Flowers in the blood

I'm currently reading Flowers in the Blood, by Gay Courter.
It's set in Calcutta and is primarily about the Jews of Calcutta, India.

The book is set in the late 19th century and the name 'Flowers' refers to the flower, poppy from which opium is derived.. The part of the title '.....in the blood' refers to the fact that the main Character Dinah had opium in her blood, but that is not to say that she partook of the ills of opium. It merely alludes to the fact that she was born into a family of Opium Traders.

The book began with the 6 year old Dinah's mother being murdered at their home by her lover and Dinah having to live with the stigma of having had an adulterous, opium addicted mother murdered.... the result was an introspective, intelligent girl who had the clout to fight her personal battles both within and outside her family..

As a result, she had no proposals for marriage when she was well past the marriageable age despite the fact that she had a huge dowry and had her '1st crush' stolen by her aunt for her daughter...what results is anyone’s' guess.

I advise anyone who has a passion for drama, a good story line and interest in learning a 'lil bit more about the Jewish religion to read this book. My mum actually sent this book to me so here's a toast to my mother Daba, 'I wish you many years of laughter, more grand-children to look after and more blessings than you ever imagined!" Thanks Mum, you're the best.. Mwah!