The Kashmir Shawl

Panoramic, Beautiful, Smart Historical Drama

Any additional comments?

This is an extraordinary historical drama. It mostly concerns the fortunes of three British women living during the British Raj period in India. They are the wife of a missionary, a hapless and naive soldier's wife, and an engineer's wife. Their characters grow--or are crushed--as the story develops. The setting and time are shown in both their brutality and beauty. The story shifts back and forth between the present day descendant of the missionary's wife and the 19th c. era, with the emphasis on the latter. Some aspects of this book are truly heart breaking, but in a way that gives the book a great sense of historical authenticity and emotional truth. The narration is spectacular, with Welsh, Scottish, English, and Indian accents effortlessly limned. There is romance, but it is far, far more than a sappy romance. Can NOT recommend this highly enough.

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vintage Rosie Thomas

What made the experience of listening to The Kashmir Shawl the most enjoyable?

Truly vintage Rosie Thomas, a captivating story in a fabulous setting.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were so real, so varied and so believable.
The setting between rural Wales & vibrant India transported the reader.
The thread of the story made it un-put downable.

What about Nerys Hughes’s performance did you like?

I read the book but was unsure of the pronounciations so her reading helped to bring it to life for me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the description of the shawl being spread out & drifting with all the beautiful colours being seen for the first time.

Any additional comments?

I rated this book as highly as "Sun at midnight " & "White" which I have always considered superb stories.

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nice story, easy listen

What made the experience of listening to The Kashmir Shawl the most enjoyable?

i actually enjoyed the grandmothers staory most i think that could have been a book on its own! not sure why the granddaughters story was such a big part, it was a bit of a let down

Have you listened to any of Nerys Hughes’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

yes but i dont want to spoil it!

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Adventure and Romance

Where does The Kashmir Shawl rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have always wanted to travel to Kashmir, so I loved how the setting of the novel was portrayed! The contrast between life as a privileged Brit and poor native people was well-researched and believable. The natural beauty of Kashmir, and the descriptions of the houseboats were also intriguing. The end of the British Raj was an epic time in human history, and I thought the flashbacks between then and now were an effective method of spinning a wonderful mystery. As to the romance: I did not find the main character's extra-marital affair very sympathetic or compelling. I enjoyed the narrator's voice and thought it contributed well to the story.

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I LOVE KASHMIR

I read this book because I love KASHMIR.
It is historical fiction set into a story about a “PASHIMA”, a handmade Kashmiri shawl. Rosie Thomas built a story quiet cleverly using the Kashmir shawl as a focal point. I enjoyed this book. Several points of Kashmir history were incorporated of which I was not aware. ❤️

Overlong

Could have been a lot shorter to reach the same conclusion. I wanted to like it but didn't really think it was a satisfying story.

Beautiful

This was a lovely listen. Epic, beautiful, interesting and entertaining. I'd love more from this author available on audible. Yes!

not a lot of substance

I found it didn't have much substance to it and struggled to finish the book.

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Talented author/narrator, book just didn't do it f

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes and no. Rosie Thomas has a gift for beautiful descriptions of lush unfamiliar landscapes, Nerys Hughes' accents were compelling, but her dialogue was a bit flat and I found myself not being able to relate to the main characters.

Did Nerys Hughes do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

For the most part. Her accents were good, but her pitch differentiation was not so much.

Any additional comments?

I will definitely check out other Rosie Thomas books. Those who have read her other books seem to think that this is not her best work.

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An interesting but over-long narrative

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It was enjoyable but much too long. The narrative would have had much more impact if about 100 pages had been trimmed off. The ending was much too drawn-out and anti-climatic.

Would you recommend The Kashmir Shawl to your friends? Why or why not?

Probably not. There are other more interesting stories about India.

What aspect of Nerys Hughes’s performance would you have changed?

Narrator was fine.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

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