The tiger ladies - Sudha Koul

This remarkable book is the tale of the author's life growing up in a beautiful, remote valley in Kashmir. It is a loving memoir of the exotic food, ancient folklore, bawdy wedding traditions, gossamer-soft pashminas and the rhythms and colours of the valley itself that made up the author's childhood, and the traditional ways that are gradually being lost to younger generations. Set against this is the wider story of Kashmir's painful history, as it is torn apart by fighting between Muslims and Hindus, with repercussions that are being felt across the world.

This is a story of lost innocence, in which every sentence laments a vanishing way of life. It is a haunting testimony to a beautiful, troubled land.