Losing Gemma

This novel tells the story of two young British women who go to India to backpack around the country. Friends since childhood, they have grown apart over the years and the main character, Esther, is hoping the trip will help reconnect them. On their journey, her friend Gemma befriends an odd woman named Coral who is part of an obscure religious sect. Suspense builds slowly and deliberately as Esther finds herself in the role of third wheel and the gap between the two lifelong friends widens into a suddenly uncrossable chasm.

Gardener is a good storyteller and draws you deeply into the adventure of these two young women. But it was the ending that got to me the most. It is a stark reminder of how profoundly our lives can be affected by show more beliefs about reality that, once held up to the light of scrutiny, are not even true. show less

"Isn't it incredible how those tiny apparently minute, spilt-second decisions can change the course of a life? If we had gone with one of the tours, or asked the backpackers how best to get into the city center, or even done the unthinkable and visited the Tourist Information Office, everything might have been different."

Girlhood friends Esther and Gemma are off on a once in a lifetime adventure--backpacking in India. Esther is confident, beautiful, and accomplished, while Gemma is a cautious homebody. Before long, Esther's dream of capriciously wandering around the exotic countryside becomes a tedious chore as she coddles timid Gemma and hides a guilty secret. Eventually Esther is forced to return home, alone. What happened to dear show more Gemma? And what is Esther supposed to do now? This tale of a friendship past its prime is a riveting page-turner.

Request this title from Howard County Library http://tinyurl.com/yrcdta show less

A backpacker thriller with a twist I didn't expect. Not as engaging as "The Beach" or as funny as "Are you experienced?", but good enough to convince me not to go to India until I can afford to do it first class.

I expected this to be better. This is a story about two friends who go to India to experience the world. They meet up with another traveler, a woman who has been backpacking across the world for a few years by the time they meet up. In a wierd way, these three women travel together to a place where few tourists ever go. And here's where it seems that all is lost. I was not able to identify with any of the women, they were all very self centered and harbored grudges against each other. I'm not sure who was more evil by the end of the book, only that I wish there had been something good to come out of it.

This book was badly written and at times barely believable in regard to the characters' actions and thoughts. As a reader, I felt the characters were immature and frustrating, and so had little to no sympathy for them. The story never really managed to draw me in, and was told rather awkwardly. I was interested in the subject and looked forward to reading the book, but in the end it seemed rather an amateurish attempt that needed a great deal more time in terms of character, detail, and editing.

interesting book, though I didn't really like the ending (solution).

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