Lilac Skies
Lilac Skies by Shivani Bansal, published by Orion Publishing Group, Limited on September 29, 2022, is a 352-page novel written in English. The story follows Meena, a young girl from Punjab, India, who is thrust into an arranged marriage with a stranger living in Kenya during the tumultuous year of 1942. As she navigates her new life in a foreign land, Meena grapples with the challenges of her marriage and the cultural tensions of colonial rule, all while yearning for the familiarity of home.
Readers will find a narrative that explores themes of family life, marriage, and the resilience of women. As Meena transitions from girlhood to womanhood, she discovers the importance of the friendships she forms in Nairobi, which become her anchor in a world that feels alien. Lilac Skies delves into the complexities of identity and belonging, offering insights into the experiences of women facing societal expectations and personal desires.
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‘Deeply personal and unique … a refreshing read and would love to see more from this author’ FIVE STARS’
‘I was instantly lost in a story that spans many generations’ FIVE STARS
‘Really absorbing story – heart wrenching at times’ FIVE STARS
Can she find home in a foreign land?
Punjab, India. It’s 1942 and Meena is still a girl when her parents tell her she is to be married, in five days, to a total stranger. What’s more, he lives in Kenya. A different country, a different continent, thousands of miles away from everything she knows. She doesn’t want to marry, but with four brothers and sisters, Meena knows she will be a burden to her parents if she stays. And it isn’t her decision to make.
Nairobi, Kenya. Meena’s new home is beyond anything she could have imagined. Nairobi is beautiful, but tensions under the colonial British rule run high. She is told she is lucky because her husband Amar is young and handsome, but all is not as it seems within her marriage… Tucked away from the outside world, Meena spends her time by the mango tree dreaming of going home… until she realises the friendships that she forges here are all she can hold onto.
Going from girl to woman in a strange land, can Meena find a way to finally make her life her own?
For fans of Dinah Jeffries, Janet Macleod Trotter and Jenny Ashcroft, Lilac Skies is a heart-wrenching, immersive debut guaranteed to sweep you away.
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Readers are loving Lilac Skies:
‘An incredible story of just how strong women can be’ FIVE STARS
‘If you like writing that sweeps you away then this is the one’ FIVE STARS
‘Amazing insight into another culture, and so beautifully written’ FIVE STARS
‘I flew through this book – once you start reading it is difficult to put down!’ FIVE STARS
‘A powerful and heart-breaking historical novel that consumed me’ FIVE STARS
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