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The Far Field
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
"Gorgeously tactile and sweeping in historical and socio-political scope, Pushcart Prize-winner Madhuri Vijay's The Far Field follows a complicated flaneuse across the Indian subcontinent as she reckons with her past, her desires, and the tumultuous present. In the wake of her mother's death, Kalyani, a privileged and restless young woman from Bangalore, sets out for a remote Himalayan village in the troubled northern region of Kashmir. Certain that the loss of her mother is somehow connected to the decade-old disappearance of Bashir Ahmed, a charming Kashmiri salesman who frequented her childhood home, she is determined to confront him. But upon her arrival, Kalyani is brought face to face with Kashmir's politics, as well as the tangled history of the local family that takes her in. And when life in the village turns volatile and old hatreds threaten to erupt into violence, Kalyani finds herself forced to make a series of choices that could hold dangerous repercussions for the very people she has come to love. With rare acumen and evocative prose, in The Far Field Madhuri Vijay masterfully examines Indian politics, class prejudice, and sexuality through the lens of an outsider, offering a profound meditation on grief, guilt, and the limits of compassion" --
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LauraBrook
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Mehso-so

Close to a pick and book 2 finished for the #readathon. Set in India, we follow a young woman after the death of her mother as she searches for an old family friend, going from Southern India to the far North on her own. This is both a personal story and one of political change and prejudice. I liked and mostly enjoyed it but wouldn‘t give it a blanket recommendation and can‘t see myself rereading. Book 2/3 pages read 379/500 #deweyapril

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Hooked_on_books
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

After her mother dies, Kalyani is at a bit of a loss. She decides to try to find someone from her childhood and heads across India to his village in Kashmir, landing in the middle of a volatile area where each family has suffered their own losses. I really struggled to get into this initially and actually almost bailed early, but I‘m so glad I didn‘t, as I though it was terrific.

LeahBergen I always like this cover when I see it! 2y
KT1432 I have this one but never did read it. Thanks for the reminder that I need to pick it up! 2y
batsy Same @LeahBergen 🙂 2y
72 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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UnabridgedPod
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

I read Madhuri Vijay's The Far Field as part of two challenges (#20backlistin2020 and #backlistgotbackedup), and it's another book that I wished I had picked up earlier.⠀

➡️ What books have you had on your shelf for a long time? Do you think you'll try to read them in 2021?⠀

The main character is Shalini, a woman in her early 20s who is grieving the death of her mother, ⬇️

UnabridgedPod a complicated figure who in many ways dominated Shalini's sense of the world and of herself. Now, without her anchor, Shalini is floating through her life in Bangalore, going through the motions at a job she doesn't care about, seeking numbness through parties and alcohol. As she seeks to find some meaning in her mother's death, she decides to find Bashir Ahmed, ⬇️ 3y
UnabridgedPod a door-to-door salesman who became a mainstay of her and her mother's life when Shalini was a child. She's convinced that by finding Bashir again, she can understand who her mother was . . . and, by extension, who she is and could be.⠀

Shalini travels first to Kishtwar and then to Bashir's small village, and she cuts off all contact with her father and anyone from her past. ⬇️
3y
UnabridgedPod She is forced to confront her own privilege and ignorance as she learns about the long conflict between Muslims and Hindus that rules the daily lives of the people she meets, and the story of her own coming of age and of her mother appears in flashbacks throughout the narration. (There were also some intriguing overlaps here with Veera Hiranandani's The Night Diary, a middle-grade book I read back in October, ⬇️ 3y
UnabridgedPod which deals with some of the early days of the conflict between the Muslim and Hindu citizens of India.)

This is a book that is rich both in writing and in story, and the narrative is challenging because of the questions it asks and the answers it offers. It is also an absolutely wonderful reading experience, and one that offered a perspective that was new to me.
3y
27 likes4 comments
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KatieDid927
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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I adore the tagged book by Indian author Madhuri Vijay. It‘s beautiful. I‘m not positive that she wrote this in another language first, but she was born in Bangalore and the book is set in Bangalore and Kashmir. I‘m starting to become more interested in modern Indian literature in general.

#IntegrateYourShelf @ChasingOm @Emilymdxn

ChasingOm I have an ARC of this still on my shelf! I need to pick it up. 4y
36 likes1 comment
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Christinak
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Starting the book club pick for July. I‘m already a fifth of the way in...

