3.5 StarsThis book had everything I love in a novel. Exotic location (India), a historical setting with two stories told side by side (1850s, the height of The Raj and post WWII 1947, the departure of the British), a mystery which connects the two stories and descriptive writing which easily transports one to a place and time. The three main female characters are compelling, the book is well researched and well written (for the most part) and the author makes a credible attempt to provide an objective look at events that cover two particularly volatile periods of 'recent' Indian history. There is also enough personal drama to appease those who need a healthy dose of emotional conflict. There were some fascinating insights into religion (I loved the transmutation of Immaculate Conception into Inaccurate Perception)and I thought that the author handled the gay love story with just the right amount of aplomb.As much as I wanted to give this book 4 stars, there were quite a few reasons I could not. The first was the weak start and excuse me while I put on my writer's hat here. It was very descriptive and tried to place us in the setting but failed to launch us into the story due to the over use or perhaps misuse of backstory. This is a classic shortcoming of less experienced writers as we think we have to set the scene for our readers as soon as possible. In this case, the author does such a credible job of 'showing' us the discord in the marriage in later chapters, that she really did not have to 'tell' us right up front. The only thing the backstory did was to get in the way of setting up the concurrent story through the discovery of some hidden letters, which had to fight for attention during the explanation of Evie's OCD. This lack of focus continued into the second chapter and even lingered into the third, which is when we are directly placed in the 1850 story line. It was a pleasant surprise therefore to see a totally different book emerge from chapter 4 onwards, one that was well structured and seemed to begin as a memoir of an older person. I could not help but feel that this should have been the start of the novel. The ambitious sweep of the story and the limited page count, ensured that there would be casualties. One of these was that more than once, I felt that the author had opened a door but failed to walk us through it, largely because of not connecting us emotionally to historical events. For instance, when Evie's Jewish husband, who is suffering the effects of PTSD, finally reveals what has been eating away at him since the end of the war, the author chooses to focus on the guilt of retribution as opposed to how an American Jew would have felt about witnessing some of the atrocities committed against his European counterparts. Another example is the notable lack of emotion shown by Adela when she records the events of the 1857 Sepoy rebellion and the British reprisals, which is mirrored in Evie's lack of emotional connection to the events preceding Partition. While there was a definite link in both stories between the women's domestic troubles and the political unrest at the time, the author somehow failed to capitalize on forging a stronger connection, making the women seem disconnected from the events around them. And while many reviewers liked the use of the letters and journal entries to tell the greater bulk of Felicity's and Adela's story, I think the novel would have been stronger if both stories were written as narrative, for I keenly felt the loss of Felicity's voice at critical points in the rendering of their story, for it was through Adela's journal that we learn the bulk of their history. This might then have forced the author to come up with a more plausible explanation as to how Evie comes to learn the details of the women's lives, instead of the random surfacing of letters and journals in innocuous places. All in all, the strengths far out weight the negatives and if you are a fan of historical fiction set in exotic locales, this novel delivers and then some. I found this novel at a discount store and on a whim purchased it. I am so glad I did! this book is beautifully written. The character development is excellent and the scenery of Indian towns, homes and the landscape came to life with detailed descriptions using colors, textures, tastes and scents. The social and political issues stemming from the British occupation of India (The British Raj) are captured realistically.2 storylines follow the lives of two women in the 1840's - 1850's and that of another woman in post WWII era. There are some parallels between the two timelines and their lives intersect.
What do You think about The Sandalwood Tree (2011)?
Really enjoyable read, kept me entertained, not too heavy but a serious tone. Historical too.
—sandersamia
Loved it! Rich in history and detail. Great characters.
—meag
This is very good and wonderfully written story.
—brit
