This novel open with this proverb -

'An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break'                                      
                                                                     -An ancient Chinese proverb

Once in a blue moon, we come across an exceptional novel. A novel so worthy of its name. An Invisible Thread is one such novel. Its a true story of compassion. It reminds us about the humanity of the strangers we come across every day in our lives.

It was 1986.
A successful sales ad rep, Laura Schroff, walks by an eleven year old beggar on the streets of Manhattan. He asked her for spare change but she kept on walking. But something stopped her on her tracks. She was in the middle of the road! She went back to him. 

'Stopping was never part of the plan...' she said but the boy had such sad eyes and told her he was really hungry. An instead of just giving the boy, Maurice, a quarter, Laura took him out for lunch.

They made a plan to meet every Monday and from then on, what started off as an innocent lunch turned into a life-changing unexpected friendship that spanned three decades!  

As Laura tells us Maurice's story, she also relates her own father's alcoholism and abuse. It makes me as a reader realise how both Maurice and Laura needed each and eventually saved each other.

This is a book of restoring faith in each other and the very fact that maybe everything is going to be ok after all.

 This novel has 19 chapters and 231 pages. There is also suggestions for book club discussions at the end. I finished the novel in 4-5 days. I simply couldn't put it down. Its written very concisely and simply and moving at some parts. No wonder it was NY Times Bestseller! 

Overall rating : A+ (yes believe it not, this novel got the highest rating. Read the novel, you'll agree with me)

'It is said that one can fake a smile but never the true expression in one's eyes. And in every photo, the eyes sparkle and speak warmly of a bygone era'

Fresh out of my docent training at the Malay Heritage Centre, I was interested in all things Malay. The history of the beautiful precinct of Kampong Glam and its majestic Istana Kampong Glam which is now the Malay Heritage Centre, The glorious Sultan Mosque originally built in 1824 and restored to its present glory in 1928. But not much is known about an adjourning building in front of the main entrance of the Malay Heritage Centre - Gedung Kuning at 73 Sultan Gate.  I was keen on finding out more about the history of this building and was fortunate when a fellow docent had this book to pass it on to us.

Gedung Kuning translates to Yellow Mansion in Malay. It was originally built as a home for the Prime Minister (or the Bendahara) to the Sultan, It was bought over by Haji Yusoff 'Tali Pinggang' and was their family home from 1912 to 1999. It was then acquired by the Singapore government under the Land Acquisition Act in Aug 1999. What used to house 6 families all under one roof is now preserved as a historic building under the Malay Heritage Centre.   

Hidayah Amin (featured below), one of Haji Yusoff's great grand daughters revisits her childhood home. She writes about the many memories of growing up in this beautiful mansion. 

This is what Hidayah had to say :

'Gedung Kuning is indeed as regal as its name and owner. It stood strong during the Japanese occupation. It witnessed the seasons of Haji Yusoff's family through four generations, births, death, graduations and weddings. It shared the joys and sadness of the family...Its mighty halls reverberated with pride to Quranic verses read during religious ceremonies. Its gate welcomed the poor who came to ask for alms. Even to the very last day when the family moved out, Gedung Kuning stood proud befitting its royal colour and stature.'

I took less than a week to read the 189 pages of her very personal account. It was well told and quite an enjoyable read. Throughout the novel, I felt the underlying sadness of the fact that its no longer her family home. Its perfectly relatable. I would have felt it too.

Overall rating : B 

I picked up this book out of necessity. I was travelling to Bali in 2 days and I had just finished devouring Michelle Obama's Becoming. Though a wonderful read, I did feel she was self promoting herself and all that she and Obama had done while in office a tad too much. My personal opinion, of course. 

I had no other book on standby. And I don't go on a holiday without a book. A novel to read while on holiday is to me as important as the passport itself. It is essential. Lazing around after breakfast/lunch near the pool or at the beach with a book is my favourite kind of leisure activity during any holiday.

I was in Popular Bookstore in Tampines Mall, 2 days before my trip hunting for a novel and this book caught my eye. I was more intrigued by the fact that its by the author Balli Kaur Jaswal more than the novel itself. Ms Jaswal had earlier written Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women and I thought that was rather daring to write such a controversial book for the Indian women in our traditional Indian community which frowns upon any admission of one's sexuality, no matter how advanced we are and regardless of the fact that we are living in the 21st century. India has just launched its own mission to the moon, mind you! So, why not read one of her less controversial novel for a start?  

