Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki

An interesting book, not so much for it's look at Pakistani & Indian culture, as it is an exploration of the way in which human beings lie to and deceive each other and the consequences that can occur. This was not a difficult book to read and did hold my attention throughout. I had thought about halfway through that I 'knew' the ending but then there was a twist or two to the story.

This is a story of three generations of a family and the ties that keep them together. A story of keeping up appearances even when we are aware that everything is not quite what it appears to be. It is also a story of discovery in which the characters learn not only of the secrets each are hiding from each other, but also of the ones they hide from themselves.

I enjoyed this first novel by Roopa Farooki, and would definitely be interested in reading her future work. Bitter Sweets is colourful and full of characters one can both like and dislike. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys light reading.