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Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
Some relationships are shaped as much by time and distance as they are by love. Bella’s life completely changes the moment she first sets eyes on Rami in Bella and Rami by Isobel de Border. She’s an Australian schoolgirl living in India in the 1980s, and he’s a quiet, athletic young man. She meets him while she and her best friend Carol are hanging out with a local group of friends. What starts as an instant attraction grows into a relationship that must endure distance, personal struggles, and the push and pull of two very different lives. Even so, they spend as much time together as possible. Bella also begins to experience first love in a way that challenges her sense of self, her past, and what she wants for her future. With her return home approaching, the two make every moment count since they face an uncertain future. The novel blends diary entries, letters, poems, and traditional narration to tell Bella and Rami's story. Can their love survive when life takes them in different directions?
The beautiful flower on the cover immediately drew me to Bella and Rami by Isobel de Border. It was intriguing. I’m so glad I read this book. It was honest and easy to read. Bella and Rami were complex, both as a couple and as individuals. Their emotions are messy at times, but that authenticity gave the story weight. I liked how the writing stayed close to Bella’s thoughts, especially in the quieter moments where attraction, uncertainty, and curiosity all sit side by side. I have never read a story set in India before, so I found myself more interested in the author’s descriptions of the country, as well. Anyone looking for a coming-of-age love story with a more grown-up edge will want to read this. There's a reason people say, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." This novel explores that idea while also showing that love alone doesn't erase the challenges created by distance and time.
