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Friday, 11 August 2023

My weekend spotlight guest: Rosemary Morris - Indira and Daisy


The WEEKEND SPOTLIGHT


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Wander through wonderful worlds
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About the Book

Grammar schoolgirls fourteen-year-old Indira Nathwani and Daisy Royston have been best friends since they were four years old. 

Indira lives in Southeast England with her wealthy Hindu family, an older brother, pious grandfather, parents, and aunt and uncle. In their temple room her grandfather teaches her to worship and serve God with love and devotion.

Daisy lives with her mother, a single parent who works hard to provide for her. Since her devout Christian grandmother’s death, Daisy rarely attends church. 

Sometimes she and Indira agree to disagree about their cultures and religions, but it never affects their friendship. However, Indira, who is not allowed to go out alone, is envious of her best friend’s freedom. 

Daisy’s only known relative is her mother, who she loves and appreciates, but she struggles not to envy Indira for having a large, perfect family. 

Daisy stays at the Nathwani’s house to celebrate Diwali and the Hindu new year on the next day. To reciprocate, Daisy’s mother invites Indira to stay for three nights at her house to celebrate Christmas. The Nathwani family’s refusal leads to tragedy, which Indira is blamed for, then a shocking revelation causes distress. 

Indira is distraught. Daisy realises Indira’s family is not perfect.

Published by Books We Love

Available from:-  

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon AU

https://books2read.com/IndirandDaisy 

From  Rosemary Morris:  thank you,  for inviting me to be a guest on your blog,

Books We Love have published fourteen of my Literary/Romantic fiction novels. In them I explore themes 21st century people can relate to e.g., a soldier suffering from posttraumatic syndrome before the condition was recently diagnosed, a young woman seeking her birth parents, and a city on the verge of war. At heart I am a historian. My novels are meticulously researched to capture times past – speech, fashion, food, customs, and much more. The novels, which have received many 5* reviews, are sensual, but with firmly closed bedroom doors the reader can relish the details of emerging romances. Books We Love have published fifteen of my novels, and the sixteenth, set in early 19th century Madras and England, will be published in November 2024.

My latest release is Indira and Daisy, a multi-cultural young adult/adult novel set in the late 20th century. 

For eight hours a day, I am usually engrossed in writing, researching historical non-fiction, and engaged in ‘writerly’ activities.  I enjoy time spent with my family and friends, knitting, growing my own in my organic garden and putting it to good use in my vegetarian cuisine. 

I am often asked where I get ideas from. Historical non-fiction often suggests a plot and a theme. This is an example which prompted Monday’s Child the second in my series, Heroines born on different days of the week. Besotted by everything Scottish—the clothing, the pipes, and the dancing the Duchess of Richmond and her husband raised the 92nd Foot, or as they are commonly known, The Gordon Highlanders. At the duchess’s ball on the eve of the battle at Waterloo, Pipe Major Alexander Cameron played the bagpipes as he led the Scots dancers into the ballroom. Later, the regiment marched out of Brussels, kilts swaying to the tune of the regimental march, Cock O’ the North played by drums and bagpipes. The poignant scene sparked my imagination, and I reached for a handkerchief at the memory of so many brave men who subsequently died in battle. 

Helen the heroine, an artist in the romantic tale of times past captures the anxiety underlying the gaiety in Brussels in her paintings during the 100 days after Napoleon’s escape from Elba until the decisive battle.

 



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Morris lives in a town in Southeast England with easy access to London and open countryside. Her Literary, Romantic, Historical fiction is set in England during the reigns of Edward II, Queen Anne Stuart 1702-1714, and the ever-popular Regency era. She explores themes 21st century people can relate to e.g., a soldier suffering from posttraumatic syndrome before the condition was diagnosed, a young woman seeking her birth parents, and a city on the verge of war. At heart Rosemary is a historian. Her novels are meticulously researched to capture times past – speech, fashion, food, customs and much more. Her recent late 20th century novel, Indira and Daisy set in England, is a view of two vastly different cultures shown through two fourteen-year-old girls. The Hindu and English backgrounds, religion, clothes, food and drink, bring the story to vibrant life. Her novels, published by BooksWeLove  are sensual, but with firmly closed bedroom doors, so the reader can relish the details of emerging romances When Rosemary is not engrossed in research, she reads fiction, writes, or is engaged in ‘writerly’ activities. She enjoys time spent with her family and friends, knitting, growing her own in her organic garden and putting it to good use in her vegetarian cuisine. 


Links.


www.rosemarymorris.co.uk


https://www.facebook.com/RosemaryMorrisHistoricalNovelist


https://books2read.com/IndirandandDaisy


My Review

Ms Morris's novels are always entertaining reads, and often, also informative - as is her latest, Indira and Daisy. 

The two families, especially the girls, are written very realistically, and could portray almost any family anywhere. The differences between the two religions was also very well done, not in an 'in your face' or an attempt to convert the reader way,  but purely from the informative side - the reader discovering things, along with the two girls and their families, in an interesting, and entertaining way. 

My only very small negative comment, I understand why red was used for the title on the cover, but the text is entirely lost within the background, especially at thumbnail size. 

An enjoyable read that flows nicely, and a story which should appeal to adult and young adult readers. Indira and Daisy would make an excellent additional Christmas stocking filler! 


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Website: https://helenhollick.net/

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