How do you determine if you would like a book? After reading the synopsis, if you are still interested, flip to the first 2-3 pages and read. Yes, just start reading. Can you continue to read without losing interest? Is the grammar, vocabulary to your knowledge and your standard of English? Do you start imagining the scene and the characters? If yes to all, you will most definitely finish the book.  

I answered yes to all immediately after picking up this book. Though a paperback, I liked that its big hardback sized, so the words were not tiny and hadn't had to resort to my reading glasses. It was decent sized. I took a week to read all of its 320 pages sectioned into 24 chapters.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is basically a story of 3 British born Punjabi sisters Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina who must honor their deceased mother's last wishes by embarking on a pilgrimage to India.  Most of the story is set in India with some flashbacks of their lives in Britain when they were younger.

The prologue is from the point of view of Sita, who is dying of cancer. Sita, a widow in London, is a Punjabi immigrant from India and the mother of three adult daughters. Rajni, the oldest, is ten years older than Jazmeen and Shirina. Rajni helped raise her siblings after their father died, and she’s strict and controlling. Jazmeen is struggling as an actress and is the most rebellious sibling. Shirina married into an extremely traditional Indian family and lives in Australia. Sita’s dying wish is for her daughters to make a trip to India in hopes that the siblings will become closer.

The book talks a lot about the roles of mothers and mother-in-laws from the points of view of moms, mothers and mothers-in-law to be, and daughters and daughters-in-law. The story addresses the process of honoring the positive aspects of one’s culture, but also addresses how that culture can enable abuse. There were depictions of or discussion about abuse, sexual harassment, and femicide. While none of the characters has been raped, they address the issue as a source of fear. The book also touches on assisted suicide and religion.

It examines family ties very closely, particularly sisterhood. I have an older sister so I could relate to the characters quite well.  ​In the end, the many issues between the sisters are resolved and they strengthen their ties with each other. They remain connected regardless of their differences.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. The scenery described in the pages alone made the experience beautiful to read. There were many descriptions of the tantalizing Indian food, the gorgeous Indian fashion sold in sleazy bazaars all over India all which would require some serious hardcore bargaining. For any non Indian reader, it would want you to visit India!

Overall rating : B+​

 This is what Inequality looks like - a collection of essays by Teo You Yenn.

I was first introduced to this book when I chanced upon an article in the Straits Times in Singapore months back which featured excerpts from this book. I had just started my HEN Charity in March 2018 and I wanted to read this book to understand what inequality in Singapore is like.

At first glance, one may be perplexed as to why a translucent cover accompanies this book. The top translucent cover has the words in black 'This is What   Looks Like'  Only when one flips this translucent cover, can one see the word 'Inequality' in grey. It dawned on me after a few seconds that the author Prof Teo You Yenn was trying to convey a message to the readers that one has to uncover to find inequality in Singapore. A well thought of ploy by the author to make us think deeper.

Poverty is indeed well hidden in Singapore. It is present but the Singapore government 'hides' them by putting up poor and homeless people in highly subsidised rental flats scattered all over Singapore. The government cannot afford to have homeless people sleeping in bus stand shelters/void decks/beaches or have beggars on the streets. It has to maintain a squeaky clean image to attract investors and tourists to our green city.  I understand its concerns as a proud Singaporean. In fact, I so admire and have a huge amount of respect for Mr Lee Kuan Yew for transforming Singapore from a third world country to a first in such a short span of just 50 years. 

But I wanted to find out more. If we are an economic miracle that blew critics minds and if we are a first world developed country, why do we have 20% of our citizen population suffering in poverty? Yes, I admire that the government has come up with a slew of programmes to help the needy, but why such a large percentage? What is lacking? What can be done to reduce this number? (For your info, to qualify for assistance in Singapore, one must not be earning more than $1,500 in total combined monthly household income or less than $650 per capita per  household.)

