The Direction of the Wind: A Novel
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- Create Date：2023-01-03 08:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mansi Shah
- ISBN：B09RWQXBQ7
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Michel Gallegos
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such a great storyI read this book in one day。 As each chapter moved from Nita to Sophie， I could hardly wait to see the next chapter。 What was she going to do next。 It is a tragic story for Nita but a triumph for Sophie。 What a great family tale！
Rachel Weber
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3。75 stars rounded up to 4: Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this lovely novel。 This is a bittersweet story of a young woman （Sophie） finding herself through learning about her mother's （Nita） past。 I really enjoyed the dual timeline and especially liked reading of the Gujarati/Indian culture that was woven very strongly throughout this novel。 The characters are likeable， for the most part， and you find yourself really rooting for Sophie and Nita。 Ther 3。75 stars rounded up to 4: Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this lovely novel。 This is a bittersweet story of a young woman （Sophie） finding herself through learning about her mother's （Nita） past。 I really enjoyed the dual timeline and especially liked reading of the Gujarati/Indian culture that was woven very strongly throughout this novel。 The characters are likeable， for the most part， and you find yourself really rooting for Sophie and Nita。 There is a lot of sadness in this book: grief， addiction， poverty， and a particularly abusive man in Nita's life， but it was always outlined in a bit of hope。 The book ended on an interesting note that I'm still pondering。。。but I think that might be more because I am a white woman with little knowledge or experience of Indian culture and arranged marriages。 I did find the book to be a bit repetitive and perhaps a little over-explanatory of the protagonist's feelings， but I was never bored with the story。 I'm also a little disappointed that we didn't get more of the non-primary protagonists。 I especially loved Naresh and Manoji and wish we could have far more of Sophie's， in a sense， found family。 This is an author I would like to read more of and I'm grateful that NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this book that I may have not otherwise even heard about！ 。。。more
Becca - PrettyLittleMemoirs
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When Sophie was a young child， her mother passed away。 For so long， it was just her and her dad against the world。 Whilst all her friends branched out of adolescence and got married as dutifully presumed of them， Sophie stayed。 She spent the time with her dad， wanting to hold on to the last piece of parental love she had。 After he passes away， whilst her Aunts are packing away his things—something Sophie can’t bring herself to do—she overhears them talking about her arranging a marriage for her When Sophie was a young child， her mother passed away。 For so long， it was just her and her dad against the world。 Whilst all her friends branched out of adolescence and got married as dutifully presumed of them， Sophie stayed。 She spent the time with her dad， wanting to hold on to the last piece of parental love she had。 After he passes away， whilst her Aunts are packing away his things—something Sophie can’t bring herself to do—she overhears them talking about her arranging a marriage for her with an available suitor， glad that someone will still choose her even though she should’ve been married long ago。 But when they talk of her mother as if she’s still alive， Sophie is visibly confused。 And when she does some digging into old things in her father’s room， she finds that her mother， Nita， might still be out there。 Alive—the missing half of her heart desiring to find her。Nita had everything she should ever want: a husband， daughter， the content feeling of togetherness in her hometown that so many people wish for。 But something within her always felt unsettled， as if she was meant to be someone—somewhere—else。 Following a blind intuition， Nita swept away to Paris， France， to a culture and atmosphere she felt her heart truly belonged， seeking the kind of creativity the city oozed with。 But her dream reality came with a price。 Not only the pain of leaving her family behind， but the ways in which the domino effect would fall into every other thing that followed could never have been anticipated by Nita。 And as Sophie jets off to Paris—putting her upcoming arranged marriage in jeopardy—she searches leads and clues for her mother。 But when the fragments come together to paint a portrait of the mother she thought she knew， it’s not just a changed person she’s seeking to find—but herself， too。Overall， The Direction Of The Wind swept me away to a world of intrigue， tugs on the heartstrings and raw， poignant characters that made for easy reading。 My heart ached for Sophie and Nita， for the lives they wanted and the feelings they felt， through disaster and love and all the inbetweens。 This was above all a moving， heartfelt novel that awes as it explores finding yourself in a world where you thought you couldn’t be who you are at your core， and what that means for those you love。 A beautiful four-star novel。 。。。more
