"I agree with you there." She paused. "So we're going to be friends with them, are we?"
"Not exactly. We're going to appear to be friends with them", he told her. "We'll make a start tomorrow morning".
Jaipur Moon by Liz Harris is a gripping historical novel, set in India in 1934.
Blurb:
Jaipur Moon
Jaipur, 1934
When Philip Grainger and Frank Fletcher met late at night on the edge of an indigo plantation in Gujarat back in 1916, and one of them handed a new born baby to the other and walked away, their stated intention was never to see each other again.
In Jaipur, 1934, almost eighteen years later, Philip's daughter, Eleanor, is excited to learn that a new family has moved into the street where they live, and that the family has a daughter similar to age to herself.
When Frank Fletcher, having struggled for years to make a profit from his isolated indigo planatation, turns to exporting, he is encouraged by his exporter friend, Maxwell Anderson, to move his family to Jaipur. His daughter, Alice, hopes that at last she will make some friends.
But where there are secrets, someone invariably senses a secret, is determined to uncover it and use it to his advantage. Nothing stays hidden for ever...
The story starts dramatically with a full moon risen in the darkening sky, and a man creeping through the jungle. He meets another man in the dark, and passes a basket with a newborn baby inside it. Two men promise to end all contact between them.
"That's it then," he said. "We'll never speak of this in our family or with anyone else. And you and I will neer refer to this, should we meet again. Not that we ever will..."
Eighteen years later we walk along a sweeping crescent in Jaipur, where the members of the small British community have built houses that "felt British".
Eleanor Grainger lives with her parents in one of the most imposing houses in Victoria Crescent. One evening Eleanor arrives home with exciting news that a new British family is moving into the crescent. She is thrilled to find out that there they've got a daughter, who might become a new friend.
Alice Fletcher is also hoping to make friends. Bayana, where her father's indigo plantation was operating, was an isolated place where she didn't have any close friends. She is optimistic that Jaipur will bring opportunities to meet new people.
Harriet is Eleanor's bosom friend and confidante. They enjoy visiting the local cafes and bazaars, and gossiping to their heart's content. They believe Alice will do nicely as a new addition to their small circle of friends.
The girls are not aware at first of the secrets and lies, threatening to dramatically unbalance their equilibrium.
We follow the daily lives of three families, who all have daughters of the same age. The daughters don't seem to have any ambitions in life except getting married. They have no dreams of travelling or doing anything different. In fact, their values appear very old-fashioned, seeing that it is 1936, and women have been working and earning their own money elsewhere, aspiring to have a profession or a vocation.
The storyline centres on the lives of the British community, their social lives, business, expectations. Jaipur serves as an exotic background, and the political tensions are hardly mentioned.
There is a bit of a social status entitlement. Alice who has just arrived to Jaipur, scribbles down some notes, trying to keep track of what her new friends tell her about the city, and they all think she can write a guide. One barely educated young woman relies on the information given by two other not very educated women, without doing any research, and they all believe she is capable of writing a guide book.
The setting is beautifully-researched, with in-depth descriptions of the local landmarks and monuments, bazaars, streets. The colours and sounds reflect the vibrant background.
Some plot tropes, like acquiring information via eavesdropping, make you wonder, just how careless you can be. Wouldn't you try to make sure nobody can hear you, if you discuss family/business secrets that can ruin your reputation?
Jaipur Moon is an engaging, charming story of secrets and lies, love and betrayal, bonds of friendship and loyalty.
This book will appeal to readers of historical fiction and fans of clean romance.
Many thanks to Liz Harris and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jaipur-Moon-secrets-princely-Colonials-ebook/dp/B0F9P6176J
https://www.amazon.com/Jaipur-Moon-secrets-princely-Colonials-ebook/dp/B0F9P6176J
Author Bio –
Liz Harris is the author of the historical
novels THE ROAD BACK (US Coffee Time & Romance Book of the Year 2012) and A
BARGAIN STRUCK (shortlisted for the RoNA Historical 2013). They and THE LOST
GIRL/GOLDEN TIGER and A WESTERN HEART were shortlisted for Best Historical
Romance by The Festival of Romance. In addition are contemporary novels EVIE
UNDERCOVER, THE ART OF DECEPTION, THE BEST FRIEND and WORD PERFECT. THE DARK
HORIZON, THE FLAME WITHIN and THE LENGTHENING SHADOW, set between the wars,
comprise The Linford Collection, which was followed by The Colonials :
DARJEELING INHERITANCE, COCHIN FALL, HANOI SPRING and SIMLA MIST. The second
edition of THE ROAD BACK appeared in August 2022, followed by IN A FAR PLACE.
Second editions of A BARGAIN STRUCK and GOLDEN TIGER were published in 2023.
THE LOOSE THREAD, the first in the Three Sisters trilogy, was published in
February 2024, THE SILKEN KNOT, the second in September 2024 and THE WOVEN LIE
in February 2025. AWESTERN HEART was published December 2024. In addition to
these, Liz has had short stories published in anthologies and magazines.
Social Media Links –
Twitter Handle: @lizharrisauthor
Bluesky handle:
@lizharris.bsky.social
Instagram Handle: liz.harris.52206
Website: https://lizharrisauthor.com
Facebook: Liz Harris