Today we’re excited to participate in the Bookstagram & Creative Tour 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. This Contemporary Fiction was published on February 1st, 2023 from Lake Union Publishing.
Now read on below for a book review + a Bookstagram International Giveaway for an opportunity to win an epic prize!
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The Direction of the Wind by Mansi Shah
Published by Lake Union Publishing on February 1st, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 308
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon|Book Depository|B&N
Source: Author, MTMC Tours
I received this book for free from Author, MTMC Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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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Why you need to read The Direction of the Wind
If you are looking for a heart-aching read that will make you FEEL, then this is it. Author Mansi Shah did a good job at creating flawed characters who will make you go through many emotions in a short period of time. From anger, betrayal, hurt, and ultimately a sense of understanding. This is the story about a daughter who, after losing her father, discovers that the mother she thought had died when she was a child, is actually alive… she just so happened to have abandoned her to pursue her dreams as an artist in Paris.
The interesting aspect about The Direction of the Wind is that we get two alternating storylines, that of Sophie in 2019 (aka current time) and her mother’s POV in 1998, narrating from the moment she decided to leave her husband and daughter. While I was pretty angry at Nita (Sophie’s mother), her side of the story was the kind that hooks you. I really wanted to follow her life to see if the emotional damage she caused Sophie was worth it. If she managed to achieve her dreams. And ultimately, to see in what kind of place Sophie would find her once they meet in current times, since Sophie sets out to Paris in search of her whereabouts after facing her own dilemma of an arranged marriage she does not want.
Upon Nita’s arrival to Paris in 1998, it is clear that dreams are not enough for survival, particularly in a foreign country and with no other aide but your own wits and skills. Plagued with self-doubts but with determination, Nita proceeds to deal with her new life and the struggles of getting a job, while still running away from the threads that hold her back in India. In a way, I did understand what moved Nita to make this decision, though I couldn’t help but feel for the pain that Sophie and her dad endured. And thus, the book continues with themes of regret and the sacrifices made, at the expense of hurting those that love us the most, as well as family duties & expectations.
Overall, The Direction of the Wind is the kind of novel that will make you go on a rollercoaster of emotions, following characters on their journeys to self-discovery.
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INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!
Head over to my Instagram account to enter the tour giveaway where one lucky reader will win a paperback copy of The Direction of the Wind sent via BookDepository!
Ends on April 15th, 2023. Winner will be announced on @mtmctours’ Instagram account.
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Tour Schedule:
April 3
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@beeisforbooks – Bookstagram
April 4
@the._bookarazzi – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@monikasbookblog – Bookstagram
April 5
@paperfury – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@bookish_harpist – Bookstagram & BookReel
April 6
@rozanne_visagie – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@reader.riss – Bookstagram & BookReel
April 7
@prisoner.of.books – Bookstagram & BookReel
@jlreadstoperpetuity – Bookstagram & BookTok
April 8
@a.readeresque.diary – Bookstagram
@mtmctours – Bookstagram & BookTok
April 9
@thesleepybookworm – Bookstagram & BookTok
@thisreadergirl – Bookstagram & BookReel
April 10
@anabellasbooks – Bookstagram & BookTok
@iambibliomane – Bookstagram & BookReel
April 11
@laura_cover_stories – Bookstagram & BookTok
@shariva.writes – Bookstagram
April 12
@nightingfae – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@bookbringer – Bookstagram
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About Mansi Shah
Mansi Shah is a writer who lives in Los Angeles. She was born in Toronto, Canada, was raised in the midwestern United States, and studied at universities in America, Australia, and England. When she’s not writing, she’s traveling and exploring different cultures near and far, experimenting on a new culinary creation, or trying to improve her tennis game.
