I was apparently so keen to read this novel that I reserved a library copy and then bought the (discounted) Kindle version too! The story was okay and the characters sympathetic if a little tropey, but the pacing was very slow - too much introspection and bickering between the sisters.

After the death of their mother, UK born Punjabi sisters Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina travel to India on a pilgrimage to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, following her last wishes. Rajni, the eldest daughter, has just received a shocking announcement from her son, wild child Jezmeen is struggling with public humiliation, and little sister Shirina, who lives in Australia with her new husband and formidable mother in law, has a impossible decision to make. The three women haven't been close for years, and the circumstances of their mother's death on top of personal problems combine to overshadow what was supposed to be a celebration of family and culture.

I also want you to experience the familiarity of our ancestral state. You girls are British, yes, but all the previous generations of our family lived in India. It is in your blood – the language, the food, the way things are, these things are not erased just because you grew up elsewhere.

I think I did get a sense of Delhi and Amritsar, the Sikh religion and the inequalities and injustices faced by women in Indian cities. The sisters are first generation British Punjabis, born and raised in London, so I felt like the characters were judging Indian culture rather than the author. Shirina's big secret and the truth about the mother's death were easy to predict, but I was happy that everything came right in the end - the clinic farce was a bit jarring, though! The author balanced family relations and deeper cultural commentary well, just not enough to keep my imagination engaged throughout. ( )

Easy read about how three sisters with their own guilt and secrets bond on a pilgrimage to India which was their mother’s last request. ( )

India, sisters ( )

Not great but readable ( )