Of Marriageable Age 2nd Edition, Kindle Edition

by Sharon Maas (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

Flip to back Flip to front

Audible Sample Playing... Paused You are listening to a sample of the Audible narration for this Kindle book.
Learn more

Share <Embed>

Buy

$3.99

eBook features:

Highlight, take notes, and search in the book
Length: 643 pages
Word Wise: Enabled
Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled
Audible book:
Audible book
Switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to the Audible book with Whispersync for Voice. Add the Audible book for a reduced price of $7.49 when you buy the Kindle book.
Available

Read with the free Kindle apps (available on iOS, Android, PC & Mac), Kindle E-readers and on Fire Tablet devices. See all supported devices

Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC

Print List Price: $16.99 Save $13.00 (77%)‎

Enter a promotion code or Gift Card

See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$3.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Paperback, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$16.99

$2.15

MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$39.99

—

'It's a wonderful panoramic story and conveys such vivid pictures of the countries it portrays. I was immediately transported and completely captivated. A terrific writer.' Barbara Erskine

'A vast canvas of memorable characters across a kaleidoscope of cultures… her epic story feels like an authentic reflection of a world full of sadness, joy and surprise.' The Observer

A spellbinding story of forbidden love. Three continents, three decades, three very disparate lives:

Savitri, intuitive and charismatic, grows up among the servants of a pre-war English household in Madras. But the traditional customs of her Brahmin family clash against English upper-class prejudice, threatening her love for the privileged son of the house.

Nataraj, raised as the son of an idealistic doctor in rural South India, finds life in London heady, with girls and grass easily available… until he is summoned back home to face raw reality.

Saroj, her fire hidden by outward reserve, comes of age in Guyana, South America. When her strict, orthodox Hindu father goes one step too far she finally rebels against him... and even against her gentle, apparently docile Ma.

But Ma harbours a deep secret… one that binds these three so disparate lives and hurtles them towards a truth that could destroy their world.

'A big book, big themes, an exotic background and characters that will live with you forever.' Katie Fforde

'Beautifully and cleverly written. A wondrous, spellbinding story which grips you from the first to the last page… I can't recall when I last enjoyed a book so much.' Lesley Pearse

'From the first page I was hooked with this enchanting book… unputdownable.' Audrey Howard

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Sharon Maas
1,942
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
579
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
270
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
4
Kindle Edition
$0.99
Sharon Maas
211
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
141
Kindle Edition
$3.99

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Sharon Maas
270
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
141
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
184
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
269
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
222
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
163
Kindle Edition
$3.99

Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A vast canvas of memorable characters across a kaleidoscope of cultures . . . Her epic story feels like an authentic reflection of a world full of sadness, joy and surprise." - --The Observer --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Sharon Maas was born in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951 and educated in Guyana and England. After leaving school she worked as a staff journalist at the Guyana Graphic and the Sunday Chronicle in Georgetown. Sharon has always had a great sense of adventure and curiosity about the world we live in, and Guyana could not hold her for long. In 1971 she set off on a year-long backpacking trip around South America. In 1973 she travelled overland to India through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and spent two years in an Ashram in South India. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

ASIN : B00IYWL6S6
Publisher : Bookouture; 2nd edition (March 11, 2014)
Publication date : March 11, 2014
Language : English
File size : 1570 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 643 pages
Lending : Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #170,090 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,697 in Sisters Fiction
- #1,933 in Women's Literary Fiction
- #2,408 in Romance Literary Fiction

Customer Reviews:
693 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		62%
4 star		26%
3 star		7%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

NOT FOR FEMINISTS.

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book is well written.. It paints a fairly interesting landscape with a cast of almost believable characters. There in lies the problem. It is a male dominant book with female subordination as a given. There are three strongish female characters two of which collapse. One simply surrenders herself to a series of male monsters who are violent and despicable. One manages to maintain a sense of self and direction until some half saintly patronising chauvinist demands that she give up all she has struggled for and her whole life to simply follow his life's dream and she just acquiesces letting her self be dominated by his demands. The third starts off as a silly romantic teen but grows into a stronger person - however she is the least important of the three.
The whole book should be a war against evil men ( who often collapse into melodrama clown and monsters the the author even allows to snigger ) and a relentless patriarchy of abusive power and privilege,
i am not one to bang on about rad fem ideology but this book simply drags it, inadvertently, centre stage.
It is tribute to the author's skills as a wordsmith that she impels one to read to the end in an ever shrivelling cocoon of optimistic hope.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

