Evening is the Whole Day
| Price: |
$32.99 |
| On Sale: |
1/07/2008 |
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Formats:
Trade Paperback
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Set in Malaysia‚ this spellbinding first novel introduces us to the prosperous Rajasekharan family as it slowly peels away its closely guarded secrets.
When the family′s rubber−plantation servant girl is dismissed for unnamed crimes‚ it is only the latest in a series of precipitous losses that have shaken six−year−old Aasha′s life. In the space of several weeks her grandmother died under
mysterious circumstances and her older sister‚ Uma‚ left for Columbia University‚ gone forever.
Circling through years of family history to arrive at the moment of Uma′s departure −− stranding her worshipful younger sister in a family‚ and a country‚ slowly going to pieces −− Evening is the Whole Day illuminates in heartbreaking detail one Indian immigrant family′s layers of secrets and lies‚ while exposing the complex underbelly of Malaysia itself.
Sweeping in scope‚ exuberantly lyrical‚ and masterfully constructed‚ Preeta Samarasan′s debut is a mesmerising and vital achievement.
′Rich‚ quirky and colourful‚ Evening is the Whole Day captures not just the sense of a family struggling to deal with its past‚ but the crazy uncertainty of a country coming to terms with itself′ −− Tash Aw
′a surpassingly wise and beautiful debut novel about the tragic consequences of the inability to love′ −− Booklist
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Author Extras
Reading Guides:
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Reader Reviews from First Look
The evocative descriptions of places and events in this novel transports the reader right into the heart of the story. Life in another place, another time, the story takes you on a colourful journey as the chronicle of this Indian family, living in Malaysia, progressively unfolds.
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Jennie (Springwood, NSW)
The evocative descriptions of places and events in this novel transports the reader right into the heart of the story. Life in another place, another time, the story takes you on a colourful journey as the chronicle of this Indian family, living in Malaysia, progressively unfolds.
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Jennie (Springwood, NSW)
The writing in this book is vibrant, weaving complex interplays in both time and characters.
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Desma (Mt Evelyn, VIC)
What a great read. Indeed reminiscent of the writings of Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie. Preeta Samarasan has a wonderful command of the use of language and hints of magic realism to create images that bring to life sounds, smells, and the world of upheaval both within the family and it’s surrounding neighbourhood during the period of the emergence of Malaysia as an independent nation.
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Kay (Coburg, VIC)
A very original and moving story, that presents life and all its turmoils so simply, yet as complex and multifaceted issues at the same time. Despite not beinga book that will keep you up at night in anticipation, it is one that is perfect for Sunday evenings or Friday afternoons that are the perfect way to help you unwind and lose yourself in a new world.
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Lena (Sydney, NSW)
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