The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka

The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka

Lakshmi's childhood in Ceylon is idyllic: her mother adores her and the child runs free among the coconuts and mangoes of her native land. But the family is poor, so Lakshmi is married off, at the age of fourteen, to a man who promises her a life of wealth and ease in Malaysia. Far away from her family, Lakshmi discovers that Ayah has lied about his circumstances and in fact lives in poverty. Undaunted, she works ceaselessly to provide a good life for her children - she has five by the time she is nineteen. A woman of formidable energy and intelligence, Lakshmi has indeed provided security, if not luxury, for her family, though at a considerable emotional cost - they are all aware they cannot live up to her firece ambitions for them. Then the Japanese army invades during WWII. On the eve of peace, her beloved eldest daughter, Mohini, is raped and killed by the occupying army - a tragedy that affects all the family, particularly Mohini's twin, Lakshmnann, who feels responsible for his sister's capture. For this second generation, and for Lakshmi's grandchildren, increased prosperity does not bring happiness - it is as if the family is cursed by betrayal and secrets, and the addictions of drink, drugs and gambling. But in Nisha, Lakshmi's great-granddaughter, it is as if Fate has come full circle and the novel ends on a note of reconciliation and hope. Lyrically told through the voices of succeeding generations, The Rice Mother is a compelling glimpse into a captivatingly exotic world of myth and magic, where gods and ghosts walk hand in hand.

A first novel of Eastern exoticism and unforgettable characters. . You'll struggle to find a more powerful, moving read this year. - Glamour

Transcends barriers of culture, time and place. Memorable for capturing the contradictions of life, the magic and the blight, it should sell in mega numbers. - Publishing News

An exceptional debut - The Bookseller

It would be difficult not to be seduced by the evocation of setting, family life, clothes, food and the intriguing mixture of myth, religion and superstition . . . there is a freedom and freshness in the manner in which the author explores the interior life of her characters whose idiosyncrasies and many failings are sympathetically and sometimes humorously observed . . . It possesses a genuine intimacy and passionate involvement. - Elizabeth Buchan, Times Play

THE RICE MOTHER is exactly the kind of absorbing, cross-generational read that will pass away a few more train journeys than the average popular paperback . . . brimming over with colourful imagery, mythology, unfeeling men and vivid descriptions of cooking . . . Emotionally satisfying, complex books like this are harder to find. - Heat

I simply didn't want it to end . . . The characters themselves, with their resolute individualism, ultimately seem larger than either the superbly drawn historical background or the novel's exotic setting - Image Magazine

Rani Manicka was born and educated in Malaysia. An economics graduate, she now lives in the UK. The Rice Mother is her first novel.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780340823828
ISBN 10	0340823828
Title	The Rice Mother
Author	Rani Manicka
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Hodder & Stoughton
Year published	2002-09-19
Number of pages	480
Prizes	Winner of The Commonwealth Writer's Prize Best First Book SE Asia and South Pacific 2003, Short-listed for The Commonwealth Writers Prize (Best First Book) 2003, Short-listed for WH Smith Book Awards (New Talent) 2003
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable