The Kashmir Shawl

I really liked The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas which is mainly set in Kashmir during World War II and also in the present.  Mair Ellis and her two siblings are cleaning out their family home ready for sale following their father's death and Mair discovers a Kashmir shawl, with a photograph and an envelope with a lock of hair.  Mair is single and she is captivated by the shawl which probably belonged to her missionary grandmother, Nerys Watkins, and she goes to Kashmir intent on finding the story behind the shawl.  In the WWII time period the reader meets Nerys Watkins and learns about her life in Kashmir.  There is a lot of history in this place with competing religions and races.  We learn about the making of these beautiful shawls before mass production caused those skills to decline.  The story is well-researched showing the reader the beauty and ruggedness of this region. It is a story of passion and love which Mair begins to uncover when she travels to Kashmir. 4/5