The Sleeping Dictionary

This was a lovely book. The story of Pom/Sarah/Kamala is really interesting, and Massey cleverly weaves Pom's story from childhood into maturity together with the history of India in the 1930s and 1940s. We see the fight for India's independence aligned with Pom's growth into independence. Because Pom is part of India's fight for independence from British rule, we learn about that period in India (specifically, Calcutta) without having to wade through long passages of boring historical text. Every adventure is an emotional plot as well as a bit of history. Quality writing, attractive characters, colorful background make this a book to be savored. Highly recommended. I've already read the three Perveen Mistry books and pre-ordered the fourth. This author tells an intriguing story that draws you in and attracts you to continue.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was hard to put it down. The life journey of the heroine was fascinating as a look inside India at the time of independence.

When Pom, also called Didi, was ten years old, she lived with her family in Johlpur, a village destroyed in a 1930 cyclone. Pom wasn’t in the village when the storm struck. As a member of one of the lowest castes, Pom’s future wasn’t bright, but after the cyclone, it was non-existent. Without family or friends, Pom survives and the story begins. Pom, now called by the Christian name Sarah, becomes a servant in a boarding school, where she learns English, literacy, and basic manners. Pom reconnects with a former acquaintance and becomes her amanuensis, writing letters to her friend’s fiancee. Pom becomes so invested in the process, she falls in love with the boy and internalizes his desire for India’s independence from England. And then life takes another turn. In 1935 Pom is fifteen years old, going by the name Pamela, conversing with men, and plying the trade of the sleeping dictionary until the wheel of life turns again. Pamela, now Kamala, reaches Calcutta in 1938 where she is embroiled in the Indian struggle for freedom and works for an English civil servant whom she more than admires. More a personal coming-of-age story than a saga of Indian Independence, Massey’s tale is well-researched, engagingly written, and compelling.

This is such an engrossing history of India in the decades before independence told from one woman's point of view. I dog eared the best parts and read them all over again ~4 times they were so good (as I did with Perveen's books). I read the the three Perveen books and the India Gray for insight into Perveens first meeting with Colin Sandringham which introduced me to the wonderful Ayah's story and Kamala and Simon which led me to this book. These are so fatalistic and thank you to the author for the gift of writing them. I learned so much and I love the characters and the place and time.

Wonderful, world view-expanding read. I started it this week and almost didn't get Thanksgiving meal cooked and other work done because it was so absorbing. Sujata Massey is an excellent writer, and this is a new kind of work from her. She has attempted an historical novel of great complexity, and she delivers it with characterization and a story line that bring human perspective to larger events. I expected to like the book--and now I want to learn more about the setting and politics of the time depicted. The characters are memorable, and I care about them. I leave the book wanting to think more about history and women's lives--in very genuine ways. The story of Pom/Sarah/Kamala has parallels with many women's experiences to this day, but this view of the struggle for Indian independence and a woman's life is memorable. Highly recommended!

I read this while simultaneously listening to the podcast "Empire". Combined they explore the wonder and horror of colonial India. "William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the stories, personalities and events of empire over the course of history. The first series looks at the British in India, covering the East India Company, the Raj, Gandhi, Independence and Partition."

This splendid novel of a young girl growing up in India in the years before independence has enough vile scoundrels in it to remind a reader of young Oliver Twist and enough bordello scenes to evoke Moll Flanders or Fanny Hill. I mention the oldies because The Sleeping Dictionary is that well written. Young Pom, from a poor family in Bengal, is an appealing character. Her struggles are convincing, and a reader enjoys rooting for her--she's a determined and worthy heroine. The vivid portrait of India in the 1930s and '40s is both beautiful and appalling. Pom's tale moves at a lively clip. A great read, entertaining from start to end.

This is a page-turning story, very much a Perils of Pauline saga. the heroine is always rescued by a chance meeting, which becomes a little tiring. It is definitely a woman's book, and the male characters are not fully examined. Very enjoyable.

Was waiting eagerly to read

A great story, set brilliantly against the background, and foreground, of the period leading up to independence for India.

So interesting to read about the end of empire for an Indian point of view.

Absolut FANTASTISCHES Buch! Bin sowieso von der Autorin begeistert, aber dieses Einzelwerk setzt nochmal etwas drauf. Einfach genial.

Even though it has a storyline way before my time and that of my parents, I can feel Calcutta as it used to be and the people that were there then. Not much has changed. I was transported back to my days spent in Calcutta during my summer holidays, even though they were decades later. Sujata writes really well and has the ability to hold your attention throughout the book. The characters are well described by the way they unfold and not unnecessarily painfully described as one chapter. The ficus is on the story throughout. The storyline of the protagonist follows a tragic pattern which you hope will break soon and it does at the right moment, at the crescendo. I had a great time reading this and it became a ritual for me as I would read during my travel to and from work, keeping me busy for 20mins each day for a month. Sad that the book is over but happy that Sujata’s written a lot more! Can’t wait to get my hands on the others!