Losing Gemma [Paperback]

Katy Gardner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2002

This is the story of Gemma and me: how I lost her, I suppose. I don't usually tell it to anyone but myself;
I save it for the darkest moments.

Losing Gemma is one of the hottest fiction debuts of the summer. A first novel being compared to Alex Garland's breakthrough novel, The Beach—except the backpacking heroes are girls. And it's already being translated into nine languages.

What makes Losing Gemma truly unforgettable, however, is the read itself; it's as gripping and suspenseful as it is psychologically rich. Two young women have gone looking for adventure, backpacking through India—but only one returns. The other one believes it's all her fault. And the mystery behind what really happened during their fateful visit to a secluded shrine compels the reader forward to a page-turning conclusion that's shocking, strange, and haunting.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fictional best friends are typically total opposites one beautiful and confident, the other plain and insecure and England-born-and-bred Esther Waring and Gemma Harding are no exception. Inseparable as youngsters, in their teens they grew apart. Esther played femme fatale and got all the guys; Gemma played underdog and got stuck in the role of wallflower. What's worse, Esther went on to university, whereas Gemma deliberately failed her exams, missing an opportunity to show off her biggest asset, her brains. So there is plenty of emotional baggage to check when Esther and Gemma, now in their early 20s, travel to India for what is supposed to be an extraordinary adventure that will renew their somewhat tattered bond. The awkwardness between the two women grows when a mysterious Australian backpacker, Coral, invites herself along for the journey and deliberately attempts to woo Gemma away from Esther. Before long, Esther finds herself the odd woman out, which prompts her to reflect on her relationship with Gemma and how she most recently betrayed it. For the first time in her life, she is not in control, and she is not among friends. Gardner's stark setting not the exotic tourists' India but its dank, grimy backwaters heightens the characters' senses and builds uneasy suspense page by page until the surprise conclusion starkly underscoring the theme of betrayal. If the denouement is somewhat slick, Esther's delayed coming-of-age has emotional clout.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Newly graduated from the University of Sussex, Esther prepares for her long-planned backpacking trip to India. At the last minute, she invites her childhood best friend, the underachieving Gemma. Esther insists they pick their itinerary by tossing a guidebook in the air and going to the sites on whatever page falls open. Despite Gemma's misgivings, they head off to a remote village containing a religious shrine. En route, a strange Australian hippie named Coral joins them; Esther becomes jealous of the bond Coral and Gemma form and increasingly worried about Coral's strange behavior. As pilgrims arrive for an annual festival honoring a Sufi mystic who burned to death at the shrine, Gemma gets sick, and Coral starts talking about "transformation," "the fire," and "the true answer." After a blow-up with Gemma, Esther leaves--but later returns, hoping to find Gemma before anything happens to her. This well-plotted first novel moves quickly and maintains suspense. The characters are rich and well developed, revealing secrets that betray the reader's initial impressions. A promising debut. Beth Warrell
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade; 1 edition (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573229334
• ISBN-13: 978-1573229333
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,596,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I left my heart in Calcutta..., May 21, 2002

By 

booksrmylife (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Losing Gemma (Paperback)

There are so many reasons why I can recommend this book. For me personally, it struck a chord as I was a woman in my 20's in the 80's and I also did some traveling, albeit not to India.

The writing is especially descriptive of India--sights, sounds, smells--I can picture some of the places in my mind even never having set foot in India. The story is good, the pace is fast, and the characters likeable.

Having said that, what I most liked about this book was its search, the author's, the character's, and the reader's, for the truth. The truth about ourselves as we know it within our hearts and our spirits, and how we are often the roadblock standing between our own happiness and fulfillment as a person. Some may find it, some may keep searching for it and never find it, and some may never look; but when Esther lost Gemma, and herself, she also found herself. My words may be trite, but "Losing Gemma" is not. I found it to be a deeply moving and exciting book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars strong character study, April 6, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Losing Gemma (Paperback)

Twenty something Englishwomen Esther Waring and Gemma Harding have been friends for about two decades though they are quite the opposite in attitude. Esther is confident to the point of arrogance that she can do anything while Gemma is reticent to the point of insecurity believing that she can do nothing. Though Esther's haughtiness includes stealing the guy Gemma wants, to renew their sliding friendship the duo travels to India together on a backpacking trip.

Rather than the adventure they expected, the trip proves to be more of a series of bickering spats and complaints as Esther expects to gain her way ever time regardless of Gemma's desires while Gemma argues and whines, but acquiesces. Soon veteran backpacker Coral joins the duet. While Esther detests the know-it-all newcomer who steals her thunder, Gemma warms to her. The threesome trek through the jungle together until they reach a shrine where an ecstatic Coral begins a self-immolation journey that ends in Esther LOSING GEMMA.

Starting with the opening statement and the stark locale (no Taj Mahal), LOSING GEMMA grips the audience from beginning to end as readers observe the downside of friendship. The story line engages the audience and though the ending is anticipated, it takes little away from one of the year's strongest character studies that focuses clearly on all three female protagonists, but hones deep inside Esther and Gemma. Katy Gardner provides fans with a powerful relationship drama filled with real people that stress friends that care could lead to friends that betray.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read, May 6, 2003

By 

cindyramone (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Losing Gemma (Paperback)

I never expected to enjoy this book as much as I did--from start to finish when Esther tells the story of how she lost her friend, Gemma in India. It is a gripping mystery, though the ending is not quite a surprise, it does not take away from the story, the characters, and the sharply written prose. Two girls go to India, meet up with a third, and one of the original two does not come back. With India as background, the anxiety of travel without tourism, the coming of age, the secrets, mystery, and guilt, this is a fabulous book. You can read this book in a day, simply because you will not want to put it down.