#literaryladies

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JSW
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
Pickpick

I don't know how to write a review for this book, one in which everything and nothing seem to happen simultaneously. It's a family story, a political story, a story of a woman who is lost and unable to find herself, and a story of conflict and connection. Vijay writes with a steady tension and melancholy, yet never oversteps into melodrama. Really excellent read.

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JSW
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Started this one today. Already completely hooked.

18 likes1 stack add
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mhillis
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

Love the cover and the story! The blurb for this book described the main character as a flaneuse, and I wished there would have been more of that. It was set in Bangalore and Kishtwar, which were so vividly described. Glad I put it on my list for #bookspinbonanza
#nutsinmay 4/6

Andrew65 Well done, going well. 👏👏👏 4y
batsy Love the cover and photo! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 4y
mhillis If you‘re thinking about reading this book, it is sad and may not be for everyone. 4y
mhillis @batsy @Andrew65 @TheAromaofBooks 😊 Thank you! (edited) 4y
57 likes1 stack add5 comments
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BrownGirlReading
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

The story of a young woman‘s real discovery of the region of Kashmir. The Far Field explores how being sheltered your whole life can impair judgement and not see things for what they really are. This book is an interesting look into India and its relationship to the region of Kahmir. Beware the first 100 pages are not very engrossing but beyond that the book is very interesting.

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MelKelsey
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Panpan

Book 18
I listened to this book, which may have contributed to my inability to connect to it. (I wasn't a fan of the voice acting; her pronunciation of "rifling" was irksome.) To attempt to sum up the story would be to develop the plot further than it was developed and to add intrigue where there was none. The characters were not likable, all were stagnant, and their decisions were absent any redeeming qualities. I cannot understand the hype.

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KinaReads
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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kimalicious
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
Pickpick

I love books set in South Asia. The things I loved the most about this novel were the descriptions of the Kashmiri landscape and the variety of character personalities. Religion, wealth, love, loss, and injustice are all important themes.

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KinaReads
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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☺️

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ErikasMindfulShelf
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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More of my favorite books of 2019.

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Lindy
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Bailedbailed

I got so frustrated with Shalini‘s vacillations and I felt so much impending doom that I had to set this aside for awhile. I realized I‘m not interested in returning to the story, even though I have already invested 8 hours of my time. It‘s not the audiobook narration; if it weren‘t for Sneha Mathan‘s warm voice, I wouldn‘t have got as far as I have. I‘m calling it quits. 😐

Sace I think I have this in book form. Not sure when I'll get to it. I'm glad I know going in that the MC is like that 4y
Lindy @Sace I wish you all the best with it. Other readers have loved this and it won an award in India, so it‘s not a bad book. Just not a good fit for me. 4y
Sace @Lindy thanks. Who knows when I'll get to it though 😂 To be honest I was drawn to the cover. 4y
41 likes3 comments
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alisonrose
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
Pickpick

Near the end of this book, I was literally pressing my hand to my heart knowing what was coming but still being devastated by it. What a beautiful, poignant story the author has woven, & what a number it did on me! Shalini may be naive or frustrating at times, as some have griped about, but IMO it made her all the more real & relatable. The prose is stunning, & I personally found the characters to be layered & memorable. Loved this so much. 5/5 🌟

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alisonrose
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay

It shouldn‘t have surprised me, but it did. It was a measure of how naïve I was, that I had assumed that all these days when he looked at me, when we stood together on the porch and I heard his breath quicken, it was out of mere physical desire. I had yet to understand just how many shapes a person‘s desire could take, and how few of them, in the end, took the shape of the body.

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Samplergal
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

Loved it. Such lush language and complex characters. I recommend it. #20Booksby2020

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alisonrose
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay

I was struck by a sudden, savage resentment at her tone, which was pitying, yet I took a strange pleasure in it too. I sat with my head held high, tasting bitter pride in my own weakness, and hating myself for it at the same time, because, cynical and hardened as I believed myself to be at twenty-four, I had never stopped to consider that pity might, in fact, be just another facet of love.

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alisonrose
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay

He had the intelligent man‘s faith in the weight of his own ideas, and the emotional man‘s impatience with anyone who did not share them.