She

Intrigued

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book took me on a journey, I was excited, amazed, loved, sad, happy. I went and down in my emotions and then just when I thought one of the most disastrous and decimated events of life could happen to me, left me feeling lost, hurt, empty, devastated and embarrassed I thought all was lost then you brought out a great secret that corrected every problem and devastation. I was once again happy and full of joy and love. This book was written to pull out every once of emotion out of you as it took you from one country to another Mrs. Maas you have succeeded doing this in this book more than all the others I read so far. Thank you.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Meg

Amazing Read!!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is the tale of three stories and what an epic tale it is. The novel is told from three POV’s in three different era’s and places. I know others have commented it was confusing, but I was able to follow along. The only thing that bothered me was how interested I would get in one character’s story that I didn’t want another character to take over. I had no idea how these separate experiences of Indian life would merge, but Ms. Mass did an amazing job interweaving them. There were times when I could have strangled each character and other times I wanted to hug them hard. It was amazing how many satisfying arcs occurred in the book. Even the minor characters all received conclusions. I also enjoyed the depictions of India and the historical perspective. It felt authentic without being a history lesson. I would highly recommend this book. It’s a family saga, coming of age, romance, literary fiction, and historical all rolled into one. I cannot wait to delve into this author’s other books, but I have to get over this major book hangover first!

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Observer One

Epic! Almost Mythic, Complex and Believable

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2015

Verified Purchase

Epic! Almost mythical in tragedy, spirituality, wisdom, and scope. A page turner weaving together different times, different characters, different countries, different worldviews, different cultures, different classes, different generations, and skillfully bringing them together into an epic story of building tensions, fates, and mysteries. Set in India, in British Guyana, in London, and in Singapore, the stories are told from the point of view of children, of women, of men, of the poor, of the comfortable with each voice equally convincing and lifelike. The servants' daughter in India is best friends with the colonist's son. Family dynamics, history, changes over time, and personalities come together to create endless complexities. A rebellious Indian daughter in Guyana plays with Black children leading to an escalating conflict in her family while her father struggles to marry her off quickly. Her closest friend is the Black daughter of a powerful feminist politician in Guyana who hates arranged marriage. London, as the center of learning in the period before WWII, calls the more ambitious characters there. Some of the characters are healers. Some are profoundly spiritual. Some are mean, corrupt, or deeply flawed. As happens everywhere there are a mixture of cultures, classes and spiritual beliefs living in close proximity, clashes erupt suddenly and unexpectedly. This is a splendid, painful, inspiring, gripping, rich and beautiful book written so skillfully you will muse and miss every character long after reading the last page.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

High Desert Blue

A Vast Indian Romance

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017

Verified Purchase

Of Marriagiable Age is a delicious read. Take your time and enjoy the depth of cultures, generations, continents, intertwining romance and tragedies. This is not a quick read, but a book worth taking time to relish. Maas uses beautiful prose to tell a complex tale that will stick with the reader in a way only a well written story can do. I did have to go back and read a few of the earlier chapters as the story unwound, and when I did reread them, the beauty of the prose made every word taste like the finest dessert. The female characters are strong and do not be tricked into believing that any one of them is a victim. The characters are polished into fine jewelry through a hot kiln of life. I could barely wait to finish the book, yet hestitated to leave the characters I grew to love.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Pat A

Desperately needs a re-write.

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is a first. I've never given anything one star before. But this book made me mad. Half of the book is excellent -- really good. But the last, say, 60 percent is boring and interminable! I thought the thing would NEVER END. Whoever edited this book needs another profession. It goes on and on and ON... with this boring account of the character's time in London. I finally just quit. Disappointing. Needs a re-write desperately.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

S Payne

Loved it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

I’ve had this book on my Kindle for a while but it never seemed to make it to the top of my ‘to read’ list. I finished a couple of smaller books and was looking for a chunky read to immerse me in a different part of the world and spanning many years and generations and ‘Of Marriageable Age’ seemed to tick those boxes.

