Brenda L. BakerReseñas

Won this as an ARC from Goodreads. Overall, I thought it was a good book - interesting characters, well developed plot. Unlike many other books that discuss issues related to women's rights and cultural dynamics, this one was refreshingly not preachy. The characters got to be people first, not just symbolizing the issues the author was describing. The book still needs some proof reading - my copy was missing 50 pages towards the beginning and there were some other minor linguistic inconsistencies throughout the book. The writing was clear, but lacked the polish and depth of a more experienced writer. It was a quick and interesting read, a good first step towards exploring the experiences of women in Southern India.

Posted on Romancing the Book's blog
Reviewed by Ashleigh
Review Copy Provided by the Publisher

This is the tale of a man carrying two licenses with two different first names and the same last name. But it’s not only about his real identity but the real identity of the two women in his life who both are absolutely astonished at the life he was leading unknown to both of them. Who is the real Mrs. McCoy? Is Eric or David McCoy a terrorist, a lawyer or just a total liar?

Kendra, an OCD plagued successful catering business woman who barely thinks about her husband when he isn’t home from his “government analyst” job. Now she’s not sure what he is and realizes her identity is so tied in his that she starts to fall apart without him. Her entire world is tied to this man who has lied from e beaning, which has her questioning everything about herself which causes her to snap. How will Kendra deal with the personal blow of her husband’s deceit and the blow to her self?

Then there’s Lesley who decides to use the pregnancy test before her husband returns home, although she knows she should really share the precious moment with him. Lesley has never truly been her own person, always the follower of her mother and aunt, and than her dependence on Dave for an identity has made her a weak woman. The idea that Dave may not be the man that she has fallen in love with is a blow that just may break her, but rising above is something that Lesley will have to learn fast otherwise this could end her. The process is more than worth the pain of the journey!

What a great story! Not only did Brenda Baker make this a tangled web within the lives of three people married, but also the growing of two women who need to rise above the man they are both married to. Having never read anything like this before the book grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go. If you are looking for a great book with tons of plot twists and strong female characters than this is the book for you.

The Elusive Mr. McCoy by Brenda Baker is a very intriguing novel. From the first page, it had me hooked. David/Eric McCoy collapses in a coffee shop in front of Jason Cheddick, who is a private investigator. Jason discovers two different ID's on this man when he checks for identification; one for Eric McCoy and one for David McCoy. Confused as to why someone would have two aliases, they contact the different address to hopefully find out the true identity of this stranger. At the hospital two women show up, Kendra and Lesley, who might be possibly married to McCoy. When they both are asked to identify this man they soon discover that not only is he married to Kendra, he is also married to Lesley. He has been leading a double life. McCoy is in a coma and unable to explain the why of it all. Kendra takes is upon herself to hire Jason to uncover the mystery of Mr. McCoy. Kendra and Lesley work together to try and figure out the pieces of this crazy puzzle.
There are four main characters in this book: Kendra, Leslie, Jason, and McCoy. Baker not only focuses on finding out who McCoy really is, but also focuses on the other three characters and their families. She gives you an inside look at the lives that McCoy has invaded. At times it almost seemed as if McCoy's story took a back seat to some of the families side stories. Although I did enjoy reading about them, I was more interested in finding out who the real slim shady is. Brenda Baker did keep me in anticipation throughout the novel, which made it all the more enjoyable. The way the characters reacted to finding out that McCoy wasn't who they thought he was, was very interesting as well.
Overall this book is very enjoyable. I like the characters and the plot. This is a great book for the summer. My imagination went wild trying to guess who McCoy really is. I was shocked to find out that he was . . . Only joking. I would never tell you the ending. You'll just have to read the book yourself.

This book consisted of very short, manageable chapters, which made the book speed right along. The storyline was very interesting, and I really felt like I wanted to keep knowing more about the characters as I read on. The author paints India in a true light- sometimes flattering, sometimes unforgiving, but very honest. This made a great summer read, and was very enjoyable. I would recommend this book.½

While vacationing in India, Kiria Langdon, the opinionated and driven CEO of a major company, meets Santoshi, a former slave who now works as a cleaning lady and lives in a shelter for homeless women in Chennai. Appalled by the conditions in the shelter, Kiria becomes obsessed with the idea of building decent housing for poor working women in India. Santoshi reluctantly agrees to help, even though she thinks Kiria’s ideas are too crazy to succeed.