LannaInTheLibrary
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After Sophie's beloved Papa passes， she is stunned to find out that her mother did not die when she was a child but fled to Paris to pursue her dreams of being an artist。 Devastated and feeling increasing pressure from her fois to settle into an arranged， Sophie follows Nita's footsteps to Paris and discovers the shocking trajectory of her mother's life， forever changing the course of hers in the process。This was an exquisitely rendered tale of the complex relationships between family in all its After Sophie's beloved Papa passes， she is stunned to find out that her mother did not die when she was a child but fled to Paris to pursue her dreams of being an artist。 Devastated and feeling increasing pressure from her fois to settle into an arranged， Sophie follows Nita's footsteps to Paris and discovers the shocking trajectory of her mother's life， forever changing the course of hers in the process。This was an exquisitely rendered tale of the complex relationships between family in all its forms， Sophie's unadulterated love for her parents becomes marred by the abandonment of her mother and the lies told by her father and her family。 It forces Sophie to look back critically at her life as a child and as a woman and how she must learn to navigate life without her father's protection for the first time。Sophie and Nita's stories are told in parallel， following Nita's path throughout the city as she follows her dreams down unknown and sometimes perilous paths and Sophie's reckoning of the woman Nita became compared to the one she knew。I do wish that we had gotten more of Nita's story near the end， it felt a little rushed and while parts of it were filled it by others it would have been important to have her struggles shown through her own eyes。 Sophie's growth and development throughout the story from her wide eyed naiveté on reaching Paris to her confidence when she returned to Ahmedabad was a stark contrast to Nita's own journey。I think the ending was fitting in its way， Sophie found a measure of joy to counter the pain and a greater faith in her support system， tempered by the knowledge that she could stand on her own when needed。Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this review copy。 。。。more
Elissa Dickey
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With an immersive setting and captivating storytelling， author Mansi Shah weaves a gripping tale of the complex relationships of mothers and daughters。 The Direction of the Wind sweeps readers along as main character Sophie retraces her mother's footsteps through the city of Paris， embarking on an emotional journey of self-discovery and forgiveness that ultimately teaches her the meaning of family and the importance of choosing one's own path。 Fans of Shah's breakout debut， The Taste of Ginger， With an immersive setting and captivating storytelling， author Mansi Shah weaves a gripping tale of the complex relationships of mothers and daughters。 The Direction of the Wind sweeps readers along as main character Sophie retraces her mother's footsteps through the city of Paris， embarking on an emotional journey of self-discovery and forgiveness that ultimately teaches her the meaning of family and the importance of choosing one's own path。 Fans of Shah's breakout debut， The Taste of Ginger， will love this outstanding sophomore novel。 。。。more
CR
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This was an interesting story of rich to penniless and I think it worked out well。 The dual timelines and POV worked in the stories favor and I really loved the characters。 Even though I didn't care for some of their choices along the way。 The story was well paced and the ending was ok。 I think this is one of those stories that I enjoyed the journey from start to finish。 But I don't think I would read it again。 This was an interesting story of rich to penniless and I think it worked out well。 The dual timelines and POV worked in the stories favor and I really loved the characters。 Even though I didn't care for some of their choices along the way。 The story was well paced and the ending was ok。 I think this is one of those stories that I enjoyed the journey from start to finish。 But I don't think I would read it again。 。。。more
Books By Your Bedside
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Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I knew this would be an emotional read right from the get go。 And I wasn’t wrong。 It’s so touching and wonderfully tender。I will firstly say there are a few tough subjects such as death and grief， abandonment， drug addiction， relationship and money troubles。 And whilst I appreciate these may be difficult things to read about， they’re handled so sensitively that they do wonders to frame the main Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I knew this would be an emotional read right from the get go。 And I wasn’t wrong。 It’s so touching and wonderfully tender。I will firstly say there are a few tough subjects such as death and grief， abandonment， drug addiction， relationship and money troubles。 