The Rice Mother - Hardcover

Manicka, Rani

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9780670031924: The Rice Mother

Synopsis

Her idyllic early childhood in Ceylon lost forever when she is traded in marriage to a stranger in Malaysia, Lakshmi finds herself struggling to raise a family and survive the Second World War despite her husband's immaturity. A first novel. 40,000 first printing.

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About the Author

Rani Manicka, an economics graduate, was born and educated in Malaysia. Infused with her own South Asian family history, The Rice Mother is her first novel.

Reviews

Manicka's first novel is a big, sprawling, absorbing multigenerational saga set in Malaysia. At the age of 14, Lakshmi is married off to Ayah, a man more than twice her age. Led to believe Ayah is rich, Lakshmi is surprised to learn he is actually a clerk wholly lacking any sort of ambition. Lakshmi makes the best of her situation, bearing six children, including a set of twins, in five years. But Lakshmi is dogged by a prophecy that predicts heartbreak from her oldest son and the loss of one of her other children. She is a ferociously protective mother, and when the Japanese invade Malaysia during World War II, she hides her three daughters away. At the end of the occupation, part of the prophecy comes true, permanently splintering Lakshmi's family. Manicka tells her story from many of the characters' point of views; they tell each other's stories as often as they tell their own. Graceful, engrossing, and peopled with memorable characters, this novel is sure to attract a wide audience. Kristine Huntley
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