This is the story of three different characters: Savitri, a servant girl growing up in British-ruled India; Nataraj, the son of a small-town doctor in South India; and Saroj, a headstrong girl growing up in Guyana. The book is based in time periods ranging from the 1920s to the 1960s and the lives of these three characters are inextricably linked but the mystery of exactly how only becomes clear as the stories progress. Each character is a seperate narrator in the book and the chapters are split between them.

This is an enchanting love story that explores subjects like Indians living abroad, arranged marriages, prejudice, cultural boundaries, war and poverty. There is laughter, tears and heartache.

On the surface, this book may seem to be not very original but you soon come to understand that this is not the case. From the first page to the last, I was hooked. The characters are deep and full of history and complicated emotions and the writing is strong and the story flows well. The descriptions given make you feel like you are there. There are a few twists that I didn’t see coming and a couple that I did, it struck the right balance for me.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it tremendously and I found myself trying to slow down my reading, so the pages didn’t finish so soon. I plan to read more by this author.

4 people found this helpful

TTFN 132

A Well Written Story, but...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

Umm...the reviews have been written, so the back and forth through the characters/years have been well highlighted...I enjoyed it, as I do in other books written in this style. Unfortunately, my problem was the negative stereotype when it came onto the British Guyanese Africans, who raped innocent Indian women in the street/killed the innocent Indians and lacked intelligence, the white British women in the UK who were easy to bed/take away the innocence of the young Indian men. This was not what I had expected reading the reviews on this book, however, I can see how such stereotypes may been overlooked by many readers just caught up in the flow of a well written story, which pulls you along guessing at who the lead characters become and how they become connected. Nearer the end (around 20% left in the book) it felt as if Sharon Maas was just trying to bring everything together and in doing so, I feel, lost the essence of how it all began and rushed to end this epic journey. The stereotypes which I was at some point unsure if they were wholly character observations/POV, I was unable not to see and, thus, in the end made this just an ok read for me.

One person found this helpful

Kate Hopkins

Sprawling if Engrossing Family Saga

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2014

Verified Purchase

Sharon Maas's sprawling if engaging first novel opens in India in 1947, when a little boy called Paul is taken from an orphanage by an English 'Doctor-Sahib', given back his original name of Nataraj and adopted by the doctor. The novel then moves between three separate stories. We follow Nataraj's life in India with his new father, and his experiences when he finally leaves his country to study in England. We also follow the story of Saroj, a feisty Indian girl growing up in Guiana (British Guyana until the 1960s), who is a few years younger than Nataraj. Saroj suffers from her repressive Indian father's strictness, and longs for help from her gentle brother Ganesh and dreamy, spiritual mother - but their support is not enough to stop her rebelling drastically as she grows up. Alongside Saroj and Nataraj's stories we also follow a third, more tender tale, set in the British Raj in the 1920s, in which David, son of an English military family, and Savitri, his family's cook's daughter, fall in love as children - but their love, bearing in mind their different social status and nationalities, proves as impossible as Romeo and Juliet's - will it have the same tragic end? Told as three very separate stories for about two thirds of the book, the three narratives dramatically converge in the final section - though an attentive reader will probably guess quite early on how the stories are related - at least in part. Throughout the novel runs the theme of marriage, and of what it meant to an Indian woman in the mid-20th century.

I didn't enjoy Maas's second novel 'Peacocks Dancing', and nearly gave this one away without reading it. I'm glad I didn't, as it is a much stronger book. The information on marriage laws and the caste system in India from the 1920s to the 1960s is fascinating, and Maas brings India to life MUCH more effectively in this novel than in 'Peacocks Dancing', where everything was 'really beautiful' or 'really terrible'. I enjoyed reading about the contrast between life in the Raj and India in the 1960s, after Liberation, liked the way Maas worked Indian myths into the novel, and found the 1920s love affair genuinely touching, if over-romantic. And though I guessed most of the novel's 'big secrets' by about page 150 (of 525 pages) that didn't stop me wanting to read on. The book kept me thoroughly engaged on tube journeys and before bed for a week.

