Where the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, a Prince, and the Search for Home
Seasoned journalist Gee invites readers to accompany her on a journey of discovery. Gee was living a posh but unfulfilling life in Hong Kong, writing for Asiaweek and attending stilted parties. Enter Ajay Singh, the rugged Delhi correspondent. Their long-distance communications quickly blossom into love. Gee finds herself engaged to Singh and pinching pennies so they can live together in a small apartment. Just when the disdain of her wealthy friends is too much to bear, Ajay drops a bomb—it turns out that his family owns and stewards a 100-room palace, Mokimpur, in the Indian countryside, and is considered royalty. Gee, who has always been enamored of India, is eager to visit the estate and meet the rest of the Singh clan. But life at Mokimpur is not always what she expects. Gee’s writing is sensually evocative, and she is candid about when her ideals come into conflict with Indian culture. She writes about such tension with an informative grace that will teach readers deep truths about India without their realizing all that Gee is up to. --Amber Peckham