There's something rather intriguing about a group of women who know they need something, but have trouble realizing what it is. From Rose, who is pretty and sweet and pretty much an empty-headed doll to her best friend for ages Tor, the opposite of Rose in everything from looks to personality, but equally uncertain how to map out her future. Then of course there's Viva, who lies about her age, her experience, her purpose for wanting to go to India. With all the bad karma these three ladies are toting its no wonder things begin to unravel.

There's a lot to be said here for absentee parenting. Rose's mom had the most involvement (but that's not saying much) and Guy's parents were just...it should be criminal. Then again Viva really was too eager and didn't ask the right questions at her interviews at all. In that she showed her naivety and I think in some ways that's why she was chosen to 'chaperon' Guy to India. She didn't ask so they had deniability after all if anything went wrong.

For anyone not overly familiar with British occupied India of the late 1920's you will learn quite a bit. What we learn of India is seen through British eyes of course--Viva possibly being the most sympathetic of the three (having lived there during her childhood), but is still fascinating. My experiences with colonial India have been limited to one young adult novel and a bollywood movie called Lagaan, but neither gave me a real feeling of what it was like. Especially not for an officer's wife and family. Rose is perhaps lucky in that she makes the best of things, it doesn't seem like her life will be as thrilling as her mother believed.

Throughout the book I wondered if Guy could have been easily written out, if the novel would have suffered or not. He was rather repugnant and only serves to become worse and worse as the novel goes on. I think he was important however to round out the quartet--because of his actions decisions are made that would have otherwise not been and developments are forced upon Viva in particular that help her get past the ghosts of her past. ( )

In 1928, Viva is hired as a chaperone to accompany 2 young women, Rose and Tor, to India for Rose's wedding. They are part of the "Fishing Fleet", English women who traveled to India to find a husband. In order to make more money to pay for her passage, Viva also accompanies a troubled young man, Gus. While on the ship, they meet Frank, a doctor. Rose is due to marry Jack, who she has only met a few times. Rose is very naive, but Tor is ready to meet a man and never return to England. Viva is troubled because both her parents and sister died, and she wishes to return to India to find some answers.
Some of this book is interesting, but in other parts, it just dragged, and had info that I don't think was needed, and other parts seemed abrupt and without explanation.
587 pages! It should have been about 300 in my opinion! ( )

A bit romancy, but an engaging story about the plight of British women in colonial India in the 1920's. They all end up marrying, some happier than others. The relations between the Indians and the British was very interesting as the Indians were beginning to be inspired by Gandhi at this point. ( )

It's a hefty book, 587 pages in this edition. I thought it would take some time to get through, and I probably had it on my shelf for a long time, waiting for the moment nothing else looked at all interesting.

However I came by it, I'm glad I did. I was expecting some kind of story about India that would fill in some blanks, would tell me more about India. That would have been fine. But instead it is a rather fast-moving novel that uses India as a base.

We meet Viva Holloway first, and she is the main character. Down on funds and prospects, she answers an ad for a chaperone to accompany two young women to India: Rose, who is to be married, and Victoria, who is to be her bridesmaid. It is 1928. Viva is young and resourceful. She knows very little about India, yet she manages to sell herself to the parents of Victoria and Rose. Viva has another motive, in addition to surviving: she recently learned of a trunk left in India by her parents, now deceased. She wanted to see the trunk.

To supplement her meager earnings, Viva accepts an additional chaperone job; this time it is a young boy who is going to India.

The three set off on a ship to India. On board it turns out that Viva's male charge, Guy Glover, is a bit of a trouble maker. Managing him takes more skill than Viva has.

When the three make it to India, worse for wear but with some tentative friendships happening, things get more and more complicated. Fortunately for us, we get to ride the whirlwind tour around Bombay and beyond without getting out of our seats.

I am not a fan of historical fiction, as a rule. This is one exception. It feels right, it isn't overblown, it's a good story. ( )

This really didn't hit for me. I found the "romance" aspects unbelievable, and really wanted more depth from the story. Not one of my favorites, unfortunately. ( )

A solid 3.5 for me. I actually have this in ebook & paperback form, apparently I was so drawn to the story I had to buy it twice. I'm on a bit of a British Colonialism in India jag at the moment (after finally getting to watch The Jewel in The Crown this summer & now highly anticipating Indian Summers soon to air on Masterpiece)so I dove right into this. I was satisfied enough with the story of Viva, the chaperone of Rose, Tor and the odd end of the story Guy (so odd an end, that he's not even mentioned in the book blurb or summary). Viva was in search of a trunk left to her by her deceased parents, Rose is travelling to India to marry Jack whom she's met a handful of times & Tor (Victoria) is on the husband hunt, apparently so called "The Fishing Fleet". Most of their journey to discovery is interesting but the story did feel a bit slow in the middle. I quite enjoyed the parts covering the passage on the ship and the descriptions of India in a particular time and place on the cusp of something major was well done. Still, I would have liked a bit more of the perspective of an Indian character or two. As it stands they were background dressing mostly and not very deeply rendered at all and I think some of them could justifiably have been more to better effect. So, my main issue is that this felt a bit light on the actual Colonialism & it's ripples through society. That aside, I did enjoy the book and am glad that I read it. This was my first read of Julia Gregson but I do have her Jasmine Nights as well so will read her again. I'd recommend this one to historical fiction fans & fans of the time & instance. ( )

