The Sandalwood Tree: A Novel [Hardcover]

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

I am sucker for books about family secrets and mysteries wrapped up in books and letters. SANDALWOOD TREE promised to offer both. In 1947, right before the end of the British rule of India, Evie Mitchell and her young son join her husband in India as he pursues a Fulbright scholarship. Evie looks at this trip as both an adventure and an attempt to save her marriage to her tortured husband who came home from the war damaged. When Evie explores the bungalow they are renting, she discovers a packet of letters that chronicle a friendship between two women nearly ninety years before. Evie becomes desperate to know more about these women and attempts to find more information as she uses this mystery as a form of escape from the dissatisfaction she feels about her life and marriage. As Evie attempts to untangle her Victorian mystery, she must also confront the dangers of the India that is collapsing around her and the secrets that her own husband carries.

This book started off very slowly for me. For some reason, I just wasn't being drawn in by the characters. I loved the idea, however, so I pressed on. Initially, Newmark gives a voice to both Evie and to the Victorian friends named Felicity and Adela. About halfway through, however, we lose the perspective of Adela and Felicity and only learn of their stories through the clues that Evie finds. This is when the book became more enjoyable to me. I found the Victorian story much more compelling when it was revealed through the clues that Evie found. I also loved the many sides of India that Evie discovers in her search. It is such an interesting period of Indian history and I love how Newmark revealed the complexities of this time.

While the beginning wasn't promising, I ended up loving this book. I admit that I cried more than once. Evie, Felicity and Adela were all very different women and they each threw off the conventions of the times they lived in in their own way. I loved their independent spirits and the way they valued the relationships in their lives. Evie's relationship with her husband and young son were also very compelling. Overall, I loved the story and find myself underlining several passages.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended. After a rough start, this ended up being a wonderful book. A compelling story about two very different periods in Indian history and a look at some independent women who defied convention in order to live their lives without reservation.

I really enjoyed Elle Newmark's previous novel, The Book of Unholy Mischief. The Sandalwood Tree was my most awaited book this year. I am glad to say that it more than lived up to my expectations. The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark is an excellent read, the best book I've read this year, till now. I adore books involving long-ago secrets, mysterious letters, strong female protagonists and tragic love stories; this book offered me all of these and more. Needless to say, I LOVED this book! Yes, LOVED!

In 1947, Americans Evie and Martin Mitchell, along with their young son, move to Simla, a hill station in India. Martin, a historian, wants to document the events surrounding the end of British rule in India after a period of more than two hundred years. For Evie, following her husband to India is a last resort to save her marriage. However, Martin is still battling his horrific memories and dreams of the World War II. The Mitchells are mesmerized and quite taken with India. But 1947 is a turbulent time. The date of partition is approaching. The future appears dangerous as India is to be divided into two - a separate country called "Pakistan" is about to be created. Chaos and violence ensues due to the inevitable clash between Hindus and Muslims. Evie doesn't believe that the violence can touch the peaceful Simla and doesn't want to leave the country.

Martin and Evie, once so much in love, are now falling apart. All of Evie's attempts to restore her marriage fail. Her life looks bleak and lonely. Things change, as Evie comes across some hidden letters, written almost hundred years ago. She's drawn towards these letters, written by two Englishwomen, Adela and Felicity. As her marriage falls apart further and violence reigns over India, she becomes more and more obsessed with the mystery. The letters become her own little secret, her solace.

There are two story-lines running simultaneously - Evie's journey towards uncovering the secrets of the letters as well as Adela and Felicity's story. Entwined in all of this are two love stories that will stir you deeply. While Adela and Felicity's story is beautiful and heartbreaking, it's Evie's voice that I was drawn to the most. She's dissatisfied and desperate, lonely and unhappy. My heart went out to her.

The most captivating thing about The Sandalwood Tree is the author's enchanting, stunning portrayal of India, especially Simla. At first, I was quite doubtful about how the author would depict the most important year in Indian history. But Elle Newmark seems to have done so much of research. I learned things that I didn't know despite having studied History for four years in school (the major part of which encompassed the freedom struggle). I was transported to 1947 India and I could see everything through Evie's eyes. It's always interesting to read another perspective on the Partition and the freedom movement. I loved how objective the author was. Through Evie's voice, she has presented both sides of the argument- both the British and the Indian perspective. The description of Simla is especially enthralling - the way the author has described the Himalayas, the people, the bazaars and so on. I've been to Simla twice; somehow my interest in the place is rekindled and I can't wait to visit again. Of course, much has changed since 1947.

I've heard some horror stories of the Partition from my grandfather, as well as read about it; so I could relate to the events described in the book. We all know about the tensions between India and Pakistan, all going back to the Partition. I wonder - what if the division had not happened? I feel we gained as well as lost something in 1947. I'd prefer to have peace and friendship rather than the bitterness and prejudices that still prevail.

Evie, Felicity and Adela are such fascinating women, each different and yet connected. Their stories will mesmerize you and even make you teary-eyed. One of the most powerful aspects of the book, for me, is Evie's relationship with her son, Billy. Some of their scenes together really tugged at my heartstrings.

There were some minor problems I had with the book. There's a storyline that stops midway, which I wished the author had pursued further. Moreover, though I love Evie, some things she did really bothered me. Despite these, the good points outdo the few bad ones.

The Sandalwood Tree gives out some relevant messages about forgiveness, acceptance, love and happiness. Lush Imagery combined with characters that remain with you, make The Sandalwood Tree a memorable read. Beautiful and evocative writing brought to life the characters and the setting, creating a lingering effect in my mind.

Overall:
Beautiful, compelling and heartrending story of three women during British India.

Recommended?
Highly recommended! If you love vivid imagery and "exotic" settings, this one's for you.

he book is like a story within a story. The book begins with the framing story of a woman, Evie, in 1947, who accompanies her husband and young son to India with the dual purpose of seeking adventure and hoping to mend her failing marriage with a man just returned from World War II, broken. When she discovers a bundle of 90-year-old letters hidden in the wall during a cleaning frenzy, the second story of the friendship between Felicity and Adela is revealed. From there, Evie's story diverges from that of Felicity and Adela's as Evie struggles to find more evidence of the two other women's existence and uses her fascination as a distraction from the political turmoil occurring around her.
The British are pulling out of India and separating the religious factions of Muslims and Hindus into the two countries of India and Pakistan, causing chaos and mayhem all over the country of India. The imagery and descriptions that Newmark fills the pages with are mesmerizing in their intensity and splendor. The colors, smells, and sounds have me half-falling in love with India to the point that I search for images online to match what I am reading to get a clearer picture of what the characters experience. Even though I struggled to stay interested in the plot for the first third of the book, the descriptions kept me reading and reading.
Felicity and Adela's story begins from childhood, describing how Felicity was born in India, but fostered with Adela's family. The infamous husband hunt brought them both back to India through different means, though neither had any interest in a husband, for different scandalous reasons. Residing in the same home that Evie now occupies, Felicity and Adela shun the conventional life of an Englishwoman in India, instead adopting an independent lifestyle and embracing India in all its diverse beauty.
Evie herself also seeks to shun what is expected of her, desiring to fully experience the culture of India all around her and use it to heal the problems in her own life. Eventually, she reconnects with the story of the two other women, even as major obstacles present themselves in both her private life and in the immediate villages. Letters take over the narration of Felicity and Adela's tale as Evie finds more to continue the story, instead of the author simply narrating what Evie can't find.
On the whole, the novel was beautifully written and contained a worthwhile plot, though I struggled to stay interested at the beginning. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery and craves the beauty of India.