A Sister's Promise

The plot was somewhat predictable yet still enjoyable and entertaining. I loved the descriptions of sensory experiences, especially the food. I was invested in the characters' lives and felt immersed in Indian culture.

I really liked the story line. Sometimes the back and forth and change of point of view got to be a bit much. I also found the excessive use of figurative language to be a bit much at times. Other than those two critiques, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

I only gave this a one star otherwise I wouldn't have been able to say what I wanted todo. I tried getting into this story but found it very dull. I'm sure others looked it and good for them but not me. A waste of time and money for me. GAB

Sharda and Puja are sisters and best friends. Sharda the sensible, intelligent, responsible, and Puja, the free-spirited, beautiful, fun-loving. Their bond is so close that neither of them can imagine anything separating them. But that’s what secrets do.

What an utterly beautiful story written with elegance. It’s a story of love, loss, sacrifice, and grace. D’Silva paints a vivid picture of India: the beautiful colours, the pungent aromas, and the poverty. She will envelope you into the lives of these two women, sharing in their loss of one another.

A Sister’s Promise will remind you of how strong the bonds of family are. They will transcend time, distance, and any circumstances.

Thank you Bookoture and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege an advanced copy of this wonderful book!

Favourite quote: “We waste the little time we are given in this world with material things, not the things that really matter, she thinks. And then when it is far too late, we long for one more moment together, a moment which, if bestowed, we will draw out and treasure, a moment in which we will say all those things left unsaid, a moment into which we will cram lifetime’s worth of good times.”

Now excuse me while I go call my sister!

www.jewelseclecticbooks.wordpress.com

A Sister’s Promise is a story of overcoming:

Overcoming the often unintended hurt and betrayal that our actions can create.
Overcoming loss.
Overcoming prejudices.
Overcoming poverty.

A Sister’s Promise is a story about the ties which bind us together. I loved the family connections. They are deep and rich and twined together through the intricate preparation of food with knowledge of cookings mysteries being passed down from mother to daughter.

The story is beautiful but I found it oddly frustrating. I believe that just about every adjective in the known languages of the world were employed in this book; I understand that it was done to make the story more alive. There is a part of me that cringes from these elaborate descriptions as it feels too flowery or showy. I'm finding it hard to come up with the right way to explain it but suffice it to stay that I am a clean-lined, minimalistic kind of girl. If you love fresh flowers in every room with beautiful pillows piled on all of your comfy spots, and elaborate drapes than you will enjoy the imagery. It truly is rich.

With that said though, India is a vivid and rich country. While I struggled with the imagery sometimes, A Sister’s Promise provides a view of India that I do not believe a westerner could truly ever understand without it. There likely are not enough adjectives in all the known languages of the world to truly describe that which is India. The vibrancy, the heat, the colors, the destitution, the community, and the love of the people.

There is only one character in this story that was born outside of India. His name is Raj. To see India through Raj's eyes brings the deeply rooted history, the honored traditions, and the depths of cultural differences to light. You are reading of the poverty through Sharda and Puja's story but it is covered with family love and duty so you know that while you know that they are steeped in poverty it is not overwhelming. Raj brings to light the incredible distance between an affluent country and a third world country. For this alone the book is well worth reading.

I was given this advanced readers copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion. My many thanks to the author and publisher for this privilege.

For all of my reviews please see my blog at: https://blessedandbewildered.wordpress.com

What an amazing book. I really love reading about other cultures and this book has exactly that, two Indian sisters, their growing up and their growing as people. This is beautifully written and very believable. The characters are well developed and one can't help but feel for them in their highs and lows of life. Keep your tissues handy because unless you have a heart of stone you will need them. Above all else it shows how no matter where we live on this planet or what our material possessions may add up to, we are all human beings and all fallible. We make decisions based on what we feel is right or wrong at the time and must live with the consequences what ever they be.

Ever since I read Monsoon Memories, I've been meaning to read more of Renita D'Silva's work. This book doesn't disappoint. Her lush prose once again captures the sights, sounds, and scents of a small Indian village perfectly. On an emotional level, be prepared for a intense experience. The tragedies that befall the sisters and their families are like swift punches to the gut. Yet the resilience and determination of the characters form a thread that holds everything together. This is not light reading, but it's very worthwhile.

Let me thank Bookouture via Net Galley for allowing me full use of its library to feed my habit of good books.

And also to this author Renita D'Silva as I have become a stalker of her books. She cannot write fast enough for me. Her last book blew me away and this one is just as good, if not better.

She has such a warmth when writing and has the talent of breathing life into her characters.
Just look at the cover, doesn't that tempt you? It does me. Then look at the background.
We get a huge taste of India surrounding this story too.

The blurb lives up to its name and the hype grapevine is alert to her books, many of us avid readers fear we may miss one, so we keep constant watch.

This is the promise both sisters make:

Sharda and Puja had made a promise to each other.

“We will always look out for each other and love each other best.”

But not all goes well.

The sisters have are divided and not all is as it should be.

But many years later, one of the sisters needs help.

I am reading on and on, so sucked into the story, my question remaining was :

What tore these sisters apart for so long?