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alisonrose
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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I have a feeling this is gonna be heartbreaking in a thousand ways......but that‘s a good thing when it comes to books! #nowreading

Tamra I have this beautiful cover on my TBR shelves. 4y
LitLeonardo Marvelous photo. 4y
alisonrose @Tamra 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 4y
34 likes4 comments
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Samplergal
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Next up. Looking forward to this one. #20booksby2020

Theaelizabet I loved this book. I‘ll look forward to your thoughts on it. 4y
53 likes1 comment
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HarperCollinsIn
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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JCB WINNER 2019. In the wake of her mother‘s death, Shalini, a privileged, naive and restless young woman from Bangalore, sets out for a remote village in Kashmir. Certain that the loss of her mother is somehow connected to the decade-old disappearance of Bashir Ahmed, a charming Kashmiri salesman who frequented her childhood home, she is determined to track him down.

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wordclot
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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.. I still don't understand why I was unable to speak the truth. Perhaps there is no explanation other than that I had been weaned too long on secrecy, taught by my mother from earliest childhood the strange and unquantifiable power of keeping one‘s counsel. But that is probably too generous an assessment. I suspect the truth was that, like so many who cloak themselves in mistrust and call it independence, I was merely a coward.

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Christinak
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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My last book box for 2019‘s #YearOfReading came today from Shakespeare and Co. #ILoveBookMail
#BestChristmasGiftEver
#shakespeareandcompany

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andioop
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
Pickpick

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Loss never leaves us. We must try to see the world as it is anyway.
Content warning for suicide and violence. Specifically institutionalized, militarized, religious violence.

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Becker
Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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I‘m not very far in to this but I‘m really enjoying the audio so far. 🌼

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MallenNC
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Restarted this book today after having put it aside. I‘m finally past some of my busiest times at work so I think I‘ll be able to finish it this time. #audiobook

Tamra I love the cover. 4y
cathysaid I really enjoyed this on audio. 4y
24 likes2 comments
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mhillis
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Tanisha_A Marigold! 🏵️ 5y
56 likes1 comment
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Mitch
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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So looking forward to reading this is sounds AMAZING! Thank you so much @CoffeeNBooks for thinking of me - it means the world to me this amazing community #litsylove. Thank you honey 😘

Soubhiville It‘s so pretty! 5y
squirrelbrain Lovely cover! ❤️ 5y
Mitch @squirrelbrain @Soubhiville it‘s super pretty isn‘t it! 5y
CoffeeNBooks Happy Birthday Mitch!! So glad the book made it to you! I hope you have a fabulous day! 5y
81 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Come-read-with-me
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Day 4 #7covers7days. #covercrush. Haven‘t read it yet, but the cover looked like something that I should read.

WhatWouldJaneDo Never heard of this book but that cover would definitely make me pick it up in the bookstore! 5y
Severnmeadows Beautiful! 5y
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Plaidsticks
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

Such a great, captivating listen. #audiobook

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MallenNC
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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A cover with #flowers doesn‘t always mean a happy book! #SelfImprovementSept

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🌺🌹🌼🌺📚 5y
OriginalCyn620 👌🏻📚❤️🌸🌼🌹 5y
25 likes2 comments
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MsLeah8417
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

🌟🌟🌟🌟
#botmsummerslam

Lauredhel I'm such a sucker for a botanical print cover! 5y
MsLeah8417 @Lauredhel : It‘s beautiful!! 5y
13 likes2 comments
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Krose1
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

Set in Bangalore and Kashmir, this was a very timely read given all the happenings there right now. I think this encompasses the helplessness many feel these days. Very good!

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Sue
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Picked this up as I forgot a book for my specialist appointment. I‘m really enjoying it so far.

Cathythoughts Sounds good. I think I‘ll try a sample on kindle now 👍🏻 5y
ErikasMindfulShelf I loved it! 5y
63 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MallenNC
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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I‘m on staycation so why not start an audiobook at 11 pm? This was recommended to me by @bookriot TBR service

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Dolly
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

An excellent book especially if you, like me, love books set in India. There were a few parts of the plot that I thought needed a bit of adjustment, sometimes I felt the author lost her way but all in all beautifully written. This is an author to watch. 👁👁

38 likes1 stack add
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Jilly6183
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

I really liked this and would recommend it, but man I wanted to punch Shalini in the face.