This book tells the story of three women all travelling to India for their own reasons. One is getting married, one is her bridesmaid and the third is the chaperone of them plus a strange young man.

I enjoyed this book although surprised that it's described as a romance as although there is some romance in it to me that isn't the main storyline at all. To me it's far more about how India is changing in the 1920's towards self-determination.

I found Viva's character really annoying at times and it felt like she was the one who needed a chaperone! However that didn't detract from the story and the scenes at the children's home in particular were well written and showed the conflict of the times.

More about the local people would have been good as when they were written about it was very interesting.

On the whole a book worth reading. ( )

Historical Fiction with romance all tied up in the caste system. I loved it. Stayed awake reading it. It has a rich story-line of history, revolution and politics- reveals how they touch an independent girl's life. ( )

Loving it so far -- thanks Diane D for the recommendation! ( )

A lovely sense of the times of the Raj in India.

This book starts out with great promise, with the crossing from England to India in the Kaiser-i-Hind. As we sailed, we met the four characters who are central to this story.
Viva needs to return to India to retrieve an old trunk that belonged to her dead parents. Rose is travelling to marry captain Jack Chandler, a man she hardly knows, and her friend and companion, Tor (Victoria) is to be her bridesmaid. Tor is also hopeful of finding herself a husband so she doesn't have to return back home to her overbearing mother. The party is completed by Guy Glover, an unstable boy of sixteen, who has been expelled from his school in England.
Viva is acting as chaperone to her young companions and although she is not much older than they are, her previous experience in India has persuaded the parents of her suitability.

This was the late 1920s and the time of the Raj was drawing to a close. We sensed the building of tension in the background of the narrative and towards the end of the novel, fewer and fewer boats were arriving at the port. Possibly not the best time to arrive in India, but the girls were full of enthusiasm and determined to make a go of their new lives.

It's always good to learn something from a book, and what this book taught me about was the 'fishing fleet', the name given to well connected young ladies who fail to find a husband in the London season. Many of them then travelled to India in search of marriageable men, where the ratio of men to women was three to one.

My one problem with the book was the Guy Glover story-line, which seemed to be added just to give the book a bit of excitement, but for me, this didn't work and was responsible for the four, rather than five stars. ( )

Nice story a little drawn out, a good book to travel with1 ( )

This was a book that I enjoyed reading. Not in a cannot put it down type of way but in a I really enjoy it everyone time I pick it up way. The story centers around three young woman on their way to India from England. They all have different reasons for the journey but the trip itself and the people they meet on the voyage help to bind them together. The book is mildly suspenseful with several ways each character could develop, meaning you are always a bit intrigued as to how it will go. The ending was a little untidy for me but overall a very enjoyable read. ( )

A nice juicy story that makes you want to read it all in one go, preferably sitting on a veranda if possible.

One small point: the heroine is always just eating a mango for lunch, as if that's just something you do. Maybe it's just me, but I can't eat a mango without needing a shower and a change of clothes afterward. ( )

East of the Sun tells the tale of Viva Holloway and the charges she is given to charparone on a vovage from England to Bombay, India, in the 1920s. Viva, who was born in India, but spent her youth in England hopes to rediscover her past - and that of her lost family - in India. Her charges include Rose, journeying to India to marry her fiance, Victoria, who hopes to catch a husband, and Guy, who may struggle with an illness none of them fully understand. Weaving the character's stories together, a picture of India emerges, but still leaves one wondering about its completeness. While descriptive and at times gripping, East of the Sun's chief virtue lies in recreating 1920s India but the character development needed to drive the plot falls flat. ( )

If you’re looking for a great beach book, Julia Gregson’s East of the Sun is a fun and very satisfactory read. Truly it is the ideal summer read: It is long, but divided into short chapters (so you can read a bit and take a dip in the pool); it has an exotic location; it has compelling characters; and it has some romance. As an added bonus, it brings a period of history to life. Gregson tells the story of three young women who set out for India in 1928. Rose is headed to India to be married to a soldier she barely knows, and Tor, Rose’s friend and bridesmaid, is hoping to find romance in India. Viva, the hired companion for the travelers and the novel’s heart, lived in India as a child and is eager to go back. Gregson gives the flavor of what life was like for the wealthy British society in India and for life on an army post. She also hints at the simmering underlying tensions from the Indians’ growing resentment of the British presence. She presents the Indian perspective through the children in the orphanage where Viva works and the servants of the British households. The subplot about unstable and mentally ill schoolboy Guy Glover also provides some darkness and tension to the story. The book was a fast and enjoyable read, and fans of historical fiction should seek it out.

