The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark is set in India in 1947 on the eve of Britain’s departure. Evie and her anthropologist husband and young son are living in a colonial bungalow where she finds a packet of letters hidden in the wall written by the bungalow’s previous residents in 1857. Newmark paints a compelling picture of war-torn India as the story goes back and forth between these two time-lines.

Newmark captures the sights, sounds and smells of India, the magic that has drawn foreigners there for centuries. Here she tells the story of three distinct women whose lives have been forever altered by it. An interesting blend of history and fiction; a good read.