April 2022: M. M. Kaye

Our April author is M. M. Kaye (21 August 1908 – 29 January 2004).

Mary Margaret ('Mollie') Kaye is a British author who was born in British India and lived there until she was sent back to England to boarding school. She would return to India later and live there for awhile.

Her most recognizable work is The Far Pavilions. She wrote historical novels, a suspense series, children books (she was also an illustrator for her own books and for other children books) and a 3-volumes autobiography. She also wrote for TV and radio.

So... what are you reading this month?

I've just acquired her autobiography, but haven't yet got round to reading it. It is many years since I read Pavilions, so maybe I should see if it has held up to the test of time. The Murder In... series were fun, but very light.

I think I’ll give Trade Wind a try.

Just got the copy of The Far Pavilions I had ordered a while back and will begin reading this afternoon. I’ve not read M. M. Kaye before and am looking forward to getting into this book.

I just got Death in the Andamans. I had hopes of finding The far pavilions, but it seems the used bookstore where I got to look for older paperbacks has gone out of business, alas.

Oh Far Pavillions is one of my fav reads, saw the movie which was ok, but the story works much better in print. Kaye was an excellent writer

>5 MissWatson: go to bookfinder.com. You should be able to find it thrre, usually cheaply

Another book thats sweet is the ordinary princess a children's book, but worked just fine for me

>6 cindydavid4: Thanks for the tip.

I have finished Death in the Andamans and enjoyed it very much, it has a nice, sparkling Golden Age vibe.

I have had to put aside The Far Pavilions for the moment because of some obligatory reading, but will certainly return to it. Last month, I did read Death in Kashmir, a good mystery though I guessed the ending. I had forgotten about it when I first posted this month, so thanks to Miss Watson for reminding me of Kaye’s mystery series.

I just finished Trade Wind, and loved every minute of its 553 pages. I read Death in Zanzibar earlier this year and enjoyed it too, but this book really shows what a good writer she is. Adventure, romance, treachery, and tragedy, a satisfying book in every way. Because of this book I plan to read every one of her books I can get my hands on. I’d like to share this passage:

“As the shadows lengthened the quiet garden of The House of Shade began to fill once again with chattering birds coming home to roost, and beyond the windows and far away on the horizon Hero could see the lilac-coloured hills of Africa, clear and sharp in the evening light and looking closer than she had ever seen them look before: so close that it seemed as though one might reach them in an hour. The sun plunged behind them in a blaze of glory and green twilight enfolded the Island; and suddenly it was night and there were a million stars in the sky.”

>10 marell: I got into M M Kaye via The Far Pavilions, but I think Trade Wind is my favourite. The Death In... books are light fun, to be accepted as such, I think.

>11 sarahemmm: I agree. I read The Far Pavilions way back in 1980. I should give it a second look, as I think I would probably enjoy it more now than I did then, as I was pretty busy during that time, and I don’t think it got my full attention. Came across Trade Wind by accident, having never heard of it before.

One of my July books was Shadow of the Moon, which I loved. A great page-turner of a story! The story was enhanced by beautiful and lush descriptions of setting, mostly sympathetic characters who were well developed, a heroine who grows up over the course of the story, and a setting in a period of British/Indian relations that I’m interested in (1857-58 uprising of sepoys). I hope to read The Far Pavilions by the end of the year.