The novel follows the adventures of Tilo, a mysterious figure who runs a grocery store in inner-city Oakland and uses her knowledge of spices to help her customers overcome difficulties. Tilo provides magical spices not only for cooking but also for the challenges that Indian immigrants in an alien land experience. She develops dilemmas of her own when she falls in love with a mysterious stranger she calls the Lonely American, as now she has to choose whether to serve her people or to follow the path leading to her own happiness.
In the end, Tilo decides to spend a night with Raven even though she knows that the spices will be resentful, and havoc will be caused in the lives of the people she cares about as punishment. What are the catastrophic repercussions when they finally spend a night together and become lovers? Does Tilo manage to save her customers from the wrath of spices? Are Tilo and Raven united in the end? You will have to read the book to find out!
The Mistress of Spices is the story of Tilo, who was born in an Indian village, and bore a different name, before she discovered she had certain powers with which she could summon those she thought of. Unfortunately for her, she accidentally summons a group of pirates who abduct her. However, soon, with her talents, she turns the tables on them and becomes their queen. She then hears the about an island, where an old woman lives, and imparts the knowledge of spices to those who have the gift needed to communicate with the spices. Those who have this gift are known as Mistresses.
At the end of their training, each Mistress is given a new name and is sent to a different part of the world, where they are to help people with the power of the spices. Tilo chooses her own name, and against the wishes of the Old One, wishes to go to USA. She then wakes up in the body of an old woman, in an Indian store in Oakland. Her customers include various Indian immigrants trying to make a living in the States, and she figures what each of them needs before offering it to them.
Linda - It is fun to learn more about spices isn't it? I wanted to update my blogroll for so long, finally got around to doing it yesterday.
Vaishali - I was shocked when I read that in an article online! Do share those recipes
Mythili - loved doing this. thanks for hosting MoS
Kritika - hey thats a nice idea. I am going to try using it in curries too
Diane - its such a beautiful plant (with a lovely name too). You are so lucky to have it in your garden. I read somewhere that the flowers are used in Italian dishes for ornamentation.
Rai plays Tilo, orphaned by some unexplained regional strife in India, kidnapped by bandits and, after escaping and being washed up on a beach, finally educated, along with other girls, in the magical properties of spices by an old woman (vet Zohra Segal). Next thing we see, Tilo has moved Stateside as an adult and is running a small spice shop-cum-dispensary in Oakland.
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