6. There where the pepper grows, by Bem Le Hunte

A student friend recommended this to me after I had recommended "Joy School" by Elizabeth Berg to her. Narrated by a Jewish man (which feels a bit strange at first because it's written by a woman) who flees Poland in WWII with his wife, his son, and his childhood sweetheart. They settle in Calcutta, and I loved the descriptions of the city and the family as their fortunes wax and wane. Made me want to catch the next plane, preferably during the Holi Festival. But it's so much more than a travel book.. it's about compassion, and tolerance, and the many different forms of love we experience in a lifetime, and how it endures despite the inevitability of change. Rich, beautiful, warm and wise, this book definitely belongs in my top ten for this year.