Waheed Rabbani

This book was outstanding! Truly a delight to read ... A fast paced historically authentic story that almost played 1850s in front of my eyes.

Doctor Margaret in Delhi is a gripping tale of the struggle of an American female doctor who was posted in a hospital in Delhi in 1850's--during the sunsetting times of last Mughal emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Margaret Wallace arrives in India—but as she finishes one long journey, she embarks on a much longer one—that of her loneliness and endurance—through an extremely political and manipulative surroundings. On one hand, she is trying to busy herself with innocent people and her newborn child in order to cope up with the loss of her husband, while on the other, she faces monstrous men who just wouldn’t let any chance go of seducing her forcefully. At times when her loneliness gets better of her, she even contemplates if the lust of these men may actually be their love for her—but she overcomes her emotional vulnerability each time as her good sense prevails in the end, thus saving her from getting trapped. Despite only a little hope of getting help from anyone, for the men involved are one of the most influential ones around, she manages to maneuver herself through every situation.

It was after a long time that I have read such an amazing historic fiction. The character development is amazing, the language wonderful, and the plot couldn’t have been better. Waheed comes across as a gifted storyteller who can handle complex and sophisticated plots with such an ease! I highly recommend this book to everyone who is familiar with Mughal history of India, and feels, like I do, mesmerized about the era. The book will take you as close to the day to day experience of the era as it can get!… (més)

EDIT: This author has repeatedly harassed, belittled, and criticized me for the contents of my review in email, despite my insistence that this is my opinion. Be warned.

The synopsis on the back of the book confused me before I began reading, as it seemed to tell me the plot for the entire trilogy, instead of just this first book. I also struggled with staying interested in the book, as every page is saturated with foreign words and expressions that I needed to look up in the Glossary at the end of the book if I wanted to understand anything. It was quickly apparent that the history of India also played a major role in the plot of this book, as the author spends large chunks of time teaching the reader about India through the thoughts and conversations of the characters.
I felt like the plot really dragged its heels in progressing, and I often got lost in the details, unsure of what I was supposed to be focusing on the most.
In short, I simply could not progress with the book. I stalled on page 72, and I never picked it back up. Maybe I was not in the right frame of mind to read it, maybe it was too intimidating, I don't know, but if I feel like I am forcing myself to read the book when I struggle to stay focused after only a page, then the book is not for me.… (més)

Nearing the end of his medical stay in Delhi in the 1960’s, soon to return to America, Dr. Sharif is approached by hospital staff to return an old sea chest that has been left abandoned for over one hundred years. When Dr. Sharif agrees, so opens up a story full of intrigue, struggle, romance, betrayal, history and much, much more. The sea chest belonged to a Margaret Wallace, an American female doctor working as a missionary in India during India’s revolution in the mid-1800’s. Among other things, a diary is found inside, documenting the story of her life.

Doctor Margaret proves an intriguing and well-developed character, way ahead of her time; from a little girl she is set on becoming a doctor and working in India. To help her family out, employed as a cleaning girl at a local clinic, she is thrilled to learn about a Medical College for Women in Philadelphia. She says in her diary, “I dreamt of studying in classrooms with floors and walls of polished mahogany hardwood and performing and experimenting in the laboratories, wearing those white coats.” Breaking all social rules of the 1800’s, Margaret’s determination helps her realize her dreams, making her a pioneer in the women’s movement. But the novel is also a story of romance, as Margaret falls in love with and marries her Canadian cousin Robert, and follows him to the Crimea, where he is serving in the war.

The book moves rapidly and in two timelines, from the mid 1800’s to the 1960’s. It covers much territory, from Delhi, to the Niagara region, to London, and includes events such as the Crimean War, the Underground Railroad, and India’s struggle for independence from the Raj. It is obvious Waheed Rabbani did a lot of research, only to skilfully interweave his findings with intrigue and drama.

A bit on the formal side (but in a good way, adding to the authenticity), the writing is rich with dialogue and description. Some of my favorite lines are right near the beginning. Dr. Sharif describes driving in Delhi, where he finds himself “…overtaking an overcrowded bus, with passengers hanging on for dear life from the doors and even poised on rear bumpers …” He adds, “Bicyclists weaved in and around the moving cars, buses, taxis and rickshaws.”

A debut novel and the first of a trilogy, Doctor Margaret’s Sea Chest is as much entertaining as it is educational. An most intriguing read. Am looking forward to the second installment.… (més)

Doctor Margaret's Sea chest is historical fiction, set in the mid 1800’s in North America, England, Crimea and India. The saga covers India's struggle for freedom. This rather long tale is but one third of a more massive saga, yet it is nicely paced. There is a nice balance between drama, romance, and suspense which serves to keep the story consistently interesting, but it is mainly focused on the action rather than too much description.

The characters are well-developed enough that I could feel Margaret's despair when her family disapproved of her desire to marry her cousin, her jubilation at finally becoming a doctor as she wanted, despite the disapproval of her parents, and her other emotions as the story progressed. As I finished the last pages of this book, I felt as if I were leaving friends behind. In fact, I am so hooked on the story that the cliff-hanger ending has me sitting on the edge of my chair while awaiting Book II of The Azadi Trilogy: The Rani's Doctor.

Almost as interesting as the novel, there is a glossary at the end of the story which defines the unfamiliar words used so that the reader can get more from the novel than would be the case if he/she were just skipping over the unfamilar words without understanding them.

Recommended reading for those who love reading historical fiction and also for those looking for something refreshingly different. Mobi format file received free from author in exchange for this review. This review is simultaneously published on Dragon Views, LibraryThing, Amazon.com and YA Books Central.… (més)