Shantaben and Ramanbhai begin with nothing, in an arranged marriage when they are 14 and 15-years-old. She must remain with his family to serve them, and he must go to East Africa to earn money to pay off his father's debts. Ramanbhai arrives in Dar es Salaam with only a blanket over his shoulder and a cloth bag containing a few possessions.

Shantaben holds tightly to her dream of her own family in a vibrant community. But four years later, when she finally joins her husband in Kenya, he takes her to his stone cabin in the bush. She finds no community, no support and no medical resources. She must deliver her first baby alone and he lives only a few hours.

WW2 rages, lndia overcomes the British Raj, and Kenya moves painfully towards independence. Living now in the city of Nairobi Shantaben has the family and the community she'd always dreamed of. Her two eldest sons leave for higher education in England. Eight years later they return to Kenya to set up businesses. Striving to maintain a traditional Indian home Shantaben tries hard to entice her sons to marry beautiful Indian girls. But they are determined to marry their British girlfriends.

The family business grows and generates great wealth. As their children settle in Europe and North America they narrate their own coming of age stories. These narratives are peppered with dramas, setbacks and challenges, revealing many shades of human nature.

A man asks Ramanbhai, "Just how rich are you?

"Why" he replies, "I'm the richest man in the world! I have eight children and each one is doing well in their life - riches are in the heart my friend, not in the wallet."

This multicultural story of great love and forgiveness, full of rich personal stories and the exotic spice of history, will inspire readers of all generations to find the power of love within their own lives.

Anita Eleanor Patel

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