And whilst I appreciate these may be difficult things to read about， they’re handled so sensitively that they do wonders to frame the main story。I love reading about other countries and cultures， be it fictional or fact。 I’ve always admired India - I have a number of friends from there - the colours， the noise， the atmosphere， but it’s not a country I know much about。 But I’ve felt Mansi Shah has depicted it in such a glorious way that even though her background is in Canada and the US （according to her online bio） you can clearly feel her love for India in this book。I’d love to know what her inspiration for this book was。 Some books you can sort of read their inspiration in the book， but this has so much heart I feel it must have come from a deeper personal place。Everything is described so vividly， from the heat of Ahmedabad to the seemingly exotic nature of Paris， down to the food eaten and the jewellery worn。 There’s a clear cultural difference between the characters which was really interesting to read。It is heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measures。 She doesn’t go into this lightly， it really packs an emotional punch。There’s a dual narrative/timeline going on with the two main characters， and whilst distinct， there was a slight blurring between the two which helped accentuate the relationship between them。At first I thought the resolution was a bit rushed - we’d spent 200+ pages on this incredible journey， only for it to be wrapped up within a chapter or two。 But now I’ve had time to think about， I think it was absolutely the right way to conclude the story。It leaves you with questions。 What does it mean to be a mother or a wife？ What does it mean to be a woman in different countries？ What would you be willing to give up to follow your dreams？When I finished it， it was like having to say goodbye to an old friend。If I had to sum this book up in one word， it would be gorgeous。 。。。more
Aria Harlow
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I have no words for how good this book actually is。 The writing is beautiful with an absolutely captivating storyline and well developed characters that I have taken to my heart。 This is such a poignant and powerful novel that I thik everyone should read。
Alison
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Sophie Shah， was only six years old when she was told her mother had died， but now in her twenties and her father has died， she learn something different。 Going through some of her father things she finds some letters from her mother to her father， written not that long ago。Her mother was an artist and always wanted to live in Paris， so when Sophie finds that， that is where the letters were sent from， she decides she must make a trip there and see if she can find her mother。Leaving India and an Sophie Shah， was only six years old when she was told her mother had died， but now in her twenties and her father has died， she learn something different。 Going through some of her father things she finds some letters from her mother to her father， written not that long ago。Her mother was an artist and always wanted to live in Paris， so when Sophie finds that， that is where the letters were sent from， she decides she must make a trip there and see if she can find her mother。Leaving India and an arranged marriage in the works， Sophie decides to head to Paris with very few clues and tries to find her mom。So with help from some people that she has befriended and some that had known her mom， she sets off to see what has happened to her， and here you will discover what the mothers life had become， but Sophie still had on last place to go， in hopes of finding family。Great characters， with a lot of different emotions and faults。Such an interesting read， I really enjoyed it。I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book。 。。。more
Milly Reynolds
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This is a story about finding yourself。 Sophie， a Gujarati woman in her late 20s， has just lost her beloved Papa。 Since she was 6 it has just been the two of them and he devoted his life to ensuring that his daughter had the skills to be independent - which maybe was not the true Gujarati way。 In her aunts' eyes， she should already have been married， but looking after her father was a valid reason for not being。 But now Sophie is on her own， it is important to arrange a marriage as soon as possi This is a story about finding yourself。 Sophie， a Gujarati woman in her late 20s， has just lost her beloved Papa。 Since she was 6 it has just been the two of them and he devoted his life to ensuring that his daughter had the skills to be independent - which maybe was not the true Gujarati way。 In her aunts' eyes， she should already have been married， but looking after her father was a valid reason for not being。 But now Sophie is on her own， it is important to arrange a marriage as soon as possible。 Sophie had been told that her mother died， but when she starts sorting through her father's belongings she finds letters from her mother， Nita。 Letters that prove that she never died， she left them to go to Paris。 With a marriage arranged， Sophie knows that she needs to find her mother and ask the question - why？The stories are told in two timelines - Nita's when she goes to Paris to become an artist， and Sophie's when she goes to Paris to find Nita。 Some of the things that happened to both women， I did feel were contrived sometimes and， with regard to Sophie， maybe sometimes， things fell into place just a little too easily。 But， it was a satisfying read and I enjoyed watched how both women navigated a life that was very different to the privileged life that they had enjoyed in India。 。。。more
