Editorial Review in Khaas Baat 

In the prequel, “When the Lotus Blooms,” Kanchana Krishnan Ayyar took the reader on a journey to British Colonial India while following the lives of two child brides. There’s Rajam who is fighting her failure to conceive, tormented by a dominant mother-in-law. And Dharmu, who is struggling to adjust to her husband’s Westernized life. In this sequel, “A Rose from a Dream,” the Coral Springs resident brings together the two mothers’ respective families, and their children Kamu and Kandu amid the backdrop of turbulent times. Such as the catastrophic Great Bengal famine of 1943 in which three million people died and the horrific Calcutta riots of 1946. The author introduces several intriguing characters, including brown sahibs, who struggle to show loyalty to the crown while keeping their patriotic feelings in check; revolutionaries, out for revenge; and probably the most colorful and interesting of all, the devadasis, among the forgotten lot today. Amid the upheaval of the battle for freedom, the author lays the foundation to unite the two families of distinctly different upbringings. And we must point out, she has done a superb job of weaving the lives of the rich and poor into a fine, gripping story. It is no easy feat to capture the essence and chaos of the longing for freedom. A native of New Delhi, Ayyar lived in Mexico City, Buenos Aires and New York City before moving to Coral Springs in 1999. Her other book credits include “The Present: A gift from the Divine” and “Snapshots.”