Book Stop Corner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The true exotic experience can one gather in his lifetime is from only one land in our world, that is, Myanmar in Burma. Rudyard Kipling has once captured the beauty and exotic-ness of Burma in his famous quote:

"This is Burma and it is unlike any land you know about."

An English author, named, Rosanna Ley, living in West Dorset, have also strikingly captured the beauty and the aura of Burma in her enthralling novel, Return to Mandalay. From the name itself, the book sounds so alluring and with its phantasmagorical cover image, it makes the book more and more beautiful.

Synopsis:
Eva, an English living by the bay of West Dorset, has grown up fantasizing on her grandfather's fascinating tales from his younger days in Mandalay. This Eva is all grown-up now, working as an antique dealer in an emporium. Soon her dream of visiting the exotic lands of Burma comes true and in a fleet second she says "yes" to her business trip to Mandalay. But little did she know that her grandfather beheld a great secret to the mysterious land and an extrinsic treasure belonging to the history of Burma. And thus we step into The Golden Land rich with heritage and natural resources, where Eva embarks upon a journey to relive her grandfather's past with her own eyes and by returning the treasure- a chinthe of a lion with "red glowing" eyes, to its rightful owner. Eva finds solace and her heart's desire in the Land of Gems where she not only dons the hat of a master sleuth but also vows to restore the balance in nature by safe-guarding the history of Burma. But will she succeed in doing what she wanted? And will her heart learn to trust again? Read this novel for sure to taste the exotic-ness not only in your mind but also with your senses.


The author, Rosanna Ley, is no-doubt a master story-teller and a skillful writer, who divinely crafted this tale along with the beauty of Myanmar. Her carefully chosen exquisite words have turned this novel into a delectable read. The characters are all so flawlessly contrived, and it is quite evident that the author has quite a strong psychological grip on these exquisitely crafted characters of her, which are bound to leave an impression on your mind. Firstly, Eva, the primary character is depicted someone who has a determination to achieve what her heart has aimed for, strong and confident and bit of daring, who adored and respected her grandfather as her own parents after her father's death. And the more I read about her, the more I fell for her. We got a taste of each character's demeanor and inner-self, with the help of their personal back-stories. There were so many characters that were not alive, but still we felt for them and got to know about their character quite remarkably. Moreover, the book has got a secret to be unlocked by Eva and the way the author has narrated and represented the whole things is quite intriguing.

Verdict: Myanmar's breathtaking landscapes, history, Buddhism, tales of the last serving queen of Burma, teak and the tales of Mogok rubies, will keep you on the edge and all throughout this Eva's incredible journey, you'll lose yourself into the Land of Immortality.

Courtesy:  Thanks to the author, Rosanna Ley, and her publisher at Quercus, for sending me over a copy of her book, in return for an honest review.
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Author Info:   
Rosanna Ley has worked as a creative writing tutor for over 15 years. Affiliated to several colleges and universities in England, she also runs her own writing courses in the UK and abroad. She has worked with community groups in therapeutic settings and completed an MA in creative writing for personal development in order to support this. Her writing holidays and retreats take place in stunning locations in Italy and Spain and whilst not teaching or writing she mentors and appraises the work of new writers. Read More

Book Purchase Links: 

• Amazon US 
• Amazon India