The Kashmir Shawl - read

Been a relaxing afternoon reading The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas. Harper Collins

"In 1938, young bride Nerys Watkins accompanies her missionary husband on a posting to India. Up in Srinagar, the British live on beautiful wooden houseboats and dance and gossip as if there is no war. But when the men are sent away to fight Nerys is caught up in a dangerous friendship.
Years later, when Mair Ellis clears out her father’s house, she finds an antique shawl with a lock of child’s hair wrapped up in its folds. Tracing her grandparents’ roots back to Kashmir, Mair uncovers a story of great love and great sacrifice."

I love the descriptives of when the shawl was found:-

"The tissue paper was very old and limp.When she folded it back her first impression was of wonderful colours. Silvery blues and greens sprang at her, like a distillation of lake water and spring skies, with starbursts of lavender and vermilion flowers caught in the depths. She looked more closely and saw the intricacy of the woven pattern; the sumptuous curved teardrop shapes with curled tips, the ferny fronds and branched stems and tiny five petalled flowers." p.3  

The story is taking me to Kashmir and the images remind me of my time in India so loving this book and glad I found it in the bargain basket at WH Smiths in Uxbridge the other day.