Mary
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RTC
Namrata
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Incredible story telling about finding yourself when others would prefer you blend in over standing out。 Sophie and Nita's lives are explored in ways you can see the intersecting challenges and growth and how each made choices for themselves and the consequences they face because of them。 Shah's voice grabs your heart by the fist and doesn't let go in this immersive novel that expands the genre of Gujarati narratives。 Incredible story telling about finding yourself when others would prefer you blend in over standing out。 Sophie and Nita's lives are explored in ways you can see the intersecting challenges and growth and how each made choices for themselves and the consequences they face because of them。 Shah's voice grabs your heart by the fist and doesn't let go in this immersive novel that expands the genre of Gujarati narratives。 。。。more
Paulette Kennedy
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A heartfelt and empathetic look at a free-spirited mother and her daughter， estranged by choice， time， and circumstance， yet irrevocably bonded by their shared desire to learn who they are meant to be。 Shah creates an unforgettable story， steeped in Parisian atmosphere and braided with compassion。 This book will break your heart and then mend it， in the most wonderful way。Thanks to NetGalley， Lake Union， and the author for the review copy。
Northern Rose
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I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I requested a copy of this book as a huge fan of historical fiction。 I thought that the story's settings were well-portrayed （so far as I could tell） and the story itself was both interesting and sad。 Unfortunately， however， there was just something about the writing style that I didn’t like。 In particular， I found that there was too much repetition of themes， such as how dependent both mother and daughter are on men。 I al I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I requested a copy of this book as a huge fan of historical fiction。 I thought that the story's settings were well-portrayed （so far as I could tell） and the story itself was both interesting and sad。 Unfortunately， however， there was just something about the writing style that I didn’t like。 In particular， I found that there was too much repetition of themes， such as how dependent both mother and daughter are on men。 I also found the protagonist's use of 'mummy' throughout bizarrely annoying - it just didn't seem appropriate for an adult。 。。。more
Muskan Modi
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This was so tragic and awesome！ The direction of the wind is about a girl name Sophie who's just discovered that her mom didn't die， she ran away to Paris for her artsy endeavors。 Grown-up sheltered by her father and family， she goes out on an adventure to look for her mom in Paris。 Will she be able to find her？ Or her search will stop at a dead end？ I thought this was going to be dramatic and with a happy ending。 But it was rather realistic and tragic。 The story was an emotional rollercoaster， This was so tragic and awesome！ The direction of the wind is about a girl name Sophie who's just discovered that her mom didn't die， she ran away to Paris for her artsy endeavors。 Grown-up sheltered by her father and family， she goes out on an adventure to look for her mom in Paris。 Will she be able to find her？ Or her search will stop at a dead end？ I thought this was going to be dramatic and with a happy ending。 But it was rather realistic and tragic。 The story was an emotional rollercoaster， and I couldn't help but cry as the climax approached。 I love the dedication author has put into this book， researching and putting all the culture's perspectives in place。 On that note， I feel India and its customs have been shown in a bad light here。 But then， I may be biased， and the timeline is about 24 years ago when things really were rigid for women， The narration was gripping and I finished the book in one sitting。 Overall， I loved the book。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Sonal
