Shadow of the Moon

If you liked M.M. Kaye's "Far Pavilions" of TV miniseries fame, you may find this earlier work by the author even more enjoyable. A romance novel to be sure, but non-fans of the genre (I am usually amongst their number) will find it a very pleasant surprise, especially if you can get a copy of the early editions, which were considerably shorter than those that came out after the success of the "Far Pavilions". Ms. Kaye's outstanding attention to Indian historical and cultural detail surrounding the Great Sepoy Mutiny supplements the central love story wonderfully. Actually, the reader soon becomes aware that "Shadow of the Moon" is a tale of two love stories - one between Alex and Winter and one between Ms. Kaye and the people, culture and land of India. If you like a good love story, lots of action, many interesting secondary characters, and a generous dose of education about a fascinating and pivotal time in Indian and British history, this book is a must read.

I put off reading this book due to the bulk of it, but once your'e into it - you're hooked. The story is beautiful, of the charming Winter de Ballesteros and the dashing Alex Randall, and M. M. Kaye weaves you into the plot by making you feel as if you are in the midst of the war, running for your life, screaming, hiding. It has been written absolutely beautifully. Although I must admit that there is a bit too much history, I cannot get down to returning this book to my friend - its mine for keeps! Its a must own, and enchanting, capturing book, a haunting story, which "will haunt you forever, as long as the heart remembers"

MM Kaye is an engrossing story teller with an eye for easy and vivid descriptions. She wrote two epic tales of India, The Far Pavillions and this one, Shadow of the Moon. Both are stories of characters torn between countries and cultures - searching for identity, but Shadow of the Moon is by far the more traditionally romantic of two. This is the story of Winter de Ballesteros, the only child of a marriage between an British Earl's grand-daughter, and dashing Spanish hidalgo. The first few chapters introduce us to her family history, from Ware, in the bitter cold of Northern Britain, through the tragedy of Waterloo to India where Winter's parents meet, marry and eventually face tragedy. After their death, isolated without relatives in India, Winter is brought up by her father's sister who has married a Hindu. When she is finally sent back to Britain to the care of her great-grandfather it is to disastorous results. Winter doesn't speak English well, is quiet, and 'sallow', her relatives hate her and her great-grandfather is too old to protect her. In this lonely state she is given the chance to marry a man she has only met once in her youth, and with it the chance to return to India where he works - that one meeting has left her with highly romantic memories of him and probably because she desparately misses India, she accepts. Unfortunately when she returns it is to a troubled country, for India in the mid 1850's is in ferment - boiling on the edge of the forthcoming mutiny - and her husband is a prize prig. In this all is Alex, her husband's aide and source of great conflict for her emotions - and for his - for events in the country rapidly move out of control Alex finds himself in conflict - does he protect Winter?- or does he leave her and think of the greater good he can do for the country as a whole?Kaye's story has less of the personal conflict over identity which was evident in The Far Pavillions but I still found the story of Winter and Alex gripping, and it is told against the background of India in turmoil. And she is so good as a story teller, you can literally smell the country, the bazaars, and the heat.