This book was written by Prof Teo who works in the Sociology Department in NUS. She had spent hours in households of these low income families in Singapore, sometimes sitting on the floor to have candid conversations with a real thirst to understand their situation better. On the opening page, this caught my attention,

'When I get in the car, I am still usually thinking of the people I just met, recalling the stories they've shared. Sometimes I am sweaty from walking around for a few hours; if the topic of bedbugs had come up, I feel phantom itches on my arms and legs.'
​(Page 17)

Having had a first hand account of  stepping into a low income household because of delivering food donations from donors under HEN, I could totally relate to what she was saying. And she goes on to say

'...where I can easily say to my family ,"I'm too tired to cook tonight, let's eat out"; where I can walk into any shop, museum or a restaurant and be greeted as a potential customer' (Page 18)
The people from the low income households just can't. They simply do not have the means to. Where there is a constant worry where the next meal is going to come from. What about the schoolfees, uniforms and textbooks? How can you help your children if they are not doing well in school? The fact that you can't afford to arrange for tuition for them. The fact that you avoid bringing your children to malls because of the guilt you feel because you can't buy whatever the kids are asking for. I read all these with such a heavy heart. From a yong age, these children have not been blessed.They have to make do with what their parents can afford to give them.

'Wants are often Needs' (Page 184)
Very well said, Prof Yeo. When we want the latest gadgets or the children want a pair of soccer boots, its because they need it to help them fit into their social circle. To want to feel belonged to. To feel the need for respect, love and acceptance. 

'Dignity is like clean air. You do not notice its absence unless it is in short supply. ' (Page 194)
People from low income families are often treated everyday with disrespect because they are mostly employed in jobs that are in the lower rungs of the job type. The cashiers, the cleaners, the road sweepers, toilet cleaners... one doesn't make eye contact with them. They are treated as invisible. 

Lastly, it features accounts or quotes from social workers themselves who work closely with the underprivileged community. These selfless saints who work to make the lives of the others better feel personally that mindsets have to change, which I agree to as well. 

I absolutely loved this book even though I took so long to read it. It is a personal touching account of the everyday struggles faced by low-income families in Singapore. 

Published by Ethos books and comprising 285 pages. Get it at Kinokuniya for $25. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to know more about the invisible but who still exist low-income community in Singapore. ​

​Overall Rating : A

Silk Road Vegetarian is my second Cookbook review. I chanced upon this gem of a cookbook while in a local bookstore desperately looking for a book for our next Book Club discussion.    We couldn't agree on anything specific then and while browsing, the cashier said that there was a 20% discount storewide and I got quite excited when she told me that. I quickly moved to the Cooking section and after browsing for 20 minutes through various other titles including those from renowned chef Nigella Lawson, only this book - Silk Road Vegetarian - got my attention.

​I can imagine you asking or wondering why in the world would anyone be buying cookbooks when the Internet is filled with throes of online recipes? Its always nice to hold a book and review the recipes and salivate over the gorgeous pictures. Physical books have thousands of years of history and I still believe in them.

This Cookbook traces the culinary journey of Dahlia Abraham -Klein whose ancestors headed east from ancient Israel to central Asia, joining countless other travellers in the Silk Route, where both commodities and cultures mingled. The Silk Route was an ancient network of trade routes connecting the East and the West and stretching from the Korean Peninsula and Japan to the Mediteranean Sea. As you can see in the map above it stretches from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkmenistan, and passed through India and China.

​Dahlia has now settled in New York but has captured her family recipes very beautifully in this book. The food she grew up with was an intermarriage of exotic tastes from Asian, African, European, Indian and even some latin dishes.  The book opens with her culinary pilgrimage.

The Contents Page

It will be quite a useful book for all beginner cooks - The Spice Pantry covers the different spices which were a vital commodity in the Silk Road and without which our food will be so so bland. Needless to say. She explains with pictures what is a cardamom, fennel seeds  and the different types of grains specifically for the novice cook. The basic preparation also covers freezing vegetables which I thought was something useful to know.