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Sophie Shah was six when her mother， Nita， died and she was left to be raised by her father and his family。 She's always felt the loss of her mother and when her father also passes， she is consumed with grief。 Before leaving her childhood home， she discovers a stack of letters in her father's room， from her mother。 She is shocked to learn that her mother didn't die， but had abandoned her and her father。 In a search for answers， Sophie travels to Paris， where her mother had gone。 In the course of Sophie Shah was six when her mother， Nita， died and she was left to be raised by her father and his family。 She's always felt the loss of her mother and when her father also passes， she is consumed with grief。 Before leaving her childhood home， she discovers a stack of letters in her father's room， from her mother。 She is shocked to learn that her mother didn't die， but had abandoned her and her father。 In a search for answers， Sophie travels to Paris， where her mother had gone。 In the course of her search， Sophie discovers more about herself， as well as the mother she thought she knew。 The story alternates between Sophie and Nita。 I enjoyed reading both perspectives。 I didn't think I could emphasize with Nita， but as the story progressed， I really felt for her。 I wasn't too fond of Sophie at the beginning， but her character became a bit more likeable by the end。 I did feel some parts were a bit too easy and convenient to push Sophie's story forward。 I really would have loved more depth with the ending， and while satisfactory， I wanted just a bit more。 I was disappointed with how some parts of the story ended。 I enjoyed Mansi Shah's previous book as well and look forward to reading more from her。 Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Julie
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Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the copy of The Direction Of The Wind。 This book is beautifully written and it grabbed my attention from the first page。 The story of Nita and Sophie and their culture shock in Paris was great and I loved their thoughts and emotions seeing Paris through their eyes 20 years apart。 They both figured out how to survive with help from newly found friends。 It was a sadder and heavier story than I expected and it moved me to tears a couple of times。 If Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the copy of The Direction Of The Wind。 This book is beautifully written and it grabbed my attention from the first page。 The story of Nita and Sophie and their culture shock in Paris was great and I loved their thoughts and emotions seeing Paris through their eyes 20 years apart。 They both figured out how to survive with help from newly found friends。 It was a sadder and heavier story than I expected and it moved me to tears a couple of times。 If you’re looking for a beautiful book exploring friendship， love， and family ties， you should give this book a try。 。。。more
Mansi Shah
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As the author of this novel， I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read and review it。 This particular novel is special to me because it takes place in Paris， a city that has always felt like home to me and one that I keep returning to。 My experiences there have been different from those of the characters in the novel， but I loved being able to immerse myself in the city that I love so much！ I hope you enjoy it！
Julia Burk-dunahoo
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The author cleverly takes you through the lives of two main characters， mother and daughter。 Winding us back and forth between Nita and Sophie。 We begin with the belief that Sophie， after losing her mother at the age of six， has been raised by her loving father and extended family in an affluent area of Ahmedabad India， where family honor is everything and women know their place。 After her father's passing， Sophie finds abox of letters among her father's items revealing her mother had not died a The author cleverly takes you through the lives of two main characters， mother and daughter。 Winding us back and forth between Nita and Sophie。 We begin with the belief that Sophie， after losing her mother at the age of six， has been raised by her loving father and extended family in an affluent area of Ahmedabad India， where family honor is everything and women know their place。 After her father's passing， Sophie finds abox of letters among her father's items revealing her mother had not died as Sophie had believed。 Without the risk of giving too much away， this is a story of mental illness， addiction， loss of self， loss of family and the struggle to find one's own true self。 This one will make you think。 。。。more
Em
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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review！This book didn't quite live up to expectations。 The imagery used in this book is very vivid and I really enjoyed reading about Ahmedabad and Paris。 It was very easy to picture those locations as I was reading。 However， the characters fell flat for me。 Each thought and feeling is described in so much detail that it leaves little room for the reader's interpretation。 A lot is told to you rather than shown and Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review！This book didn't quite live up to expectations。 The imagery used in this book is very vivid and I really enjoyed reading about Ahmedabad and Paris。 It was very easy to picture those locations as I was reading。 However， the characters fell flat for me。 Each thought and feeling is described in so much detail that it leaves little room for the reader's interpretation。 A lot is told to you rather than shown and it felt like there was a lot of repetition in the way feelings were described， to the point where I thought I was re-reading pages。I wanted to finish the book to see where it would go but I didn't really connect with the characters or the story。 。。。more
