Fans of Rosie Thomas will love this well researched novel, with its vibrant tastes of a bygone life in India, it's breathtaking descriptions evoking rich visual images of life in the heights of Kashmir, a rich valley spreading ahead, and the comparisons of parallel lives both in the Welsh mountains and the highlands of Switzerland. Yet within this background unfolds the story of a quest to discover the truth about the life of Mair's grandmother, the wife of a Welsh missionary, who 70 years previously had been called to a frugal life helping the poor in these northern regions of India, and in particular her quest to discover the story of the valuable, priceless Kashmir Shawl.
The two stories are intertwined throughout the book - the story of Mair's grandmother Nerys and of Mair's quest- her research through personal letters, use of technology and finally by following in her mother's footsteps and meeting locals in Kashmir who may be able to assist her. Slowly the pieces link together, times gone by when, during the war years a baby is born as the result of an adulterous affair, lives are tragically lost. Mair travels through three countries in two continents before she has unravelled her grandmother's story and can travel back to India to disclose what she has discovered and complete the circle.
This story is meticulous in its historical and geographical research and also reveals a tender story of first love, loyalty, bravery, treachery, determination and hope. It's a real page-turner.
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