Part 1 of this book took forever to read. Charu was not a person I could relate to or have any respect for her. Her behaviors went from bad to worse thinking that drugs were the answer, her dislike of Pin to falling madly in love with her as her lesbian lover, her supposedly love of Merch because he was a man. Part 2 was more interesting learning about the school girls and their way of life. Liked how the girls thought they could do and solve everything. Solving the murder mystery had the potential of getting interesting but the way it was dragged out ruined it. ( )

I cannot praise this book highly enough.
I randomly selected it from the shelf at the library. I'll admit it, the cover grabbed my attention, I loved the blurb, and from the moment I read the first page, I was hooked.
Absolutely refreshing to read something not set in America or England. Clearly I need to vary my reading a lot more, as I hadn't realised I'd fallen into such patterns.
The main character has faults, she isn't perfect, both externally and internally. She copes with a disfigurement, which is a defining feature of her. But it doesn't rule her life. Her life does not follow the pathway her family, her caste, her colleagues expect, and I think that is the greatest surprise of all.
If you don't like reading about drug use, or lesbianism, then this book isn't for you.
If you love mystery, complex characters, and chapters written from different viewpoints, and beautiful prose, then this book is for you.
Every character, minor or otherwise, comes to life between these pages. I wanted to finish it, but I didn't want it to end.
I've never been to boarding school, but it had shades of Enid Blyton tangled through some of the scenes. And as an avid childhood fan of the Famous Five, and all the other series written by Enid Blyton, I loved it even more for that aspect.
I loved it. That is all. ( )

Miss Timmins’ School for Girls is a rather bland title for a book, with a cover photo of girls walking in the rain that seems as if it could have been taken anywhere. There’s something quite beautiful about the colours, though, and the suggestively ethnic design of the border provides our first hint of how deceptive and artificial that portrayal of ordinariness really is.

Right from the very first page we’re teased with the central mystery, and introduced in such a way that we’re immediately suspicious of the various narrators. With a teacher’s body discovered beneath a rain-swept cliff, another teacher already fleeing a scandal back home, a group of teachers too liberated to set a proper example, a story of taboo love, and a few overly curious students, the stage is set for a literary journey across the world and back in time.

For me, this was a bit of a difficult read, only because the culture (and its associated struggles) is so very foreign. There is a strong contrast between cultures, religions, and classes that is revisited throughout the story. At times, I found my fascination with the characters and their surroundings actually pulled me out of the story, forcing me to go back and reread certain passages to regain the thread of the plot. The fact that the plot seemed a bit disjointed at times likely didn’t help, but that’s not a complaint, just an observation.

I must say, the language here is lush and beautiful, almost lyrical at times. The narrative voices are very strong, authoritative, and entertaining, and yet never entirely trustworthy. Some voices had more impact than others, but it’s a style of writing that suits the mystery element very well (even if it detracts, a bit, from the cultural elements). While the main characters were very well developed, the supporting cast ran the gamut from generic to fascinating, with some existing only to advance the plot. I would have liked to see either a few less characters, or a little more time spent developing them, but that’s a minor point.

In the end, it’s the strength of Charu that carries the novel, and her development – both socially and emotionally – that kept me reading. Her story alone could have made for an interesting novel, serving as part travelogue and part romantic drama. At the same time, the mystery could very well stand alone as a much shorter novel, and might even benefit from the added focus. Somehow, though, it’s the mingling of the story lines and the genres that appealed to me most, almost (and perhaps intentionally) mirroring the mingling of cultures and classes.

All in all, an interesting read, and one that’s very well told. ( )

A fairly quick read about a girls' school in Panchgani, India. Newcomer Charulata Apte becomes embroiled in a murder when her passionate relationship with fellow teacher Moira Prince ends in a tragic death. Secret are uncovered, the young students at the school get involved, and Charu's life is soon spiralling out of control. The characters, setting, atmosphere and writing are all brilliant, although the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll theme of the 1970s does start to drag slightly towards the end, I felt. The school, though, presumably based on the author's own experience, is is brought vividly to life, with the students and teachers trapped by the monsoons, dependant on each other for company but also divided by rank and relationship. ( )

Felt obligated to finish this for book club. Otherwise I would have stopped reading it after 50 pages. ( )