Into the Moon Garden

By: Shveta Thakrar

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani, Rita Sharma

Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Make a wish.

The words have haunted Rashmi since she first heard them whispered the night before her mother died, when she was just 10 years old. Rashmi’s mother used to tell her stories of a magical garden lit only by the moon, whose blossoms grant wishes. For years, Rashmi believed the whisper somehow came from the mysterious moon garden of her mother’s stories and that her own failure to respond—to wish—may have cost her mother her life.

Now a scientist working for her grandfather’s biotech company on a treatment for Alzheimer disease, Rashmi tells herself the entreaty she heard as a child was an illusion, nothing more than a dream. She throws herself into her research, betting everything on its success, even her relationship with Darsh, her perfect Bollywood-star boyfriend. But when Darsh gifts her a rare chapbook by a vanished poet, entitled Into the Moon Garden, Rashmi can’t help but be lured back into the past.

The moon garden calls to her once more, and this time, Rashmi answers, crossing its threshold with her life’s wish in her heart: to right the wrong of all those years ago. But as she ventures deeper into the moon garden, and into her past, Darsh—her future—follows her, pulling her in another direction entirely....

©2023 Shveta Thakrar (P)2023 Audible Originals, LLC.

Really liked this!

I really liked the story! I liked the interweaving of the different myths from around the world into the story. I thought that was really cool.

Whimsical but annoying

Loved the lore, detail, and magic that was put into the Moon Garden. I enjoyed how multiple mythologies from all around the world were brought together and they were able to coexist within the same world. The only thing I didn’t like were the main characters. The same wording of “his crooked smile” made me roll my eyes multiple times. She treated him horribly by disregarding his feelings, ignoring him, pushing him aside, but he still ‘stuck by her side’ blindly, it just a bit to toxic for me. He was too much of a ‘perfect’ guy in that he dealt with everything and just put up with her, it was very unbelievable. Aside from the impossible romance the story was very captivating, and I would love to read another story of the Moon Garden with another visitor or even the back story on the poet.

slow

but entertaining very good triggering if dealing with lost but the moral of the story is still a nice one...... 😶🥺🥺🤭🤭🙏🏾🙏🏾🫂🫂💯💯

Loved it!

Absolutely loved it. It was beautifully narrated and absolutely loved the ending!! Also loved the description of the moon garden! Recommend.

Lovely creative fantasy

I loved how the narrative was interwoven with varied myths about the moon from different regions. Interesting main character and love interest. Very fantasy oriented. Quite different, Recommended.

Lyrical and Lovely

Lyrical prose, vividly rendered descriptions — especially food, and a wonderfully creative world makes this a truly fanciful fantasy read! I also really enjoyed the snippets of moon lore scattered throughout! And the narration was perfect!

Not my usual read

I was looking for something a little different and softer than my usual. With this book I got a bit of everything.

Beautiful!

Another beautiful story by Shveta Thakrar. She weaves such lovely words into images that you can almost reach out and touch. Definitely recommend!

I’m so glad I stayed with it

The beginning of the book was not for me. I just didn’t like the main character’s personality. The storylines really started to develop midway and the and the story blossomed from there becoming really enjoyable.

Storyline and storytelling was great. The story is beautiful

I wasn’t expecting to get a story and knowledge combined in such a way. Beautiful story and moral. I wish I knew this for my younger self.