The Kashmir Shawl (English, Paperback, Thomas Rosie)

The Kashmir Shawl is an intriguing tale of a granddaughter and a grandmother and their journey in the beautiful valleys of Kashmir.

Summary Of The Book

The Kashmir Shawl recounts the story of Nerys and her granddaughter, Mair, who journey through similar roads but in different time spans. The story connects the past and the present, the family, friends, and the traditions of different countries.

When her father passes away, Mair finds a Kashmiri shawl, a photograph of her grandmother, and a lock of hair among his belongings. Intrigued by these possessions, Mair decides to unravel their secrets. She travels back to India where her grandparents, Welsh missionaries before and during World War II, once dwelt.

Who did the lock of hair belong to? What is the history behind the mysterious shawl? The author, Rosie Thomas, answers these questions as she beautifully narrates many different stories, as intricately woven as the folds of the shawl. She creates a tapestry of sorts, fusing the present with the past.

The story is told both in the past and the present, alternating between Mair’s perspective and Nerys’. Mair tries to piece together Nerys’ life in Srinagar while Nerys gives an account of her own life.

The Kashmir Shawl gives the readers a glimpse of the colonial aspects of the beautiful land of Kashmir. The author also touches upon the poverty of the natives and narrates the conflicts that continue to destruct one of the most wonderful places on the planet.

Published in 2011, the book has been loved for its gripping and vibrant portrait of Kashmir and India during the second world war. The Kashmir Shawl won the Romantic Novelists’ Association Epic Romantic Novel Award.

About Rosie Thomas

Rosie Thomas aka Janey King is a British journalist and writer.

She has written a number of books. Her popular works include Follies, Bad Girls, Good Women, The White Dove, Sunrise, Strangers, All My Sins Remembered, The Potter's House, Sun At Midnight, Every Woman Knows A Secret, and Iris And Ruby.

Many of her works revolve around themes of loss and love. Romance and adventures are beautifully interwoven in all her works.

Thomas studied English at St Hilda’s College, Oxford. She is a keen traveller, skier, and mountaineer. She currently lives in London with her family. She has been writing articles and novels since 1982 and is one of the few people to have won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award twice.