Diving into the recipes proper, Dahlia has divided her recipes into 8 section and starts  off with the very Basics :
Basics -  e.g Hummus Dip, North African Chilli Paste 
Appetizers - e.g. Persian Cucumber Yoghurt Dip
Soup - e.g. Lentil & Carrot Soup
Salads - e.g Middle Eastern Lemon Potato Salad 
​Main dishes - e.g Sweet-Savoury Chickpea Curry
​Rice Dishes - e.g - Swiss Chard Pilaf
Side Dishes e.g - Sesame Noodles
​Desserts - e.g. Halvah Parfait

All in all,  122 recipes have been shared in Silk Road Vegetarian and Dahlia has categorised then under Vegan, Gluten Free or Dairy Free for the health conscious. Each recipe is wholesome and delicious. A real keeper.

My 14 year old daughter Ranya told me to read this book. She said it is a moving book and that she couldn't stop crying when she reached the ending. It wasn't a thick book so I agreed (I actually agreed more to avoid her 'How come you can read Riya's book? (having read Riya's literature book Wonder) But not mine?'

​Stolen is Lucy Christopher's (See author's picture below) debut 2009 novel and published in UK. The book is set in the Great Sandy Desert of Australia. It tells the story of 16 year old British Gemma who is waiting for her flight in Bangkok on her way to Vietnam with her parents.  24 year old Ty kidnaps her and takes her to Australia and holds her captive in a shack in the middle of dry sandy hot desert. Gemma finds out that he has been stalking her for the last 6 years and that his motive for kidnapping her was to make her fall in with him! ( Dude - there are so many other ways to make a girl fall in love with you. Kidnapping her is definitely not an option!)

Gemma tries to escape but fails. Ty finds her and brings her back to the shack and nurses her with tender loving care. Gemma starts falling in love with him... will she eventually stay back with him isolated from the world with no other person in sight and with only camels, chickens, snakes and lizards for company? Or will she somehow escape and get back with her parents?  You have to read the novel to find out.

Stolen is written from Gemma's perpective as a letter to her captor Ty. It has been classified under young adult fiction . But I thought the novel was written very well. Not once did I feel that I was reading from a 16 year old's view. There are basically only 2 main characters Gemma and Ty and little here and there is written about her friends back home, Anna, Ben, Josh and a female camel they catch in the dessert.  When Ty asks Gemma what name to give her, Gemma replies Stolen because she has been stolen away from her herd. Very nicely said, Gemma.

​Stolen has won a couple of awards Branford Boase Award, Printz Honor Award and shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Award. It has also been translated into French, Greek,  German and Dutch.

​I would recommend this book definitely to any teenagers or young adults. It comprises 304 pages. Available online in Amazon or check out any of your local bookstores.

The Constant Princess is Philippa Gregory's 2005 historical fiction novel set in Tudor England in the 1400s- 1500s. It is essentially the story of Queen Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife and her rise to power  in England.

​The novel begins with scenes in the borders of Spain where Princess Catalina, as a 3 year old, sees her mother's astounding tenacity and willpower. Queen Isabella leads her army against the Moors and eventually captures Spain. Catalina is betrothed to the ill-fated crown Prince of England, Arthur. As a child bride, Princess Catalina of Spain becomes Princess of Wales at the age of 16.  Prince Arthur dies after just 5 months of marriage and in his deathbed, he extracts a promise from Catalina that she will marry his brother  Harry (Henry VIII ) so as to ensure she becomes Queen of England.

Henry VII, her father-in-law lusts after her and proposes marriage instead. She initially accepts but gives up the idea when she realises that she will not have any power over England.  Bitterly rejected, Henry VII betroths  Harry  to Catalina but refuses to give her her allowance forcing her and her Spanish entourage into poverty.  After 7 long years of waiting where her father-in-law dies suddenly of an illness, Harry (Henry VIII) finally marries Catalina and becomes Queen of England.  She then has complications in her pregnancy, miscarriage and then subsequently her firstborn a boy, declared Duke Of Cornwall,  dies tragically 2 months later. The Scots declare war on England and the novel ends where Queen Katherine leads her English army to a glorious victory.

​It was my first historical fiction and I found it quite intense. I took 2 weeks to read 528  pages paperback but I could have easily finished it in a week, if not for my usual distractions.  It is a lively read, no doubt. There were narrative hooks, motifs, character contrasts and comparisons that kept the story connected. If you like history, you would like this novel. Even though her resolve to become Queen of England at any cost was admirable,  I did feel sorry for Queen Katherine as I felt she had a hard life, facing one unfortunate event in her life after another. Even in the end, she fights for her marriage and fights to remain the Queen of England till she dies. Her immense patience and perseverance through all her misfortune and to wait 7 long years in poverty and misery - hats off to Queen Katherine!