However, bearing in mind Amazon's star rating, I would only give it three stars overall - simply because with a few exceptions I didn't find the characters very credible. I felt real affection for David and Savitri, but felt also that Maas over-idealised them, particularly Savitri, with her eternal serenity, her mysterious healing powers (Maas does present a rather stereotyped idea of the Mysticism and Wisdom of the East in this book) and her ability to bounce back from any hardship and survive without being bitter. I also found some of the material about David quite strange - he seemed to be 'returned' to England to prep school very late (I thought a lot of boys went at the age of eight - too young to have acquired a lifelong romantic passion?) and to be curiously naive about what his decision to elope with Savitri might do to her, particularly as he'd been away in England for several years, where he'd have surely come to regard his life in India from something of a distance. And would Savitri really have been able to change within a few days from a crushed, dominated widow to a woman of action, getting on a plane alone to Singapore to find David during World War II and working as a nurse? Even more importantly (slight spoiler!), having done this would she have been able to revert to a purely feminine role later? But all these things considered, I still cared very much for these two characters and found myself engrossed in their story. But I felt nothing like as involved with Nataraj or Saroj. I found Nataraj's metamorphoses from quiet, studious boy to sex god and idle young man-about-town to saintly medical student and doctor (and he seemed to qualify in no time at all after his Reformation!) unlikely, and I'm afraid I very much disliked Saroj, who I found a spoilt brat. Her behaviour to her mother (particularly when she found what she thought was her mother's secret) was just horrible, her selfishness amazing (when a particularly Big Revelation comes that affects several characters, her only thought is 'What About ME!') and the descriptions of her friendship with the vacuous Trixie (who also had a startling metamorphosis, from giggly brainless teenager to genius artist and documenter in pictures of her people's life) tedious. Some of the scenes, such as Saroj's suicide attempt (which seemed another bid for attention), or the scene where Trixie's mother Lucy decides to give Saroj's mother a piece of her mind, were so melodramatic as to seem almost funny. The novel really began to show strain in the final sections, as all the dramatic revelations came out. Some of the characters' reactions were completely unbelievable - one character, on hearing terrible news, had 'deep pain' in their eyes for about five minutes, but then seemed to respond along the lines of 'O well, that's sad, but life must go on and at least I hadn't seen the person for years'. And another bit of shocking news seemed to be ignored by everyone apart from Saroj. And everything of course was tied together remarkably tidily at the end. I also did wonder whether Maas was presenting an altogether realistic picture of Indian culture. Everything seemed to be either really bad (arranged marriage - surely it worked for some people?) or really good (mysticism, gurus, serenity of character) and it didn't seem quite right .

This being said, there were some beautiful passages all through the book that I will remember; Savitri dancing with the animals in the garden, Nataraj telling the dying Deodat his favourite Indian legends, Saroj's rare moments of affection towards her mother, some of the scenes involving the English teacher Henry Baldwin, some of the descriptions of Madras and the surrounding area. I came to the conclusion that Maas can certainly write, but would have benefitted from very attentive editing.

A good story, but one which never really manages to move away from the stereotypes of romantic fiction. Great literature in terms of style it's not - but it's certainly an enjoyable read, and full of good information about India and Guiana. But for a more complex picture of Indian culture try Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Anita Desai or Rumer Godden.

6 people found this helpful

StAmumof2

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is such a good book, that I am contemplating reading it all over again after finishing this review!

There are three stories running through this book, each with a main character, and each set within a different timeframe. The stories are beautifully told, and the characters, are so engrossing, you can't help but be drawn into each of their worlds. The stories hint at overlaps, and very slowly weave together. I was a little worried towards the end as I thought the author was just going to try and swing a trite happy ever after, but she used a clever little twist, that tied everything up without it being saccharine, even I was suitably impressed. Super!

Evelyn W

An awesome book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

An awesome book! This is breathtaking. The characters and the Indian culture burst into life. It is like living in India. It has been crafted by a true genius. The characters seem totally unconnected at first but gradually the threads are woven and connected as each grows and changes. The picture of Savitri is my favourite, she just dances out of the pages. This is a very wise book which makes you see your own life in a new way and is an important contribution to literature.

2 people found this helpful

See all reviews

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Sharon Maas
579
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
1,942
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
270
Kindle Edition
$3.99
Sharon Maas
4
Kindle Edition
$0.99

Of Marriageable Age 2nd Edition, Kindle Edition

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Customers who bought this item also bought

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Review

Product details

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?