I received an advance copy of this book directly from the author, for whom I have reviewed several other books prior, as listed below:

• Luke and Lara
• Our Liminal Spaces
• Six – Strange Stories of Love
• Intersections
• A Quiet Dissonance
• Parvathy’s Well & Other Stories
• Damage & Other Stories
• Holi Moly! & Other Stories

The Premise

Sonia, Komal, and Neetu have little in common beyond a shared history and the loss of their husbands. But when a long-talked-about journey finally takes them from Istanbul to Prague and Seville, each woman arrives carrying more than grief.

As they travel from city to city, the women begin to reconsider the marriages they had, the families they built, and perhaps most importantly, the women they themselves have become. What initially seems like a holiday gradually becomes something much more meaningful as old assumptions begin to unravel and buried truths come to the surface.

The Pros & Cons

This was my fifth novel by this author, and I was pleased to embark once again on one of her atmospheric journeys.

One of my favourite things about this book was how much I felt as though I was actually in each of the cities alongside Sonia, Komal, and Neetu. Istanbul, Prague and Seville all felt genuinely distinct, and the settings gave such a vivid backdrop to their journey that they never read as mere decoration — they became part of the experience of the story itself. I always like a book that makes me want to visit the places it’s set in!

But for me, the real heart of the book was the relationship between the three women. Their friendships felt layered and believable, largely because each of them approaches life, marriage, family, and loss so differently, and those differences came through more and more as they spent time together. There’s something lovely about reading women who have known each other for years — all that shared history, but also all the things they still don’t necessarily know about one another. I liked watching them gradually open up, reminisce, disagree, and support one another, and in doing so begin to see their own lives a little differently as they work through the complicated histories they share.

The novel carries real maturity in the themes running through it — ageing, grief, marriage, identity. This is very much a story about women looking back on the lives they’ve lived while wondering what might still be ahead of them, and there’s a lot here to sit with about the choices we make, the roles we fall into, and what happens when those roles no longer seem to fit.

My only tiny peeve was that I kept waiting for a big bang towards the end! Things just gradually wind their way towards the ending and I did find myself wanting something a little more dramatic to happen. That said, I think the quieter ending probably suits the book — it is, after all, about “being”: sitting with yourself, and reflecting. So my expectation was perhaps misplaced! 😀 It’s not about one big thing at all (not plot-driven) but rather more about the women themselves (character-driven) and how they evolve as they spend this time together.

Finally, as a repeat reader and fan, I was thrilled to see the tiny “cameo” of her other characters! I noticed this trend earlier in other books as well, and it’s always a lovely thrill to see a “second life” of your fabricated friends with this intertextuality.

Conclusion

I enjoyed this, and particularly liked the way the different cities came alive and the focus on the relationships between the women. I would especially recommend it to mature women readers, although I am sure there will be others who enjoy it too. I can’t imagine many men picking this one up, though! It would make a good choice for a women’s book club as there is plenty to discuss around friendship, marriage, grief and getting older.

If you like this one, then definitely check out her other books too, particularly a couple of my 5-star faves Intersections or Our Liminal Spaces, which have a similar feel but more of a “bang” towards the end if you are an expectant reader like me (and stingy with your stars)!

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