We had our book club discussion about The Constant Princess on Monday and we had a lively chat about the internal strength of Queen Katherine. We discussed about how our own mothers have had such a tremendous deep influence on us and on our values that sees us through this day.

During our discussions, we try to have food that somehow follows the the theme of the book we are discussing. (See Picture below). As The Constant Princess was set in Spain, England and involved France, I had prepared Spanish Omelette and Spanish Balsamic Chickpea Salad. Angie brought scones and we also had fruit cakes (from Aparna), nuts (from Sherin)  and mini French Baguettes. We washed it down with cold ice lemon tea and hot coffee afterwards. All in all, we had a wonderful Book Club brunch at my place.   We have grown from 3 to 7 in 6 months! (Two other ladies couldn't join us yesterday.)

We are always on the lookout for new members. If you live in the East of Singapore and you're a devoted reader, we welcome you to join us. Do feel free to contact me at niloiyer@gmail.com

The Constant Princess is available in Amazon for US$7. There are other books in the series too... The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Lover, The Queen's Fool etc. We have laid off historical fiction for a while to give ourselves a break from an intense read. Look out for my  next book review soon on Stolen by Lucy Christopher. 

Wonder by R J Palacio is my first children's novel to review. In between books and while waiting for The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory for our next Book Club discussion in March, Riya my 12 year old passed me her school Literature book to read. Being a Potterhead, she has been bugging me to read the entire Harry Potter series! I have been evading her citing housework and the fact that there are like 7 thick books to read,  for a while now. So I couldn't escape this time :)   

​Wonder is a 2012 novel and has received many awards and recognition.

One of Time Magazine's
100 Best Young Adult Books
of all Time

An Entertainment Weekly
10 Great Kids' Books
Selection

​A Parent Magazine's
​Top 10 Book of the Year 

​Wonder is soon to be a major motion picture and is a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

​August Pullman or Auggie as he is fondly called is born with a facial abnormality. Home schooled till 10, his mom decides to send him to a public school in Grade 5. He joins Breecher Prep School, New York with much reluctance. Being a new kid in a school is already hard. Imagine being a new kid with facial difference from the rest?? How can he convince his classmates and schoolmates that he is just like them inside, despite his  E T like appearance?  

​It is a nice feel good book with a lot of lessons to be learnt. Told from the perspectives of Auggie, his sister Olivia, his good friends Jack, Summer and Olivia's best friend Miranda and split into 8 parts.  Some quotes from the novel :

​'Your deeds are your monuments.  We should be remembered for the things we do. They are more important than what we look like or what we say' - Auggie in English class.

​'Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing' - Auggie when he gets a hearing aid.

​'...You don't need your eyes to love, right? You just feel it inside you...Its just love, and no one forgets who they love.'  - Auggie's sister Olivia when asked how do people recognize each other in heaven.

​'Kinder than necessary...Because its not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed. Wherever you are, whenever you can, if you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world would be a better place'. Mr Tushman, principal of Breecher Prep School giving his graduation speech.

Excellent for pre teens and even 8 - 10 year olds to read. I thought it was  little youngish for a 12 -13 year old, though.  Consisting of 310 pages in medium sized font, Wonder would make a lovely gift for your children, nieces or nephews.

​R J Palacio ​is an American author living in New York. Her chance encounter one day with an extraordinary child in front of an ice cream store made her realize the time has come for her to write her first novel. Wonder is the product of that realization.

The movie was released in 2015 and I believe it was the best movie adaptation I have seen so far. Directer by David Fincher ( the same director who directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and starring cool handsome Ben Affleck and beautiful blond Rosamund Pike. The  ending of the movie was slighly different from that of the novel.  But no change in story line. The soundtrack was equally amazing. Composed by Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross. I especially liked Sugar Storm.  

​I was blown away first by the movie, then by the music and then by the novel. Read it to love it.

​Available at most bookstores for US$ 10.

​