The Seduction of Silence

Beautifully written novel. A must read for all "India enthusiasts", but it is also a "just cant put it down" type of a book for ALL readers. A story that spans over many generations, and cultures of the East and West. Fantastic first Novel for Ben LeHunte, cant wait to read her other books.

"The Seduction of Silence," is an easy book to read, quite involving, and 2/3's good. As you've read, it's a multigenerational saga, and though the author distances herself from the Indian slant, it is, through and through, a novel of India. Bem Le Hunte places her story in rural India - the villages of the Himalayan region - and in that aspect as well as in the gentleness of the spirituality portrayed, it's unlike the seething urban dramas we've gotten used to. It's also quite connected to the "Ramayana," and a reader who knows that story will find many parallels in the wanderings of Aakash and Ram with Ram, Sita, and Lakshman. The primary spiritual lesson is "god will provide," and in this story god does provide - through thick and thin. Ms. Le Hunte has a good feel for class, caste, character, and Hindu cosmology and though the novel is a bit on the "fairy tale" side I found the reality to be grounded enough to keep the story on track. She runs into difficulty when the venue shifts from village India to the hippie London of the 1960's. Her grasp of the milieu seems much less sure, and the story seems to suffer for being rushed; and though she provides us with a touching conclusion, it's a little too "deus ex machina," to be completely sasifying.Even so, I recommend this book for its understanding of how the myths play out in daily life, and for an entertaining read.

I am always delighted in finding new fiction that is both entertaining and that it gives the reader several views of culturally rich characters and location.After hearing Bem le Hunte read and share some excerpts from the book I am eagerly awaiting her second novel and I am recommending The Seduction of Silence to many of my friends.The combination of an almost perfect character, an inperfect wife, the trials of their offsprings and the beautiful setting in which the story develops make this book a favorite that has been well received abroad and finally comes to the US.

This book is so beautifully written and I was incredibly inspired after reading it. If you love writers such as Isabel Allende, Coelho, or anything that really explores the depths of human experience along with travel, mystery and adventure then you will truly love this read.