Ray
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This was a touching story about a girl who， after finding out a family secret， left her home to discover more。 This offers a great perspective into other cultures， and understanding why people choose to make the choices they make， even if it goes against cultural norms。 I loved the main character， and seeing her develop through the story， however I wish we got more of her backstory， and more of the backstory of a few other characters。 I hope the author continues writing because she has some grea This was a touching story about a girl who， after finding out a family secret， left her home to discover more。 This offers a great perspective into other cultures， and understanding why people choose to make the choices they make， even if it goes against cultural norms。 I loved the main character， and seeing her develop through the story， however I wish we got more of her backstory， and more of the backstory of a few other characters。 I hope the author continues writing because she has some great stories to tell。 。。。more
Barbara
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'The Direction of the Wind' follows Sophie， a Gujarati woman whose father has just died leaving her as a bit of a problem for her aunts。 A woman in her late 20s can't be allowed to just live alone - she must be married off as quickly as possible before people start to gossip。 It was OK to be well over marriageable age whilst looking after her father， but with him gone， things need sorting out quickly。 We are told that the Gujarati way is to do things quickly。 Most people would spend more time ch 'The Direction of the Wind' follows Sophie， a Gujarati woman whose father has just died leaving her as a bit of a problem for her aunts。 A woman in her late 20s can't be allowed to just live alone - she must be married off as quickly as possible before people start to gossip。 It was OK to be well over marriageable age whilst looking after her father， but with him gone， things need sorting out quickly。 We are told that the Gujarati way is to do things quickly。 Most people would spend more time choosing a new car than Sophie's aunts put into finding her a husband。Sophie has the shock of her life when she discovers letters amongst her father's things; letters that reveal that her mother who had died in a car crash when Sophie was a child， didn't。 She learns that her mother， Nita， left her father and took off to Paris to pursue a life as an artist。 Before Sophie can settle down to life as a wife and， potentially， a mother， she needs to find out what happened to Nita。 She flees to Paris in search of answers。With dual timelines and different points of view， I prefer that there's a clear differentiation between the parallel stories。 This isn't the case in this book although it's pretty easy to keep a track of who is who even though there are no significant style cues。 Some of what happens can seem quite hard to follow。 The amount Sophie achieves in a very short time seemed unbelievable， but I could put that to one side for the sake of the story。It's a well-worn technique to send protagonists off to India to 'find themselves' but this book sends Indians to Paris in search of their reasons to be。 It's rather different for doing that。 I liked Sophie leaving her privileged life of servants and support networks and finding herself penniless and working in a restaurant kitchen。 I was very sad at Nita's terrible choices in men。 There's a lot that can't be said for fear of giving away too much。 All in all， I found this a rather satisfying read and appreciated the care the writer took with Sophie， getting her a suitor who was better than we might have expected and giving her a happier ending than might have been predicted。 Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for my copy 。。。more
Peggy Wagner
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An engaging tale of seeking one’s identity from two different generations and two different solutions。 The story of a mother and daughter and how they come to know who they are and follow their life paths—one leads to destruction and one leads to acceptance。 Also the story of the implications of a life-long lie where Sophie the daughter is deceived about the truth of her mother’s death， discovering late that the reported death is not true， that her mother did not die but went to Paris。 A heart w An engaging tale of seeking one’s identity from two different generations and two different solutions。 The story of a mother and daughter and how they come to know who they are and follow their life paths—one leads to destruction and one leads to acceptance。 Also the story of the implications of a life-long lie where Sophie the daughter is deceived about the truth of her mother’s death， discovering late that the reported death is not true， that her mother did not die but went to Paris。 A heart wrenching love story as Sophie’s father goes to Paris and stands at the Eiffel tower on the night of his anniversary every year。 Oh， to love someone so much。 The writing is strong， it gives us glimpses into another culture and gives strength to a daughter’s love。 The demise of one woman and the rise of another。 A book worth reading！ 。。。more
