Divanee – South Asian news and entertainment

Infidelity is one of the great scourges of this world. It breeds resentment, mistrust, fear and anguish. It festers in people’s minds, eating away at their confidence, at times crippling their will to live and causing them to vow never to love again.

Following her divorce, the title character in “Haunting Jasmine” experiences similar debilitating emotions. Jasmine’s wise and mysterious book-selling aunt enlists her to run her shop on the remote Shelter Island while she travels to India. Secluded from the rest of the world off the coast of Seattle where she grew up, Jasmine bemoans the lack of reliable cellular and Internet service as she begrudgingly moves into the third floor attic apartment in the mansion that houses Auntie’s Bookstore. Dealing with a blunt coworker and an excessively grumpy house, Jasmine soon turns her back on her troubles and immerses herself in the power of the books that surround her. In doing so, she connects with the spirits of dead authors who inhabit the house. Then she gets to know Dr. Connor Hunt, a handsome, intelligent man with a penchant for disappearing. Though reluctant at first, she submits to her desire for Connor, in the process healing her broken heart.

“Haunting Jasmine” will appeal to readers who are interested in fantastical romance. It flows well, moving quickly, and Banerjee’s attention to detail is admirable, while her ability to weave in aspects of Bengali culture adds flavor to the plot.

Banerjee recently wrote a blog post stating that she wanted the ghosts to “[become] mentors, helping Jasmine to slow down, reinvent her life, and fall in love with an enigmatic young stranger.” And in that capacity, Banerjee succeeds. The authors’ spirits guide Jasmine by encouraging her to let go of the past and discover new worlds and relationships through books. Literature becomes a conduit for Jasmine’s transition from a past of pain to a future of promise. Like many readers, Jasmine escapes into the varied and unusual stories, both physically and figuratively distancing herself from her divorce while tucked away on Shelter Island.

As I read this novel, I was surprised by how easily Jasmine was able to let go of her problems. It seemed to take relatively little time and convincing for her to warm up to her boisterous coworker, go on a date with Connor and exile her ex-husband Robert to the dark corners of her memory. Another point of concern was the implication that Jasmine could only move on from her divorce by forsaking her life for a new home and career. It made little sense to me that an intelligent, confident woman would so run away from her past instead of bringing the lessons she learned in Auntie’s Bookstore to improve her current life. Such a change felt unrealistic, even as her connection to the ghosts was plausible.

I cannot say that “Haunting Jasmine” will become one of my favorite books. Had Banerjee developed Jasmine’s character a bit more, her story would have become more relatable and believable. However, she writes with romantic creativity and deserves to be commended for making it seem possible for a bookseller to have ghosts as mentors.

Interested in checking out the book? We’re giving away a copy of “Haunting Jasmine” — all you have to do to enter is follow @AminaBook on Twitter and send her a tweet including a link to this review and your reason for wanting to win. Entries due by Friday, February 25 at 11:59 pm EST. Open to U.S. residents only.

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