Embarking on a rich journey of personal discovery, both women will learn invaluable lessons about themselves as they forge a powerful bond of sisterhood across the barriers of language and culture-a bond that makes anything possible. Summary from Goodreads

The fact that the author draws extensively on her own south Asian experiences only adds value to this entertaining, yet realistic tale of several enterprising women from different cultures (some haves and some have-nots) who collaborate on a business venture that will end in a win-win situation for all.

To me this is true feminism at its finest! CEO Kiria realizes early on that in order to provide these poor and unprotected women a safe place, she must adapt her Western “get-it-done” methods to the Indian cultural context. To do this, she engages the help of the women around her, from the destitute Santoshi to the well-educated but caught-in-an-arranged marriage Laxmi.

As I read Sisters of the Sari, I couldn’t help but contrast it to the if-only-I-could-affford-to-drop-everything-and-fly-to-India tale of Eat, Pray, Love. Sisters, it seems to me, is all about working together, helping each other, respecting one another. About women showing how quality of life can be improved by enabling the subjects themselves. I can’t say the same about Eat, Pray, Love.

Don’t be misled by the cover: this is not Sisterhood of the Travelling Sari. Kiria and her colleagues are heroines you’ve never met before but wish you had!

8 out of 10 and highly recommended for all ages of readers who enjoy tales of how cultures are learning to work together in the 21st century!

This summer seems to have been the summer of reading in this house and I couldn't wait to read this book. In the same vein of going on a trip and having a life experience that I found in "Eat, Pray, Love," Sisters of the Sari by Brenda L. Baker is one of those books that will grab you and transport you off to India to live in someone else's shoes for a little while.

Kiria is a Canadian CEO who decides to take a vacation to the non-touristy spots in India. What she finds is that people are all too willing to fleece a white tourist and, after losing her luggage, what she really wants are clean clothes and a little bit of understanding. She finds it in Santoshi, an Indian woman who gives her the last of her money so she can travel back to her hotel. In her quest to repay Santoshi, she discovers that her life has not been as cut and dry as she imagined and that there is much left to be discovered about herself and about others.

First, let's hit the plot. I was intrigued and entertained by the plot throughout the story. Ms. Baker winds a tale nicely and vividly. Both the setting and characters were well drawn and secondary characters were nicely used to help flesh out the important aspects of the novel. My one complaint is that I feel like I ended the book not knowing or understanding Kiria any better than when I started. In other words, her dynamics didn't feel like they changed much to me nor did I think she came to much understanding of herself. Yes, she absolutely went to huge lengths (without giving away too much of the plot here) to help others and do great things, but when we end the book, I feel like she herself has changed very little, quite honestly. Elements of who she was were there from the beginning and her growth was not strong. Nor was that of Santoshi. Perhaps the greatest growth came from Laxmi, who was a secondary character who realizes that even in a culture that does not support women's liberation, you can have it all and you can be happy.

Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book. It hit on the cultural issues I found lacking in other books regarding Indian tradition and culture (fiction novels, that is) and I enjoyed the characters. More depth in them would have been nice, but not everyone wants a character who goes beyond the surface level to scratch deep. A very nice summer read that went by quickly.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. Thanks!

The cover attracted me first, the bangle bracelets in gold and pink against a multicolored background lured in me in. Then I noticed the title and wanted to read it. The story inside is as good as the beautiful cover. It is difficult to find books about someone in my age group (the first of the baby boomers) so I thrilled with the main characters. In fact I identified with her right away. Kiria Langdon, a CEO of big company wanted to have a non touristy vacation. I agree with her that there are just so many temple that you can see. For me, it was missions in California.

Kiria had a chance meeting with Santosi, a homeless woman living in a temporary shelter. She knew how the streets worked. The author switched back and forth from 1st person to third person effortlessly. Through Kiria,I could see the vermin filled shelter, smell the highly spiced food, hear noises of the crowds in the street and feel the sadness, hopelessness of the poor women caught up in the caste and social levels of India. I really
felt that I was in India.

Besides giving us the experience of being these, Brenda
L. Baker brings us into the many problems and delights of the culture. One of the latter was the sari. Now I feel like I want a sari! There are several personal stories going at the same time. Kiria's experiences as a
abused wife, her secret exposed, her friendships on different levels with the women and difficulties of learning a language.

There are so many surprises that I could tell you about but you can discover them for yourself. Brenda L. Baker is a wonderful story teller, mixing some of her personal experiences with fiction and knowlege of Indian culture.
I did not want to stop reading this book.

I recommend it to all women and to men who want to understand women, those who want to step inside Indian culture and those want to venture to a different place.

I received this book from GoodReads but that in no way influences my review. My thoughts are my own.