Torn Together by Emlyn Chand

Daly English is a lonely artist trying to get her life in order.  Unfortunately her personal life and her art are both suffering as she tries to pick herself up after a breakup. Her relationship with her mother has been tense ever since her dad died and Daly can barely stand to be around her.  When her mom befriends Meghann, a teenager who is pregnant, Daly feels pricks of jealousy. It pains her to see their easy conversations and their comfortable way with each other.  Luckily, it isn’t long before Daly and Meghann strike up a friendship. Even though they are in different places in their lives, they are able to relate to one another and help each other through some difficult times. When Daly meets Kashi, an Indian pharmacist, she begins to feel a connection to him like nothing else she has ever experienced.  Their love grows fast and they plan a trip to India together so that Kashi can see his family and Daly can meet the people who mean so much to the man of her dreams.   Will his family accept her even though she is not Indian?  Is it possible for Daly and her mom to ever repair their broken relationship?  What will happen when events take a turn that Daly could never have predicted? Read this book to find out how everything turns out!

Torn Together was a roller coaster of a read.  There were parts of Daly that I could easily relate to, like her passion for her creative outlet.   Anyone that has struggled with a relationship with one of their parents will be able to see parts of themselves in the relationship between Daly and her mom.  Meghann is a character that I thought brought a lot of happiness to the story and her spirit brightened the moods of the other characters whenever she was around. Kashi and Daly have a love that grows fast and it isn’t long before he asks her to travel to India with him. Although it felt a little soon for them to take such a big trip together, I did enjoy reading about India.  I have never been to India, yet the description of the setting made me feel like I was there.  There were times when I wanted Kashi and Daly to be stronger, but they each had their own path to take in order to realize what was important to them.  The author did an excellent job taking me by surprise in the last part of the book. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Torn Together, but it was a book about loss, love, and overcoming obstacles in our lives.  A book that lets us see the way people deal with life in their own way and at their own pace.

Has anyone else read Torn Together?  What did you think of it? Or have you read another book Emlyn Chand?  

Emlyn Chand