When this author writes the scenes surrounding India you can smell the aroma, you can taste the food, you can breathe in the air. She has such a talent for story telling she grips me each time she writes.

May she write many more books and may I be able to read them.....that's all I can say.

When Renita D‘Silva writes about India she engages all the senses – and A Sister’s Promise is no exception. We see the colourful sway and shimmer of saris, the lush meadows and drought-ridden river beds. The sweat of human endeavour mingles with the piquant fragrance of kitchens where spices blend into sumptuous meals. We taste the cardamom pods and the fiery chillies, the cooling honey and almonds. We hear the clamour of marketplaces and the quiet murmur of summer evenings. But, mostly we feel the jealousies and unrequited loves, the reckless passions, the tyranny of tradition, the suffocating respectability. All this and more are built into a powerful novel that explores the bond between two estranged sisters, Sharda and Puja.
Separated by continents, Puja is a successful businesswoman in England and Sharda, in India, specialises in producing her own brand of foodstuffs.They have not seen or spoken to each other for twenty years – and the bitterness that forced them apart has profoundly affected each of them.
For Sharda, those years have broadened her mind. They have helped her to move away from the unquestioning obedience that ritual and custom demands. Her daughter Kushi is responsible for this blossoming but Puja, who once flew in the face of tradition and paid the price, buries the past in her all-consuming career. Unable to show love to her son, Raj, her world is a cold place from which she seems unable to escape until a phone call from Sharda with shattering news changes everything.
The plane journey that Puja and Rja take to India is symbolic of the journey that mother and son must undergo in order to reach a better understanding of each other. Sharda’s story gradually unfolds through the loving letters she wrote to her dead mother – but the reunion that lies ahead for the sisters is fraught with secrets, shame, regret and fear.
Four lives are woven together in A Sister’s Promise – but this is much more than a family story. It encapsulates the petty politics of a ruling class, the bitter wrangles and gossip of village life and the arrangements involved in making the perfect match for a son or daughter. On more than one occasion the young, impetuous Puja reminded me of Marianne in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility - willing to barter her reputation in order to escape the dull routine of respectability.
Renita D’Silva’s love for India dominates the pages but she does not write with rose tinted glasses - but there is nothing romantic about the village life she portrays.The young Kushi is the voice of the future – she has a strong voice but one that can be cut down and silenced all too easily. Ritual can be a powerful tyranny – but some would see it as the mainstay of stability – and the author delights in moving freely between those two worlds.

I would like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for approving my request to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

​What's worrying me with this review is that I can never put into words the wonderful feelings I experienced while reading this work of art.​

Beautiful. Colourful. Sensuous. Rich.

In my opinion, t​hese words best describe Renita D'Silva's 'A Sister’s Promise'. This book was a much-needed ​breath of fresh air for me as it was ​so different from the crime thrillers I usually read.

​Set in India, this emotional story revolves around the lives of two sisters, Sharda and Puja and their teenage children​ Kushi and Raj.​

A promise made...
One day, while young Sharda and Puja are playing in the fields, they promise to '...always look out for each other and love each other best.'​

A promise broken...
However growing up, something happens in their lives, something that drifts them apart from each other, breaking the bond between them and the promise they'd made in the process.

A phone call...
Unexpectedly after twenty years the silence is broken. Puja hears her sister's voice over the phone.

Why did Sharda call Puja after all this time? What does she want? How does Puja react to her sister's call? Most importantly, what happened all those years back that divided the lives of these inseparable sisters? Why haven't they spoken to each other for so long? Can they mend what's broken and start all over again?

One of my childhood dreams was and still is to visit the mysterious and beautiful India. Now thanks to Renita's superb descriptions, I feel as though I was actually there.

What's astonishing in this book is the way in which it is written. Renita's prose is so sensuous and rich it's almost poetic. It evokes all the reader's senses and emotions. The intricate detail the author puts in each and every sentence brings the story and its characters to life, together with a myriad of sights, sounds and even smells.

What impressed me the most is the author's frequent use of colour. It’s as though she paints a new picture on every page. For example, I have never come across an author using colours to describe voices:

'The doctor's voice tries for assurance. It brings to mind the deep indigo of a summer's night settling over golden fields.'

'Ma's voice is the colour of tamarind gleaming in the morning sunshine.'

'Worry paints Ma's voice the wet brown of muddy meadows.'

Renita D'Silva took me on an unforgettable, mesmerising journey spanning decades and continents. I found myself completely immersed in this story feeling all sorts of emotions such as happiness, sadness and anger. Not mentioning what I felt when I reached a mind-blowing twist.

I really enjoyed myself reading this book and will most definitely read other books by this highly talented author. Well done Renita! Highly recommended!

