A Disobedient Girl: A Novel Audiobook

" The protaganist is remarkably strong and resilient. The backdrop of this novel set in Sri Lanka is polictical violance, social heirarchy and social expectations in the 21st century. A really good read. "

" melodrama in a novel form "

" It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the book like sometimes you have to talk to someone for a while who is speaking English as a second language. It also took a while to understand the parallel stories. But the book became lush with the prose. I especially liked the interaction of the children...so true to the interaction of siblings. "

" Really enjoyed this book and looking forward to Freeman's next one. It took me a while to get the characters straight but I was captivated by how the two primary stories were connected, and a bit surprised when that connection was fully revealed. Strong (not always likeable) characters and a believable, interesting story. This would be a good read for book groups. "

" This is a novel about status and how people are born into either a life of luxury or a life of servitude. The story opens in Sri Lanka with Thara, a spoiled little rich girl and her servant, Latha. Latha thinks Thara is her friend, but Thara and her mother definetly do not treat Latha like a friend. They boss her around, parade their fancy clothes and shoes in front of her, deny her even the smallest luxuries like bar soap, make her bathe in a well, and sleep on the floor. Latha is treated like a slave. The novel follows this household as the girls grow up with Thara getting everything and Latha getting nothing. Latha has sexual relations with Thara's childhood crush, resulting in a baby and a scandal that changes the entire household's life forever. After being sent to a convent where she gives up her baby she (for some crazy reason that I cannot yet understand!), goes back to be Thara's servant again. Now Thara has her own household, but except for having a different "master" and "mistress" Latha is treated much the same. She proceeds to raise Thara's children while at the same time pining for the one she herself gave away and aborting another. Except for agreeing to sleep with a man here and there, Latha never makes any decisions of her own and never tries to better herself or change her life in any way. She is simply a servant. The most courageous thing she does is slap and spit on the "master's" mother. Meanwhile, every alternating chapter is about a woman named Biso that lived ten years earlier. (NOTE: The actual years are never identified. You must either have a familiarity with Sri Lanka's political history or Princess Diana's to figure out what time zone this takes place in.) Biso is running away from her abusive husband that murdered her lover. While we learn Latha's entire life history, Biso spends most of the entire novel on a train. Between reminscing about her past, watching her three children, and purchasing food from miscellaneous vendors every other page, bad things happen to Biso. There is a connection to Biso of ten years previous and to the current Latha. I had it figured out halfway into the book. To sum it up, this was an entertaining book, but if you like strong heroines, I would skip it. Latha grows rather infuriating, constantly doting after Thara and allowing her life of servitude to continue. Biso makes some aggravating and obviously stupid decisions that change the course of her and her children's histories, and not for the better. "

" I found this book very interesting, especially the interaction of the different castes in Sri Lanka. The author illustrated that no matter where ever you are in this world, you still have the same emotions & difficulty with relationships as other people. "

" This book weaved in and out of what seemed to be two separate stories, and ended in a perfect harmony of pain and beauty. I'll never forget this novel! "

" This book starts off slow, but once it picks up it really pulls you in. I felt really emotional as I started to put together Latha's backstory. It's an extremely well written book "

" Awesome book - it went back and forth between two stories of two women Bosi & Latha, living in Sri Lanka. I didn't know nothing about the culture or country but the author did a wonderful job of describing it all. I was a bit moody but totally cried at the end of the book. "

" A great read about different strata of society in Sri Lanka, at different periods of time "

" it is one of those heart breaking books where you anticipate that something good will come sooner or later but had to be a tragic ending and leave u heart achingly disoriented.... "

" Few books are as intricately woven together from the start. By the halfway point, I thought I knew how the two stories in the novel wove together. The novel surprised me by continuously adding layers of intersection to the novel. It's outstanding and I have a signed copy. "

" Wow. Great story. Amazing full charachters. "

" An interesting tale about how events outside us, and attitudes within us, shape us. "

" I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover. A bit of a melodramatic soap opera. "

" This book is not what I had expected. The story focuses on the lives of women that end up intersecting as the book continues. It was kinda slow 300ish pages in but finally picks up the last 50 pages or so...then it is rushed and really doesn't gel. "

" The story takes place in Indonesia and follows the life's of two young women. The book really takes your breath away with the shock and amazement of the two proud, strong women and really opened my eyes to how life can be. "

" Awesome book - it went back and forth between two stories of two women Bosi & Latha, living in Sri Lanka. I didn't know nothing about the culture or country but the author did a wonderful job of describing it all. I was a bit moody but totally cried at the end of the book. "

" A very good read....story of two woman....interconnected.....very heavy going though. Everyone has a story, including the poorest and most invisible among us. Look again..... "

" I found this book very interesting, especially the interaction of the different castes in Sri Lanka. The author illustrated that no matter where ever you are in this world, you still have the same emotions &amp; difficulty with relationships as other people. <br/> <br/> "

" Could not get into this book, too much detail, not enough charcter development. "

" This book is not what I had expected. The story focuses on the lives of women that end up intersecting as the book continues. It was kinda slow 300ish pages in but finally picks up the last 50 pages or so...then it is rushed and really doesn't gel. "

" I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover. A bit of a melodramatic soap opera. "