Namrata Patel

Pick up The Curious Secrets of Yesterday and immerse yourself in the world of Tulsi Gupti. Tulsi works with her mother and grandmother in a family-owned spice shop. She is expected to take and pass a test proving she is a master but keeps putting it off because taking over the business is not the life she wants. Add in some unexpected family twists plus a bit of romance and we have an intriguing story that will keep you turning the pages.

The reader gets to know and understand the traditions that make the older generations feel that it is Tulsi’s responsibility to fill their shoes and take over the store. We also can easily relate to why she wishes to lead a different life. Important characters come to life on the page and the reader gets a complete mental image of the shop and other locations.

I am glad that this book was an Amazon First Reads option as it is one that I may not have noticed otherwise. It is a compelling story that will reach your heart.… (plus d'informations)

Meena Dave inherits an apartment in Boston’s Back Bay. It comes with conditions. Meena plans to stay there briefly while she cleans it out, then sell it according to the conditions, and return to her nomadic lifestyle as a photo journalist.
Meena was adopted as an infant, and grew up happily until her childhood home was destroyed in a tragic accident, killing her parents and destroying everything. She spends the rest of her teen years in foster care. But all that is background.
When she stays at the Engineer’s House, as the house in Boston is called, she begins to learn about her Indian heritage, and learns more about who she is.
I enjoyed walking around Back Bay, a neighborhood I know well from living there for a time myself, with Meena and Sam, and the Aunties. The characters were well developed, the story moved along, and I learned a lot from being immersed in Indian culture along with Meena.… (plus d'informations)