Tras la muerte de su madre, las jóvenes y bellas bailarinas gemelas, Nutan y Zeenat, se ven forzadas a abandonar el paradisíaco entorno de su Bali natal y la protección de su abuela, gran conocedora de magia, tradiciones y leyendas. Se instalan en Londres, donde intentan ganarse la vida trabajando en una cafetería. Allí, conocen a Ricky, un joven seductor siciliano que les abre las puertas del Templo de la Araña, un mundo desconocido y prohibido, un local donde se dan cita una serie de personajes que cambiarán la vida de las jóvenes para siempre.
Un pintor, la amante de un hombre millonario, una prostituta, un peluquero de éxito y una escritora, todos ellos habitantes de esta novela, acompañarán a las dos hermanas en esta aventura colmada de sentimientos que recorre la frágil frontera entre la vida y la muerte, la corrupción y la inocencia.

"When the puppet master gives you wings of course you must fly away, but remember to beware the predators in the sky."

The descriptions of Bali in the opening chapters were beautiful and such a contrast to the later portrayal of dreary London's drug scene. The view of Bali in the eye's of the twins, their father and grandmother was also interesting, with the elder generations being deeply connected to their homeland and the younger generation wanting to escape and seek adventure. However, the beautiful aspect soon disappears and we are faced with the very graphic and harsh realities of drug addiction, corruption, exploitation and prostitution, which leads to the downfall of the main characters.

This was a difficult read, not because of the content, but due to some extremely long chapters where a lot is said, but not a lot happens. It was hard to feel any empathy or emotion for the characters, but at the same time this made the story real and believable. Unfortunately, what ultimately ruined this book for me was the author's self-insert into the story line. It was self-conceited, unnecessary and in poor taste. It completely detracted from the story line and felt false. The first-person account was also grating. ( )

I loved 'Rice Mother' and was really looking forward to reading 'Touching Earth,' especially after spending 2 weeks in Bali last year. The images of Bali are authentic and intoxicating. They transport the reader elsewhere. I remember watching the Balinese make offering to their spirits all through the day, well into the night, mysteriously following an invisible path and rituals unbeknownst to me...Nenek does the same. Reportedly a witch, she's tied to the earth, feeding herbal combinations to the ill, possessed and her granddaughters, identical twins.

The twins, their perspectives and desires are fascinating. they each see their home, their family and their culture through different eyes, but each reveals layers rather than something separate.

Their downfall is a trip to London, a gift from their father. The transformation of innocent, sheltered village girls by the evil underbelly of the city is horrifying. You won't want to turn the page, but have to because you have to know what happens to them and their friends as they enter the temple of the spider goddess. A gripping, roller coaster of a novel ( )

Even after 200 pages, it was a huge internal debate as to whether the book would be consigned to the 'Cedargrove Slush Pile.' Something made me press on with it.

It wasn't that I wanted to read it, so much as I had to. I had spent so much time already wading through hundreds of pages of self conscious text, written in the first person, directly addressing the reader - two things I can honestly say I hate in a fiction... well, no, let me clarify that. The book has to be exceptional or especially meaningful to me if I'm to read something written in the first person and not find that jarring or distasteful. This book was neither... and yet there was something about it that made me continue reading, and after only 20 or so more pages, I could not put it down.

I ached for these people... the lost, misguided cast of characters stumbling their way through the mistakes of their lives... using themselves, literally to death in some cases. I despaired at their loneliness, hated their dependencies, and cried with them at the loss of their friends. And in their triumphs, oh how I rejoiced.

Maybe life is not so bad after all.

Yes, the book still suffered from self-consciousness, especially when the author herself makes an appearence in the latter part of the book. Yes, it's still written in the first person and still talks to the reader personally, but the story is compelling, spiritual in its own way; deep and black like fertile soil - secret, like a whisper. ( )

Very well-written book - haunting and gripping. But about such a horrible & sordid subject - prostitution and heroin addiction. Very depressing, despite a reasonably upbeat ending. Don't want to think about a world like that, even though I know it exists. ( )