Christina here and can you believe it’s already time for our monthly round-up of Wenchly reads and recommendations! No idea where the time goes … As always, it is a very mixed selection, from generational stories to timeslips and everything in between. Have a look and see if anything takes your fancy!
Pat: Sonali Dev, THE VIBRANT YEARS, is a fast-paced book that sucked me in from the very first, even if I usually despise women’s fiction where everyone is beautiful, talented, and brilliant. The three-generational protagonists here are Indian, so their obstacles aren’t just jealous bosses or spiteful exes, which was refreshing. They’re fighting against their culture, the expectations of family, and their own fears. The youngest is a genius computer programmer who can’t relate to people but is desperate to save her mental health software from an ex. Her mother destroyed her loving marriage by daring to take on a TV career that was destined to spit out someone her age and race. And the grandmother … We should all have grandmothers like Bindu, gorgeous, free-spirited, and trapped by humiliating old memories and fears. When a wealthy, famous lover dies in Bindu’s arms, causing outrage in her senior community, all three women come together in support. The last half of the book has a lot of mental perambulation, but by that time, you’re hooked into their stories and need to know how they fare in life and love. Definitely recommended.
