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  • Writer's pictureFran Clark

The Direction Of The Wind by Mansai Shah - Book Review

Updated: Sep 21, 2023


Book cover image of The Direction Of The Wind by Mansi Shah

This novel started out slowly and at first I wasn’t sure it was for me. Something about the narrative intrigued me and I began to feel myself wanting to know more. I was especially interested in Nita to begin with but Shah is very good at bringing her characters to life. So, while the pace of this story is on the slow side, I found myself caring about the lives of both the mother and the daughter.


Shah takes you on an emotional journey with lots of touching moments and times when you could just scream at the page for someone to just stop what they’re doing. When I feel like that, then I know I’ve got a good book in my hands.


Without giving any spoilers, be prepared for some heartbreaking moments. Shah adds just the right touch without hamming up the melodrama.


Expect to have mixed feelings about the motives of some of these characters and what drives them, which would probably make The Direction Of The Wind a very good Book Club read.




I really enjoy books that delve into different cultures to my own and stories I feel I can identify with in some way, be that big or small. So for me this was an all round good read, descriptive, intriguing with a satisfying ending. I am inclined to seek out more from the author and it’s one I would recommend to readers and one to get stuck into in your pyjamas and a duvet on a chilly evening.


The Blurb


A heartfelt story that spans continents and generations, about a young woman who searches for answers about a mother she barely remembers.

Sophie Shah was six when she learned her mother, Nita, had died. For twenty-two years, she shouldered the burden of that loss. But when her father passes away, Sophie discovers a cache of hidden letters revealing a shattering truth: her mother didn’t die. She left.

Nita Shah had everything most women dreamed of in her hometown of Ahmedabad, India—a loving husband, a doting daughter, financial security—but in her heart, she felt like she was living a lie. Fueled by her creative ambitions, Nita moved to Paris, the artists’ capital of the world—even though it meant leaving her family behind. But once in Paris, Nita’s decision and its consequences would haunt her in ways she never expected.

Now that Sophie knows the truth, she’s determined to find the mother who abandoned her. Sophie jets off to Paris, even though the impulsive trip may risk her impending arranged marriage. In the City of Light, she chases lead after lead that help her piece together a startling portrait of her mother. Though Sophie goes to Paris to find Nita, she may just also discover parts of herself she never knew.

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