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By Eastern Windows
Gretta Curran Browne, author
THE TRUE STORY OF A YOUNG BRITISH OFFICER, IN LOVE, IN INDIA, WHO WENT ON TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEN OF HIS TIME.
Set in the beauty of Scotland, the magic of India, and the hostility of China, peopled with memorable characters of all races, By Eastern Windows is the story of a Lieutenant Lachlan macquarie, posted to India where he meets Jane Jarvis, a young girl from the Caribbean – beautiful, different and exciting – who becomes the greatest love, and the greatest tragedy, of his life.
It is also the story of the young men who travelled with him, far from home, serving their King in a country they came to love, while coping with the complex differences between East and West.
“Fabulous, exotic, engrossing … fresh and authentic in every detail … it has to be the best book I have read about the British in India since M. M. Kaye’s "The Far Pavilions" – Dr Aileen Keegan.
"Another wonderful book by Gretta Curran Browne. She not only captures the times but the emotions of the characters flawlessly." -- Sharon Stark
Not at all what I expected, this delightful book weaves an intricate tale of the young Scots soldier , an intense romance, heartbreak and just a bit of war. In exotic places, in long ago times, I enjoyed every skilfully crafted word. -- Doris S. Sanders
"If authors such as this one could bottle their writing formula and sell it they'd make millions. From the opening pages I was hooked." -- Garth R. Mailman.
A complete stand-alone novel - and also the first in "The Macquarie Series".
Plot/Idea: 8 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.25 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: Showing tremendous skill as an author and historian, Browne crafts an epic and multilayered love story that unfolds against the backdrop of British India.
Prose: Browne's prose is slow to hit its stride, yet as the story progresses, the author's work shows subtlety, poetry, and restraint.
Originality: The novel's exploration of its moment in history is graceful and uncommon, while the story's dramatic sensibility is engrossing.
Character Development: Browne's characterizations are somewhat inconsistent; her female characters are developed with a particularly organic and seamless touch.
Date Submitted: June 10, 2017