This novel tells the story of two young British women who go to India to backpack around the country.  Friends since childhood, they have grown apart over the years and the main character, Esther, is hoping the trip will help reconnect them. On their journey, her friend Gemma befriends an odd woman named Coral who is part of an obscure religious sect.  Suspense builds slowly and deliberately as Esther finds herself in the role of third wheel and the gap between the two lifelong friends widens into a suddenly uncrossable chasm.

Gardener is a good storyteller and draws you deeply into the adventure of these two young women.  But it was the ending that got to me the most.  It is a stark reminder of how profoundly our lives can be affected by beliefs about reality that, once held up to the light of scrutiny, are not even true.

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