The Emerald Affair (The Raj Hotel)
This first book in the Raj Hotel series tells of four friends from Scotland, Esmie, Lydia, Tom, and Harold, who move to India following WWI. All four did their part in the war – Esmie, the main protagonist, as a nurse on the battlefront, Lydia as a fundraiser for the hospitals, Tom as a captain, and Harold as a doctor. Now the four are moving forward with their new post-war lives.
Lydia sets her sights on the handsome Tom, who plans to leave the army and buy the Rajah Hotel in Rawalpindi, India. Also heading for India, Harold will work as a doctor in an area of unrest and conflict. Esmie is discouraged from going with him, because as a single woman she is more vulnerable. As a solution, Harold proposes. Esmie has feelings for Tom, and after Tom and Lydia marry, Esmie reluctantly agrees to marry Harold so she can do the work she loves. It becomes clear that these hasty marriages are mismatched with uncertain outcomes. Lydia wants the party life of a socialite, and the run-down Rajah Hotel doesn’t meet her standards. At odds with Lydia, Tom wants a family and a quiet life living in his beloved, unassuming hotel. Even though Esmie is a steadfast and sensible friend, she tends to be overly concerned with other people’s problems, blaming herself for their decisions and trying to fix everything. Still in love with Tom, she is frustrated with the platonic marriage that Harold wants.
In addition to real characters who we love and frustrate us, Trotter gives us details of British life in India during colonialism and the interactions of two cultures. The Afghan border conflicts are brought into the story at the Taja hospital outpost where Harold and Esmie live and work. This is an engrossing story that leaves the reader looking forward to the second book.
