Cinnamon Gardens: A Novel - Softcover

Selvadurai, Shyam

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0156013282 ISBN 13: 9780156013284

Publisher: Mariner Books, 2000

Synopsis

Set among the upper classes in the gracious, repressive and complex world of 1920s Ceylon (Sri Lanka), this evocative novel tells the story of two people who must determine if it is possible to pursue personal happiness without compromising the happiness of others. A young teacher, Annalukshmi, whose splintered family attempts to arrange an appropriate marriage for her, must decide whether the independence she craves will doom her to a life without love and companionship. It is also the story of Balendran who, respectably married, must suppress-or confront-the secret desires for men that threaten to throw his life into chaos. With sensuous atmosphere and vivid prose, this masterfully plotted novel re-creates a world where a beautiful veneer of fragrant gardens and manners hides social, personal, and political issues still relevant today.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Set in 1920s? Ceylon, during the turbulent closing days of colonial rule, this evocative story of intertwined lives takes us behind the fragrant gardens and polished surfaces of the elite who reside in a wealthy suburb of Colombo to reveal a world of splintered families, conflicted passions, and lives destroyed by class hatred. Annalukshmi, a spirited young schoolteacher, finds herself caught between her family?s pressures to marry and her own desire for a more independent life. Then there is her uncle Balendran, whose comfortable life of privilege is rocked by the arrival of Richard, a lover from his past. Their uneasy reunion re-ignites tensions with Balendran?s powerful father, and threatens all on which Balendran has built his present life. Sensual, perceptive, and wise, Cinnamon Gardens is a novel of exceptional achievement ? an exquisite tapestry of lives.

From the Back Cover:

“A near-miraculous capturing of life and love (both gay and straight), family tensions, political upheaval, labour unrest and feminism in the Ceylon of the 1920s....”
–Edmonton Journal

“Faultlessly elegant....Selvadurai is expert in capturing the nuances of this particularly precious time and place.”
–New York Times Book Review

“Subtle and deeply humane...Shyam Selvadurai has established himself firmly as an important chronicler of the complexities of social and cultural difference....”
–Books in Canada

“Selvadurai’s nuanced prose evokes the country’s dense climate and lush beauty.”
–Toronto Star

“Richly rewarding....This is a novel that deserves, and will surely gain, a wide readership.”
–Sunday Times (U.K.)

About this edition

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0156013282
• ISBN 13: 9780156013284
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360