Teatime for the Firefly

October 15, 2013
In the mid-1940s, an unconventional young Indian woman manages to defy the odds and her own inauspicious legacy to marry the man of her dreams, then must adjust to life in a remote tea garden amid the nationalistic, racial and religious discord of the times. Raised by a secular, liberal-minded grandfather, Layla Roy seems destined for an academic life, but everything changes when she meets Manik Deb, the handsome, Oxford-educated young man who is betrothed through an arranged marriage to Layla's conservative neighbor. When Manik suddenly gives up his distinguished civil service job to become a tea planter on one of the remote Assam plantations, it throws a wrench in his family's plans for him and opens the door for a future with Layla. When they are finally able to wed, Manik takes Layla with him into the eccentric, isolated tea planter's life, and the two must adjust to life together as well as to all of the idiosyncrasies of the British-dominated, colonial lifestyle of the planters. And if that's not enough, tensions of Indian independence will soon jeopardize their happy union. Debut author Patel offers a stunning, panoramic view of a virtually unknown time and place--the colonial British tea plantations of Assam--while bringing them to life through a unique character's perspective. Layla's tragic early life is offset by her association with Dadamoshai, her unorthodox grandfather, which leads her to a huge set of opportunities not generally open to Indian women of her time. The odd courtship between Manik and Layla is sweet and touching, yet watching them spread their wings and plant roots together as a young married couple is fascinating, especially against the backdrop of the Indian fight for independence and the societal violence that was its byproduct. There is so much interesting history, worldbuilding and character development in this book that readers will forgive the occasional slow pacing and the subtle transition midbook as to the type of story being told. A lyrical novel that touches on themes both huge and intimate and, like Layla, is so quietly bold that we might miss its strength if we fail to pay attention.

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October 1, 2013

Layla Roy is on the cusp of womanhood in an unsettled 1940s India, which is in the midst of gaining its independence from Britain. Layla's grandfather believes in the education of women, and thus Layla is highly educated and speaks impeccable English. Paired with her supposed unlucky birth, this convinces Layla that she will never marry. Then she meets Manik Deb, the gentleman whose marriage to Layla's rich neighbor has been arranged for many years. When Manik drops his government job and goes to work on an English tea plantation, his wedding plans are thrown aside. Manik starts writing to Layla from the plantation, and love flourishes through the written word. What follows is a wonderfully intricate world of the Assam tea plantations and the adventures and heartaches of marriage. As time goes by, Layla and Manik feel their world is relatively secure, but violence erupts as Indians fight one another over independence and religion. VERDICT The historical detail makes this debut novel a rich reading experience. Those who enjoy historical fiction and portraits of foreign cultures will surely love this book.--Kristen Stewart, Pearland Lib., Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., TX

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2013
Because she is born under an unlucky star, Layla Roy fully expects to forgo marriage in favor of following in her grandfather Dadamoshai's footsteps to help increase educational opportunities for women in India in the 1940s. However, when Layla unexpectedly bumps into Manik Deb, an Anglo-educated Indian who has stopped by her grandfather's home to leave a message, she begins to think there might be more to life than teaching. If only Manik weren't betrothed to another woman in the village. When Manik gives up a lucrative civil-service post to take up a job as an assistant manager of a tea plantation in Assam, however, the possibility of a future with Layla suddenly seems within his grasp. Patel's remarkable debut effortlessly transports readers back to India on the brink of independence, while intriguing details about the tea industry in Assam, which Patel deftly incorporates into the story, add yet another layer of richness and depth. Fans of romantic women's fiction will be enchanted by Teatime for the Firefly's enthralling characters, exotic setting, and evocative writing style.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)