Rochelle Weinstein
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Shah channels one of my favorites Sejal Bedani （Storyteller's Secret） in this touching story of finding oneself through one's history。 Sophie Shah lost her mother， Nita， at the age of six， so when her father dies years later， 28-year-old Sophie believes she's an orphan。 Only， Sophie's mother didn't die。 She abandoned her husband and daughter， leaving India and her rules and customs for the allure of Paris。 Now Sophie is on a quest to reclaim what's she's lost。This dual timeline follows Nita and Shah channels one of my favorites Sejal Bedani （Storyteller's Secret） in this touching story of finding oneself through one's history。 Sophie Shah lost her mother， Nita， at the age of six， so when her father dies years later， 28-year-old Sophie believes she's an orphan。 Only， Sophie's mother didn't die。 She abandoned her husband and daughter， leaving India and her rules and customs for the allure of Paris。 Now Sophie is on a quest to reclaim what's she's lost。This dual timeline follows Nita and Sophie as their fates intersect。 A beautifully written tale of tradition and following one's heart， Shah captures the passion and pain that come from tough choices。 Both moving and insightful， The Direction of The Wind manages to lead us on an extraordinary journey where home is deeply rooted in the heart。 。。。more
Ritu Bhathal
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Mansi Shah created a fantastic story here of a search for individuality in a culture where it is expected of you to do what everyone else before you has done。Sophie is a young woman from Ahmedabad， India。 After losing her mother at a young age， she was brought up by a loving father and her aunts until tragedy struck again， and she lost her father， too。The thing is， she finds out a family secret after hearing her aunts talk and through some intriguing letters that her father had always kept。 Her Mansi Shah created a fantastic story here of a search for individuality in a culture where it is expected of you to do what everyone else before you has done。Sophie is a young woman from Ahmedabad， India。 After losing her mother at a young age， she was brought up by a loving father and her aunts until tragedy struck again， and she lost her father， too。The thing is， she finds out a family secret after hearing her aunts talk and through some intriguing letters that her father had always kept。 Her mother didn't die but left her and her dad to go to France。The story plays out on a dual timeline， as we follow the young Nita to Paris， hoping to realise her dream of becoming an artist rather than staying at home being a wife and mother， and we follow a modern-day similar journey with Sophie。 She goes to Paris to try and find the only family she has left。The story moved along beautifully， and I felt for Nita， stuck in a life she didn't want to be living， and how the twists and turns of fate treated her in Paris。Equally， the shock and hurt of Sophie's predicament kept me hooked。I almost wish the ending weren't as rushed， but there was sadness and some joy to finish the story。Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Julie Fischer
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The Direction of the Wind is a story of lost family and the search for the place you are meant to be。 Sophie discovers her mother did not die and left her to pursue her dreams of becoming an artist in Paris。 The story goes back and forth in time between mother and daughter and the sad reality of life that both face。 I really wanted to love this book。 The beginning of the book did not grab my attention and felt a bit stilted。 It did not flow as well as it could have。 I’m glad I continued to read The Direction of the Wind is a story of lost family and the search for the place you are meant to be。 Sophie discovers her mother did not die and left her to pursue her dreams of becoming an artist in Paris。 The story goes back and forth in time between mother and daughter and the sad reality of life that both face。 I really wanted to love this book。 The beginning of the book did not grab my attention and felt a bit stilted。 It did not flow as well as it could have。 I’m glad I continued to read it because the story improved as it progressed。 Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this advance copy。 。。。more
Rachel Quinlan
