New Arrivals on West India Dock Road is a compelling and poignant story of new beginnings and community.

New Arrivals on West India Dock Road by Renita D’Silva

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction (1938), Cooking, New Beginnings, Diverse Reads, Immigrants, India and London (East End)

***This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary eARC of #NewArrivalsOnWestIndiaDockRoad upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Divya’s parents die unexpectedly and she’s struggling to make it on her own in India. It’s more difficult since she is perceived as the cause of bad luck in her culture. She becomes an ayah (nanny) and travels to England with her employers who have promised her a return ticket. They do not follow through and now she is stranded in a strange city and culture. Through acts of kindness, she ends up at a boarding house in London’s East End. Divya is an excellent cook and prepares meals for the boarders and others in the community. Her reputation as a fine cook spreads through the community and this gives her renewed hope and a dream of opening her own curry house.

My Thoughts:

A Mix of Cultures

The author’s vivid descriptions of the people, the businesses, and the nationalities of London’s East End are delightful and add to this atmospheric story. Food is a central focus and you might want to “Door Dash” a few favorite Indian dishes to enhance your reading or book club experience.

On Her Own

Divya is a remarkable young woman who survives and thrives in a new country and culture. We cheer for her from page one. Her determination and bravery drive the action.

Love Triangle

Two worthy men are courting Divya, but they are very different. Jack helps her start her restaurant business, gives her financial assistance, and boosts her confidence. Raghu shares her heritage and her love of cooking, works beside her in the restaurant, and encourages her. This concern is at the heart of her dilemma: Would she rather be looked up to (as the stronger one) or taken care of (by the stronger one)? Both men leave to fight in the war before she has to answer that question. Some readers might find the lack of resolution less than satisfactory.

Themes

Thoughtful themes include grief, new beginnings, community, friendship, immigrants, entrepreneurship, cooking competition, diversity, prejudice, and intolerance.

Content Consideration: prejudice, hate crimes

Recommending Title:

Fans of diverse reads and books about cooking and cooking competitions will enjoy New Arrivals on West India Dock Road. Book clubs will want to indulge in some Indian cuisine.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

More information Here

Meet the Author of New Arrivals on West India Dock Road, Renita D’Silva

Renita D’Silva loves stories both reading and creating them. New Arrivals on West India Dock Road, the first book in her historical saga series set on West India Dock Road, is out on February 13th, 2025. Her books have been translated into several languages. Her short stories have been published in The View from Here, Bartleby Snopes, this zine, Platinum Page, Paragraph Planet, Verve among others, have been nominated for the Pushcart prize, the Best of the Net anthology, shortlisted for the LoveReading Very Short Story award and The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize and longlisted for the BBC National Short Story award. Her short story, Eavesdropping Shamelessly, is published in the Arts Council England funded Bridges Not Borders anthology of prizewinning stories. Her first psychological thriller, The Neighbours, won the Joffe Books Prize 2023.

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All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

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