"I have nothing, except my looks. I do not wish to be merely a man's pretty possession; but unmarried and unskilled, I am nothing. I need change."
Miss Millicent Barbian has lost everything. To acheive any sliver of happiness, she must change, not only how others perceive her, but also how she sees herself.
When her cousin asks her to go out to India as her companion, Millicent is happy to accept. But instead of a new beginning, she finds that her father's ill repute soon catches up with her; and that the man she once jilted now despises her.
"'An offering to Venus. G.' That was all the inscription said. But who was it from, Gabriel or Girish?"
Torn between two handsome beaus, will the new horizons and perspectives liberate Millicent from her emotional restraints and help her choose between them?
And is there really a spy at large in their midst?
Orient of Adoration is the second part of Swedish author Maria Yrsa Rönneus' Regency Tales, in which we get to follow the further adventures of Lady Marigold, Major Hastings, and Miss Barbian, as they arrive in India. Through a motley array of colourful characters, and lush and vivid descriptions, she brings the early 19th century Calcutta to life in this novella. It tells of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery while addressing colonialism and cruelty; all poetically and humorously narrated with a keen eye for detail.
Spellbinding sequel
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
Written with clarity and humor, this sequel to Oaths of Affection takes us to the British enclave in Calcutta, India. Setting aside, temporarily, the star of the first book, the author now shares the mind and love life of that star's cousin. We readers are treated to the similarities and the differences between these two beautiful ladies. The comparison is delightful to read. Now we must wait patiently for the third in this series. Gene
I could not put it down! While perhaps not what you may usually mean by a page-turner, this story draws you in and keeps you under its spell. The descriptions of environments are so vivid that you can smell the scents of India. And the characters are so well developed that you either want to kiss them or kill them. There are a couple of nasty creatures in this one, but only one is human. ;)
It's been nearly a year since I read it and I am now reading the third novel in this series. I can't recommend it enough! It's brilliant and perfect!
