Author: Dipnanda Bhaduri Roy Publisher: Raindrops Publishers (28 November 2019) Goodreads Genre: Contemporary Indian Romance / Mythology-infused Fiction My Rating: 4 / 5 Buy on Amazon India: I Am in Love with a Shudh Desi Firangi
Two upbringings, an Indian and a foreigner (firangi), fall in love and the Indian sees Shiva in him through his morals, ethos and traditions.
To the romance enthusiasts here, this is a salver of delicacy that you would relish in a Shudh Desi style. The tray is both Indian and continental but still desi.
The cover is dressed decently but could have been improved. The blurb is too elaborative and could have been edited for better.
Now on to the writing — the language is eloquent and Dipnanda has made sure the tide is kept smooth. Set in the mixed cultural backdrop of Goa and flavoured with the ethnic specialties of Kolkata, this romance will surely knock at the minds of those who are in love or looking to find true, selfless love. Amazon
I loved the protagonist Kathy or Kattyayni and her depiction has a charm that anyone would fall for her. It has been long that I fell for a desi protagonist. You will also delve into Bengali ethnicities and recognize much more of the culture — it was a genuine eye-opener. Occasionally, I felt the story being too sugary at some places, but this doesn’t stop the book turning tide.
A Shiva Bhakt myself, I was able to connect to Katty’s devotions and felt the divine goosebumps.
The chase of altruistic love with a tweak of desi upgrading has kept this book turning. The merger of mystical, romance, culture, love, detriment with a lot of twists have made this book one of a laidback read this 2020.
