eldest brother declares he will become a warrior rather than follow tradition, the uncertain future of the younger son who is crippled, and the surety that Adhira's father, a pious man, will force her to "marry" the temple deity and give herself to a wealthy patron. An act that she doesn't even understand until long after she is promised to the temple at the age of 5. ( )

Though set in an arid Indian desert landscape in 1554, this compelling novel is sumptuous and wholly contemporary in its depiction of a family torn apart, yet bound together, and struggling for survival. I love Anjali Mitter Duva's firm grasp of time and place, and her ability to make this exotic tale relatable by creating characters who are unique, unpredictable, and, at the same time, believable. I feel like I've been to 16th century India and back, and am richer for the experience. ( )

The world of 16th century India was admittedly foreign to me before I read Duva's gorgeous novel. That mattered little, however, because she's a master of drawing the reader into the world of her characters, the dance, and the changing area near the citadel of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. I can still picture the places--the temple, the modest home in which Adhira grows up, the desert camps, the market and citadel.

The novel and everything that happens within it center around Adhira, a mystical child who was born into a family of Hindu temple dancers, called devadasi. Ahdira embodies the dance and what it represents, but is also subject to the hard lessons of being tied to a wealthy patron. The book transcends the story of the temple, wrapping the reader in a story of family and how, just as with families today, the relationships between family members are sometimes tenuous, complex and fraught with both love and drama.

It's rare when I read a book that makes me care so deeply about so many characters. Faint Promise of Rain does that for me in spades. I felt Girija's worry and pain, Gandar's blind devotion and the folly of his choices, Hari Dev's struggle and his kind heart, Padmini's sadness and Mahendra's desire and disillusionment. I felt anger when bad things happened to the family, and deep conflict when they acted in ways that only hurt themselves. I wanted them to be loved, to succeed, to be happy. And Ahdira! I felt her magic weaving through me with every word.

These are characters I will remember and think about for many years to come. Duva's debut novel speaks volumes about her talent. I can't wait to read her next book! ( )