The Speech of Angels - Softcover

Maas, Sharon

3.44

187 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007123868 ISBN 13: 9780007123865

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2004

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Another wonderful, exotic saga from the author of Of Marriageable Age and Peacocks Dancing.

Jyothi is growing up on the streets of Bombay when she is rescued by an affluent Western couple, their contribution to the starving of India. But she soon finds adapting to the orderly, middle-class English way of life, to school, and to rules and regulations hard. She feels a misfit.

But then, by chance, it is discovered that she has a rare musical talent. Words might never be easy but music flows from her. The delicate girl, with her extraordinary looks and her unique talent , takes the world by storm. And the rootless Indian waif, Jyothi, becomes the international superstar, Jade.

But she – and her family – discover the burdens of fame too, and Jyothi becomes torn between the urge to re-find her original roots and wanting to become that western girl, with that lifestyle, those men, those values. And running through her mind is the vision of a high, light room, looking out over green hills, a man's clear, candid gaze with the memory of a music of enchantment.

The Speech of Angels, set in India, Germany and Britain, is a moving, emotional story of a remarkable girl, her loves and life, which looks at not only at the price of fame, particularly for a child-star, but at the pleasures and pitfalls of adapting across cultures and continents. Sharon Maas, whose writing is compared by many to Isabelle Allende's, has written her most magical book to date.

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Review:

'A wonderful, panoramic storyteller with such vivid pictures she completely captivates me. A terrific writer.' Barbara Erskine

'From the first, I was hooked with this enchanting book...unputdownable.' Audrey Howard

'Her characters will stay with you forever.' Katie Fforde

From the Back Cover:

Jyothi is a Bombay street child, with a faint memory of a past happiness. Rescued by an affluent western couple, she is whisked off to a comfortable life. But can she adapt to such a lifestyle?

Then her rare musical talent is discovered. Although words might never be easy, music flows from her. The delicate girl, with her extraordinary looks, takes the world by storm. And the rootless Indian waif, Jyothi, becomes the international superstar, Jade.

She and her family discover the burdens of fame, and Jyothi is torn between re-finding her roots and becoming a western girl. And running through her mind is the vision of a high, light room, looking out over green hills, a man's clear, candid gaze with the memory of a music of enchantment.

The Speech of Angels is a moving, emotional story of a remarkable girl, her loves and life, and the price of migration and fame.

'What an absolute joy it is to discover Sharon Maas - I can't recall when I last enjoyed a writer so much.' Lesley Pearse
'
A wonderful, panoramic storyteller.' Barbara Erskine

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