Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies
Plot:
It’s 1930 and Eliza Fraser, a 28 year old widowed photojournalist, is sent by the British Government to Rajputana, India.
Her assignment is to photograph the royal family for a year but Eliza realizes soon she is not welcome at the palace…
Everyone thinks she is a British spy and to complicate matters she finds herself in love with Jayant Singh Rathore, the prince’s brother that, as part of the royal family, cannot marry a foreign.
It turns out the British Government might indeed have a hidden plan for Eliza.
Also.. this isn’t Eliza’s first trip to India and light will be thrown on the story of her family’s tragedy when she was a child and her father was killed.
How will she handle the situation?
Will she follow her head or her heart?
Personal Thoughts:
“…she took photographs of it all: the poor, the lost and the seemingly forgotten. And it entered her head that by recording the plight of the poor she might be able to find a way to give voice to the voiceless.”
Up to the first 40% of the story I had a really good feeling about this book but…
I completely lost interest when Eliza and Jay get “sticky with sweat” (yeah…That’s an actual quote used multiple times @_@) and ridiculous, unbelievable drama unfolds.
Unfortunately both plot and characters end up being predictable and utterly ridiculous.
The romance is very slow burning and the wait doesn’t “pay off” when they get officially together.
Of course it’s a very personal opinion… we all have a different taste and tolerance for drama, mine is fairly low.
I have to say the author is able to depict India’s vibrancy and contrasts in 1930 superbly and that’s one of the reason it saddens me to give such a low rating.
I tried to pick the book up again two times but I’m not enjoying the MCs and the plot anymore hence…
DNF ~70%
⭐ 1 Star ⭐
Triggers:
Violence. Remenber It is set in 1930 India…
Recommended to:
Wouldn’t recommend it but it might interest people fascinated with stories set in India.
Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies
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