The Storyteller's Secret

Badani beautifully weaves together the stories of Jaya, who has goes to India to escape heartbreak and to make a connection with her extended family. As she learns about the sorrows of her grandmother's life, a life that would not allow her to be with the man she loved, Jaya also ultimately learns the reason that her own mother has always been so distant with her. Badani shows us not only the way in which a society's strictures can ruin lives, but also that family secrets can cause great harm. Jaya's discovery of the truth can help her to heal not only her own wounds, but those of her mother.

Jaya has just suffered her third miscarriage. She is carrying around insurmountable grief and it has taken a toll on her marriage. When Jaya returns home to tell her parents the news, she finds out that her grandfather in India is near death and wants her mother to return. Jaya's mother remains shrouded in mystery, always attentive, but distant, Jaya's mother has never spoken of India or her parents and is adamant about not returning. Jaya takes the opportunity to escape. Once in India, Jaya is overwhelmed by the different way of life and excitement of finding out about her family. Jaya connects with Ravi, her grandmother's servant and confidante. Over time, Ravi reveals the story of Jaya's grandmother taking Jaya back to the English show more occupation. With knew knowledge and her grandmother's past revealed, Jaya begins to unravel her own pain and untangle the emotions of her own experience.

The Storytreller's Secret is an emotional journey that spans the decades. The story alternates between Jaya and Amisha's stories. The beginning of the book caught me off guard, it was a strong introduction to the unique pain of a miscarriage and the struggle that comes with it. I was intrigued by the family mysteries that awaited Jaya in India. I losved Ravi's character and his appreciation of Indian culture and life itself. Through Ravi, the history of India unfolds, the food the holiday's, the caste system and the differences between classes are shown. As Ravi tells Amisha's story, his love and respect for her is apparent. Though Amisha's story was predictable, I felt connected to her character. India in the 1920's was compelling through Amisha's eyes. I do wish there was more included about the effects of the English occupation and the war, but that was not the focus of the story. I was amazed at what Amisha was able to accomplish and the secrets that she kept. Overall, The Storyteller's secret is a moving and historical story of healing and forgiveness.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

Protagonist Jaya, experiencing marital troubles, travels to her deceased grandparents’ home in India, where she learns the story of her family’s past. Her grandmother, Amisha, lived during the British Raj era. She was a storyteller, a woman with ideas that did not fit well with the expectations of her traditional role. She wanted to be able to tell her stories in English and was tutored by a British lieutenant.

This story is a journey of discovery. In learning about her grandparents’ lives, Jaya begins to understand more about herself, her mother, and her relationship with her husband. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of holiday celebrations and India’s cultural traditions.

Where the book does not succeed as well is in show more tying together the two narratives. This really should be Amisha’s story, and Jaya’s portion feels forced. It jumps from one scene to the next without an easy flow. The “secret” is obvious early on and the ending is a bit too tidy. So, between the pluses and minuses, I can say I liked it enough to read another book by this author. show less

Overall, a good story though somewhat predicable. I had a hard time with the writing initially, a bit too wooden, but eventually curiosity took over and drew me on. I really liked the glimpses of India, I've got a long-held fascination with India and its culture and history, so this was the most interesting part of the book for me.
As to the relationships between the characters, I found them to be a bit cliché and the emotions somehow 'soap operaish'. Still, an interesting enough read though nowhere near the calibre of Arundathi Roy's God of Small Things.

A little too sweet and sophomoric when it came to the romance between Stephen and Amisha, the pacing was slow in the final third of the book and it was all very neatly, too neatly, tied up in a sweet bow for the end. However, I love books set in India and/or are cross-cultural, and the frank descriptions of what Jaya saw and learned when she finally went to India were fascinating.

Excellent story of how a woman suffering from three miscarriages finds herself and finds out why her mother seemed so distant from her growing up when she decides to go to the funeral of her grandfather in India. Her mother would not go and she needed to find out what she was hiding from her. Goodreads: From the bestselling author of Trail of Broken Wings comes an epic story of the unrelenting force of love, the power of healing, and the invincible desire to dream.Nothing prepares Jaya, a New York journalist, for the heartbreak of her third miscarriage and the slow unraveling of her marriage in its wake. Desperate to assuage her deep anguish, she decides to go to India to uncover answers to her family?s past.Intoxicated by the sights, show more smells, and sounds she experiences, Jaya becomes an eager student of the culture. But it is Ravi�her grandmother?s former servant and trusted confidant¥who reveals the resilience, struggles, secret love, and tragic fall of Jaya?s pioneering grandmother during the British occupation. Through her courageous grandmother?s arrestingly romantic and heart-wrenching story, Jaya discovers the legacy bequeathed to her and a strength that, until now, she never knew was possible. show less

Author, Sejal Badani crafts a beautiful and touching story about friendship, love, and family in The Storyteller's Secret.

While, the story may have been about Jaya learning about her grandmother's past; it was really and truly Amisha that I loved the most. Well Amisha and Ravi. Ravi was a dear friend and confidant of Amisha. I had grown just as close to him as I did Amisha.

When the story did switch to Jaya, it was in short snippets. It took me a while to warm up to Jaya. In fact, I skipped a few parts when Jaya would come up until the last several ones at the end. Speaking of the ending, it was both a happy and bittersweet ending.

Readers looking for a great book to read, should pick up a copy of this book. You will be in for a real show more treat. show less