Today I’m excited to participate in the bookstagram and creative tour + giveaway for The Direction of the Wind by Mansi Shah, hosted by MTMC Tours. The Direction of the Wind is a heartfelt story that spans continents and generations, about a young woman who searches for answers about a mother she barely remembers.
" The direction of the wind cannot be changed,
but we can change the direction of our sails."
The Direction of the Wind by Mansi Shah is a beautiful novel that explores the complexities of relationships, family, culture, and identity. The story follows the journey of a young woman named Sophie as she discovers the truth about her mother, Nita, and her journey as she follows her mother's path, facing various challenges and obstacles along the way, slowly discovering who her mother was, how much she longed to leave the commodity of her home, leaving everything behind, and find herself a new path.
What makes this book so special is the way it tackles important and often difficult issues with sensitivity and nuance: from family issues to addiction to questions of cultural identity. The story offers a powerful exploration of what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated society, and how women are affected and impacted when they escape that society and face a very different reality in the Western world.
" Everything looks romantic in the moonlight,
but the sun always rises the next day."
But the fact that you have to read more than half of the book before the interesting part starts and catches you, is the biggest weakness of this book. I mean, until I got to page 235 or so, I thought it was really boring, nothing was really going on, I couldn't stand Nita's parts of the story, it was the same thing over and over again —she regrets leaving India but doesn't go back because she keeps thinking that she deserves everything she gets because of karma. There was a point where I almost decided to skip Nita's parts and just read Sophie's, but I knew I'd lose a big part of the story that was important, so in the end I didn't.
" A dream without heart is nothing at all."
Although I'm not sure if 235 pages was worth the wait, I finished the book, not only because I had to review it, but because after that page I wanted to know how it ended. I guess that's the most common reason people finish books, but to be honest, if I didn't have to review it I probably wouldn't have gotten to page 235, but then I never would have known the end of this story. There's always a good side to "bad" things. But because of this ending, even though it felt like the author was in a rush to finish, I'm giving it no less than two and a half stars. So you could say that the ending saves the book, and you wouldn't be wrong. But if you're willing to read 235 pages to enjoy the ending, that's up to you.
Or maybe I'm completely wrong and the book isn't half as bad as I think it is. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't like the ending, but you'll enjoy the rest of the book. Maybe you won't like it at all. That's the best thing about reading: that every book finds its audience in the end. So you might as well give it a chance.
" Loss is a universal equalizer. The raw and
personal nature of it resonates with everyone."
But there's no doubt that Mansi Shah is a talented writer, and I'm sure she has a bright future ahead of her. Whether you're a fan of contemporary fiction or just looking for a great mother-daughter story to get lost in, The Direction of the Wind is the book to pick up.
PLAYLIST
This is a creative tour, so we were asked to do something different, and I decided to make a playlist out of the book, since I love music and making playlists on Spotify. But first of all, I'm a huge Swiftie, so I can't make a playlist and not add some Taylor Swift songs, it physically hurts me, so I had to add some of her songs. You can also find the playlist and listen to it here or scanning the bar code.
You're On Your Own Kid - Taylor Swift
it's time to go - Taylor Swift
Jealous of Paris - Haley Joelle
Bigger Than The Whole Sky - Taylor Swift
Where You Lead - Carole King
Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
You Were Gone - Daisy Jones & The Six
The Cause - Tommy Lefroy
my fault - Zeph
Abandonment Issues - Rowan Drake
Jesus in LA - Alec Benjamin
International Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway
Head over to my last post on bookstagram to enter the tour giveaway where one lucky reader will win a paperback copy of The Direction of the Wind sent via Book Depository! The giveaway ends on April 15th, and the winner will be announced on @mtmctours’ Instagram account.
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