A book was recently released in Switzerland by one of our Born Free Books members that caught my eye and flooded my senses with memories. The book is called Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts and is perhaps one of the best novels I have read. It is immersive, brilliantly written and keeps one turning the pages like no other. Shantaram accosts ones senses in an almost tangible way. It is quite simply, brilliant.
The book was perhaps summed up best by my cousin who would regularly lock herself in a room with instructions to her two mischievous young boys that she was not to be disturbed for 30 minutes while she visited India. Her sister equally loved Shantaram so much that she and her husband took a trip to India with the primary purpose of visiting many of the areas written about in Shantaram...a book that induces pilgrimages from South Africa?...that is quite special.
If you haven't read it yet then go grab it. It should appeal to everyone. I gave it (with a degree of trepidation) to my 89 year old grandmother a couple of years ago and she finished it in a week - loving every minute. If you can't find a copy nearby using our Born Free Books service then buy it. Amazon are selling it for just $11.92 in the US and £5.00 in the UK.
For those of you that have read it, you should be pleased to know that Gregory David Roberts has written a sequel and called it The Mountain Shadow. It hasn't been released yet but is available for pre-order in the UK and US.
Enjoy the journey.