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Wow， what a powerful book。 Full of emotion and intrigue。 Sophie was told her mummy had died， she was 6 years old。 22 years later her father dies and as she’s clearing his room in India， she comes across some letters from her mummy to her papa dated after Sophie had been told she’d died。 All she knows is that they came from Paris。 Sophie heads to Paris to find her mummy and try to work out what happened all those years ago。 She learns there are some people that she can trust and some people she c Wow， what a powerful book。 Full of emotion and intrigue。 Sophie was told her mummy had died， she was 6 years old。 22 years later her father dies and as she’s clearing his room in India， she comes across some letters from her mummy to her papa dated after Sophie had been told she’d died。 All she knows is that they came from Paris。 Sophie heads to Paris to find her mummy and try to work out what happened all those years ago。 She learns there are some people that she can trust and some people she can’t， and sometimes it’s the most unlikely people that help her the most。 Meanwhile， we move back in time 20 years to hear Nita’s story， why she left - how she dreamed of being an artist in Paris。 We learn of her wanting to be free， to find herself。 We learn of her friendships and more， her highs and her lows， her successes and her troubles。 As the author moves us back and forth between Sophie and Nita’s lives， it’s a real emotional rollercoaster。 The differences between India and Paris， what’s acceptable in one place and frowned upon in another。 I loved the writing and was drawn into the story， which picked up pace as it went along。 （I read on my kindle and some formatting wasn’t great， particularly towards the end， and the book title and author’s name would appear and break up sentences。 That said， I was enjoying the story so much it was only a slight distraction）。 。。。more
Anne Wolters
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This fascinating， somewhat shocking story grabbed my heart from the first page。 Sophie Shah was born and raised in India and since she was 6 years old has been raised only by her father， where she enjoyed a privileged lifestyle。 Her mother was obsessive about art and the French culture so that is why a girl from India has a French name。 At age 6 her dear Papa told her that her mother died in a car accident， so going forward it was just the two of them， along with the household servants who tende This fascinating， somewhat shocking story grabbed my heart from the first page。 Sophie Shah was born and raised in India and since she was 6 years old has been raised only by her father， where she enjoyed a privileged lifestyle。 Her mother was obsessive about art and the French culture so that is why a girl from India has a French name。 At age 6 her dear Papa told her that her mother died in a car accident， so going forward it was just the two of them， along with the household servants who tended to their every need。 Sophia managed to avoid an arranged marriage and chose to go to college and take a job instead。 At age 28， Papa dies unexpectedly and a couple days later his two sisters are in his room， packing up his clothing and personal items。 Sophie overhears a conversation between her two aunts that sounds as though her mother didn’t die at all， but simply left all those many years ago。 They also are discussing Sophie’s unmarried status。 The aunts tell her that they have found a suitor for her that is available for marriage。 Sophia missed not having her mother and now that her papa is gone too， she desires to find her mother。 When she finds a box of letters tucked in the back of her Papa’s closet， she learns that her mother， Nita， is probably still alive， living in Paris。 She is determined to find her。This story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming。 The story goes back and forth between a span of 20 years。 Nita does end up in Paris with her art supplies and begins painting but also has to find a job。 She is used to the privileged life she enjoyed so finding a job is not easy。 Years later， finding Nita is not easy as Sophie discovers。 As the years pass there are many facets to Nita’s story that are revealed。 When Sophie arrives in Paris years later， she embarks on an adventure as secrets are discovered， old friends of Nita’s are found and Sophie herself makes new friends。 This captivating story is a page-turner I found difficult to put down。Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book。 All opinions and comments are my own。 。。。more
Coco
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A fascinating and compelling story set in two continents。After the death of her father， Sophie discovers that her mother， Nita， who she understood died when Sophie was six， deserted her family in India over twenty years ago and moved to Paris intending to become an artist。 Now she know she's alive and desperate to find her mother， Sophie travels to Paris with only a handful of newly discovered letters providing vague clues for her search。Set in India and France with Nita's arrival in Paris in 19 A fascinating and compelling story set in two continents。After the death of her father， Sophie discovers that her mother， Nita， who she understood died when Sophie was six， deserted her family in India over twenty years ago and moved to Paris intending to become an artist。 Now she know she's alive and desperate to find her mother， Sophie travels to Paris with only a handful of newly discovered letters providing vague clues for her search。Set in India and France with Nita's arrival in Paris in 1998 and Sophie's search in 2019。The characters and locations are vividly described with an excellent and unusual storyline。Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC， this review is my personal， unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Lyn Liao
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