UnabridgedPod I have this from BOTM a few months ago. Need to move it up my TBR!! 5y
47 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Jilly6183
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Decided to play hooky from work today 🤫😎

TheBookKeepers Niiiice! Enjoy!! 5y
Lauram Good call!! 5y
54 likes2 comments
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Erinreadsthebooks
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
Pickpick

Great choice, @irre 🙌 #lmpbc It‘s an interesting read about a part of the world I‘m not familiar with. It‘ll be heading home soon!

ErikasMindfulShelf I‘m glad you liked it! 5y
TheNerdyProfessor I picked this one from BOTM ages ago but haven't read it yet. I'm glad to hear you liked it! 5y
21 likes1 stack add2 comments
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mobygrapes
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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“I am aware of the likely futility of all that I have told here, and, I am aware, too, of the thousand ways I have tried to excuse myself in the telling of it. All the same, whatever the flaws of this story or confession or whatever has turned out to be, let it stand.”

LitsyWelcomeWagon Welcome to Litsy! Hope these #Litsytips by @RaimeyGallant http://bit.ly/litsytips and #LitsyHowTo videos: goo.gl/UrCpoU are helpful. There‘s so many fun things to do: book exchanges, buddy reads, photo challenges and more! #LitsyWelcomeWagon 5y
RaimeyGallant Welcome! 5y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🤗👏🏻 5y
3 likes3 comments
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Dolly
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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With this bit of writing and character description I knew I‘d love The Far Field.

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Erinreadsthebooks
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Here I go, @irre Starting this one today and I‘ll get it to you ASAP!

ErikasMindfulShelf Great! I was starting to worry it got lost on the way. 😀 No rush. I hope you love it as much as I did. 5y
cathysaid I really enjoyed this one! Glad to finally see some posts about it 👏 5y
mreads 🐕❤ 5y
Slajaunie Aww, look at that sweet Baby! 💙🐾 5y
36 likes4 comments
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ErikasMindfulShelf
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Read some good books so far this year.
#Top6Reads

TheNerdyProfessor The Far Field is in my TBR stack! 5y
Megabooks Great choices! 5y
Cinfhen I‘m definitely interested in the Mira Jacobs book 5y
KatieDid927 The Far Field made my list too! 5y
77 likes1 stack add5 comments
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tholmz
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

Really unique and fascinating and honest and good.

9 likes1 stack add
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RealLifeReading
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Pickpick

The author writes beautifully but her main character Shalini was not easy to connect with. She sometimes seems a bit naive for her age and that proves disastrous for the people around her. But I loved reading about Shalini‘s foray into village life in Kashmir, so far and different from bustling Bangalore where she‘s from. And it‘s these little moments that make this book a beautiful and moving one

77 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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CollapsingLibrary
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Update: finally getting out of my slump, only took 2 weeks 🙄

ErikasMindfulShelf I loved this one! 5y
61 likes1 comment
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CollapsingLibrary
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Been in sort of a reading slump. Let‘s see if this brings me out of it

Bookwormjillk Pretty cover! 5y
67 likes1 stack add1 comment
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erinreads
The Far Field | Madhuri Vijay
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Life has been really less than stellar this year, but at least I can still find the good in moments like this: reading in bed with my cat, on a Saturday where I finally have NO plans or work obligations. 🙌🏻 Also, I‘ve really missed Litsy lately, so this weekend will be all about finally getting more reading done and trying to catch up on everyone‘s posts. 💕 #damnfinecooper #catsoflitsy

Jerdencon Reading in bed on a Saturday morning is one of my favorite things! Hope you have a nice day! 5y
jenniferw88 😻😻😻 5y
8little_paws I hear ya. I feel like I'm in the same boat. Have a good day though 5y
See All 10 Comments
Hoopiefoot Enjoy! Your cat looks like he/she approves of your choice too! 5y
darklydreaming This sounds awesome! Cute kitty. Happy Saturday 💕 5y
rretzler 😻 5y
LeafingThroughLife Slow starts on Saturday mornings are the best. This is the first one I‘ve had myself in quite a while. Have a great day! 5y
JSW Here‘s to life‘s little pleasures and a lazy Saturday morning! ❤️❤️ 5y
wanderinglynn What a cutie! I love gingers. 🧡🐱 Enjoy your day. 💜 5y
Zelma Looks like a fabulous way to spend the day! My year has been similar and I treasure my quiet reading days right now. 5y
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