La història de tres noies angleses que se'n van a l'Índia, cadascuna per motius diferents. aquest és el plantejament, molt atractiu, però que no es desenvolupa d'una manera prou creïble. Cal dir que els caràcters són força ben definits i l'entorn bastant ben descrit, però la història no té la substància que promet. ( )

An unusual story and I loved it more and more as I read it more and more. A very human story with great character portrayals, I feel like I know them all so well. I will be recommending this book to friends and I will be looking for other books by this author. ( )

I probably only read this book last year, but cannot recall much of it at all, apart from a scene in an orphanage. I think I was just very disappointed that it didn't completely grip me as given the story outline, the time and setting, and my own father having been stationed in India I was expecting to love it. ( )

A story of India during the 1920s when the British ruled but the "home rule" movement was gaining ground. The story is told through the perspectives of three British women all in India for varying reasons. The story was reasonably interesting. However, one part - centered around the characters on a young man - did not really fit with the rest of the book. Still not clear on what, if anything, that added to the story.

The book was also rather long. I think the same story could have been told in a more concise manner. ( )

I found this a strange read. Detailing the passage of three women from Britain to India in the late 1920s, this seemed like a book which would capture my imagination. However, upon reading, I found it hard work. I had little to no interest in the character, Guy, who seemed to be the pantomime villain, and had a habit of interrupting the flow of the previous narrative to 'make an appearance'. The character with the most interest was Viva, who was leading an unconventional existence and it was good to be reminded of the prejudices of the time.

Enjoyed the descriptions of India and the various festivals and events, but found the rest of the book more testing and it's taken a while to finally get to the end of the story. ( )

Excellent book. Could not put it down. Loved the setting. Takes place during the time of British colonial rule in India and begins by tracing the ocean voyage of a small group of characters who travel from England to India. Loved the characters. Very deserving of the Le Prince Maurice Prize for literary love stories. Read this book if you long to be transported to another place and time. Themes include the political situation in India during the time of Gandhi, British civilian and military life in India, Indian customs, orphans, loss, and of course, love. Very interesting author. Cool bio. Someone I would like to meet.

Three young women bond on the sea voyage in the 1920s to the Raj where they all seek marriage. Julia Gregson is no Edith Wharton but she has a warm wit and her characters are credible and her protagonists likeable. The alien discomforts of India and the disconnection between the colonists and the indigenous population are conveyed as effectively as the young women's fear: fear of failure and the more acute fear in the face of the violence of political agitation. ( )

This was an excellent book in so many ways. The characters were superbly well drawn - they sprang to life right from the first page - and the dialogue was highly convincing (loved the use of 'balloon' as an adjective!).

Though I have never been to India, thanks to this book I feel as though I have. Painting a vivid picture of the closing stages of empire, it depicts the upper class colonial twits and the discontented native population equally well.

The main problem I had with the book was the plot strand involving Guy - despite arguably supplying the 'action' in the story, he just seemed to me like an unwanted distraction from the adventures of the other characters, and the reasons surrounding his behaviour were always hard to understand. Also, the on-off romance with the doctor was good in parts, but towards the end the plot seemed to writhe around in an attempt to extract every last drop of emotion, however unrealistic, before performing the necessary contortions to ensure a suitable ending.

All in all a great start, just lost it a bit at the end. I would definitely read more by this very talented author. ( )

Julia Gregson’s award-winning East of the Sun tells the captivating story of three young women, Viva, Rose, and Victoria, who are leaving behind their well-ordered life in England to find themselves by traveling to India in the late 1920’s.

I found this book difficult to put down; reading it made me want to pack my own steamer trunk, jump on a ship and head for India to discover its richly colorful wonders, even if it’s almost a hundred years later.

With hints of political change on the far horizon, East of the Sun is told with the descriptive detail as though an artist painted its images with the smallest textured brush. The characters are vividly drawn with humor and insight and I was truly sorry to leave them behind when the story ended. A real sleeper treasure and highly recommended. ( )

This book really took me back into the 1920s and the desperation of women to find a husband to save them from being forced to live with their (generally overbearing) mothers for the rest of their lives. It's also a lovely depiction of life on board a big cruise ship and then in India. ( )