Book Review : Restoring The Forgotten Voices Of Colonial India

In The One-Way Ships published by Om Books, debut author Uma Lohray delivers a hauntingly beautiful tale that brings to light a largely forgotten chapter of British colonial history—the lives of Indian “ayahs” who travelled overseas to care for British children, only to be discarded once their services were no longer needed.

Set in pre-independence India, the novel follows Asha, a spirited young girl from Shimla, whose life is turned upside down after her father’s untimely death. Forced to abandon her education and take up work as an ayah, Asha’s story becomes a lens through which the author explores themes of displacement, powerlessness, and the search for identity. Her journey is quietly powerful—both heartbreaking and inspiring—as she learns to reclaim her agency in a world that often denies her choices.
The book is inspired by archival research and oral histories, but at its core, it’s an immensely human tale of a young girl’s fight to reclaim a sense of belonging.

Lohray’s writing is tender, evocative, and historically rich. The novel’s greatest strength lies in its ability to seamlessly blend fact with fiction, immersing readers in the emotional and social realities of these often invisible women. Like the best historical fiction, The One-Way Ships not only entertains but also educates and challenges us to reckon with uncomfortable truths.

This novel is a significant literary achievement—an overdue tribute to the resilience of countless young women whose lives were lost to history. Thoughtful, deeply felt, and impeccably researched, The One-Way Ships deserves a prominent place on both literary and academic reading lists.

About The Author
Uma Lohray is a writer, lawyer, and literary debutante whose historical fiction novel, The One-Way Ships explores the overlooked history and the quiet strength of marginalised voices of Indian ayahs—young women and girls sent across oceans to serve in British households during the colonial era. Uma’s storytelling is grounded in empathy and research, drawing on archival material, memoirs, and personal accounts to construct emotionally resonant fiction.