The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd | Book Review

 

Description
'For my whole life I had been looking for home. But why would that be in a place that I'd left? Perhaps I had to keep moving forward in order to find it...' Soon after upending her life to accompany her boyfriend Ryan to the Arctic, Maya realises it's not all Northern Lights and husky sleigh rides. Instead, she's facing sub-zero temperatures, 24-hour darkness, crippling anxiety - and a distant boyfriend as a result.

In her loneliest moment, Maya opens her late mother's recipe book and cooks Indian food for the first time. Through this, her confidence unexpectedly grows - she makes friends, secures a job as a chef, and life in the Arctic no longer freezes her with fear. But there's a cost: the aromatic cuisine rekindles memories of her enigmatic mother and her childhood in Bangalore.

Can Maya face the past and forge a future for herself in this new town? After all, there's now high demand for a Curry Club in the Arctic, and just one person with the know-how to run it... A tender and uplifting story about family, community, and finding where you truly belong - guaranteed to warm your heart despite the icy setting!

My Review 

I laughed, I got angry, I got sad, I smiled and I loved it. 

A really well written novel, I loved the story, very clever and unusual. Well written characters and I felt the speed of the plot worked well too. I grew to love Maya as a character and wish I could meet her, I think we'd get on well. The scene was set so wonderfully I felt immersed in the setting and could almost feel the chill in the air. 

As someone who has lived with manic depression and anxiety since the age of 13 it was refreshing to read a book that was both honest and realistic about the realities of living life with a mental health condition. I feel that Dani Redd did a great job portraying both those with mental health conditions and the effects it has on those in their life. Whilst telling a fun story too. 

The title threw me off a little, I had one idea of where the story would go but it ended up having a different focus & you don't really get to the part where the title makes sense till about half way through. That is no bad thing though, I really enjoyed where the story took me. 

I would happily recommend this story as a relaxing read, perfect for the autumn / winter and up-coming festive season. It's the sort of book you can curl up with, get yourself a nice hot choc and cosy up under a blanket to read. 

If you do have a mental health condition it might be worth mentioning that elements could be triggering for you. I know some people with anxiety say they like to avoid reading about as they deal with it 24/7, I on the other hand like to read good portrayals of it. It makes me feel like I'm not alone, like I'm not odd or strange. That others go through what I do, they must. Otherwise how would the author have known how to describe it so well. 


My Rating

4 out of 5 stars 

Available to purchase here at Betty's Books