I had been saving this book as a reward to myself for making my own deadline. I knew that having this on my Kindle would inspire me and I was not wrong. Within hours of meeting my deadline I was reading the first page.
This is the second book I have read by this author and much as I loved The Stolen Girl I loved this one just a smidge more. The quality of the writing is excellent and for me has a dreamlike quality. I am embraced from the very first line as the prose wraps itself around me like a warm duvet on a December night. This book explores the complicated relationship that exists between sisters. There is love, hurt, betrayal, sacrifice and a bond that should not be broken.
The unfolding of the story is told by both sisters, Sharda and Puja as circumstances bring them back together after many years apart. One of my favourite parts of this book is the progression of a relationship between Puja and her son, Raj as they make the journey to India.
The story blends beautifully with the descriptions of cooking and I particularly enjoyed the revealing of the two sisters personalities through school reports.
I could talk for hours about how much I loved this book and the reasons why but if you have not read a Renita D'Silva book you are missing out on a truly gifted writer and an emotionally uplifting journey.

When you read the sentence, ‘Let’s make a promise to love and look out for each for ever.’ you know something is going to go drastically wrong.

Set in India A Sister’s Promise is rich and powerful.

Kushi is a formidable young woman and when she is attacked her mother Sharda is forced to ask Puja, her sister to keep her promise made many years ago.

A Sister’s Promise is about family and all it holds dear. Love, betrayal, anger and eventually forgiveness. You will cry, laugh and hold your own family a tiny bit closer when you see them next.

A beautiful tale that endeavors and succeeds to delight and enthrall.

Renita D’Silva has written a masterpiece.

A deeply moving story of two sisters confronting truth in often painful yet thought provoking ways. It's beautifully written with the sights, sounds, and smells of India that stay with the reader. The characters initially tightly enfolded in themselves, find their own ways to loosen and open, like a rose finally opening its petals, not only in themselves but to others in their lives. The writing style that reveals their lives is uniquely written and paced as a wondrous journey. This is a must read and you will be hooked on Renita D'Silva.

A Sister's Promise – Renita D’Silva Sisters Puja and Sharda are as close as you can imagine, but their relationship is shattered, seemingly beyond repair.
Then the life of the daughter of one of the sisters depends on repairing that relationship. So, how deep does love go? That is the question we find the answer to as this softly written story unfolds.
We learn more about Puja, Sharda and Kushi, the daughter, as they tell their story in alternating chapters. A Sister’s Promise is a warming, sweet story. Renita D’Silva crafted an engaging, touching story that is relatable to everyone.

This is the third or fourth book I have read by Renita D'Silva_ and it did not disappoint_ the characters are engaging and well developed- for me to like a book-i must have chARacters I care for-each and every charActer had depth and one could easily empathize with each. The story is engrossing and has nice twists-

A truly beautiful book with descriptions so evocative they planted me straight into the heart of Indian culture and the secrets of family life. The way Renita expresses her words are truly poetic and ooze colour. There are so many memorable phrases. "said in a voice slippery as melted butter," and "fear dappling her face and shadows shivering in her eyes." Renita's descriptions of cooking will make you hungry, her strong female characters will make you proud and the grief will make you weep. I read this on kindle but now going to buy on paperback. This is a novel I want on my bookshelf for all of time. Loved it!

I received a copy of the book from the author for an honest review.

Once again, Renita D'Silva has shared the culture and flavour of India in a wonderful tale of two sisters and events that changed their lives. She is a gifted story teller who, with her words, can make you feel like you're in the middle of her story, experiencing the colourful sights, sounds and even the smells of India while relating to her marvellous characters. Thank you for another amazing story and I am looking forward to reading your next work in progress.

What a fabulous book and what a fabulous writer. It's nice to discover a new author you really rate, and this is one of those times. Right from the opening pages it's obvious that Renita D'Silva is a very gifted writer. I loved the book and have already recommended it to friends and family. A Sister's Promise is a ray of bright sunshine on a grey winter day.

A brilliant, beautiful, evocative read about family bonds and what is really important in this life. I am a huge fan of Renita D'Silva, her descriptions are magnificent and she paints such vivid and wonderful pictures that by reading her books I feel like I know her characters, have met them and walked through the landscapes and buildings she describes. To read one of Renita D'silva's books is to escape to another world - sometimes hard, but often beautiful - and you are always left with something to think about.

Powerful and unforgettable story. Beautifully written, highly evocative descriptions of sights and sounds, wonderful well developed characters. A real treat to read.
I love everything I have read by this author.

I believe this story of love and loss can make readers realize material things in this life aren’t as important as we think. It is a heartwarming tale about sisterly love and much more.
Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author) "I Saw the Light" - A True Story of a Near-Death Experience

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of books that transport me to different countries and give me insight into the culture of that country, this book ticked all the boxes and more!! The storyline was heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure.  I was hooked to find out the ending.

This will not be the last book from this author I will be reading. Excellently written.

A beautifully drawn, complex and enchanting novel. It transports the reader to India - to the sights, smells and intense colours of that country. It's a rich tapestry of visual imagery, lyrical language and ultimately is the touching story of love and its redemptive quality. The twists and turns in the story were delightfully revealed and kept me turning the pages until the end. I have never been to India, but do now feel that I have been on a sensory journey to visit this fascinating place.

I had never heard of this book and thought I would give it a try- what a great surprise! I absolutely loved it. As an avid reader I am a harsh critic and loved the characters, the plot and style of writing. It was a great treat!