Cinnamon Gardens - Hardcover

Selvadurai, Shyam

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786864737 ISBN 13: 9780786864737

Publisher: Hyperion Books, 1999

Synopsis

Set among the upper classes in the gracious, repressive world of 1920s Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Cinnamon Gardens tells the brilliantly intertwined stories of two extraordinary characters.

Annalukshmi is a strong-willed young woman whose family is intent upon arranging a proper marriage for her, forcing her to question whether the independence she craves will doom her to a life without love and companionship. Her uncle Balendran, respectably married, struggles to suppress his secret desire for men. The sudden arrival of a former lover, however, threatens to destroy his carefully constructed world. Both Annalukshmi and Balendran must determine if it is possible to pursue personal happiness without compromising the happiness of others. And both must draw on hidden reserves to resist the pressures of society and, even more crushing, the expectations they have placed on themselves.

This masterfully plotted novel takes us beneath the polished veneer of fragrant gardens and manners to reveal a world of splintered families, forbidden emotions, and lives destroyed by prejudice. With its sensuous atmosphere, richly drawn characters, and astonishing ability to conjure time and place, Cinnamon Gardens is a riveting novel that speaks of the issues readers grapple with today, while evoking the great historical works of fiction they love.

Selvadurai's critically acclaimed first novel, Funny Boy, was hailed as "first rate fiction from a brilliant writer whose next book cannot arrive here quickly enough" (Kirkus Reviews). Now, Cinnamon Gardens--an unforgettable tale of history, family, love, and destiny--confirms Selvadurai's promise as one of the most distinctive and talented novelists from a new generation.

About this title

Review:

"'Selvadurai has captured horrifyingly well the airlessness of a society in which only a few are truly able to breathe, and deeply' Mary Loudon, The Times" "'Richly rewarding...Not least of the novel's virtues is the way he seems to conjure up a whole social panorama. With its vivid evocation of time and place, its wise characterisation, its involving emotional dramas, this is a novel that deserves, and will surely gain, a wide readership' Adam Lively, Sunday Times" "'Subtle and deeply humane...a fine novel that is both delicately written and very, very wise...Selvadurai has established himself firmly as an important chronicler of the complexities of social and cultural difference' Books in Canada"

From the Back Cover:

In Shyam Selvadurai's masterful second novel, set in 1920s Ceylon, the Cinnamon Gardens is a residential enclave of wealthy Ceylonese. Among them is Annalukshmi, an independent and high-spirited young teacher intent on thwarting her parents' plans to arrange her marriage. In a parallel narrative, her uncle, Balendran Navaratnam, respectably married but secretly homosexual, has his life disrupted by the arrival in Ceylon of Richard, a lover from long ago.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hyperion Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0786864737
• ISBN 13: 9780786864737
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 368