Bought at a charity book sale and destined for an Asia-themed bookbox.

Read earlier this year and quite enjoyed, though I don't tend to read these "family saga" novels. Having read Amitav Ghosh's "The Glass Palace" last year, I see that it seems to be de rigeur to have large chunks of saga novels set in SE Asia dealing with The Horrors of the Japanese Occupation - despite it having lasted for only a very few years in the sweep of the 20th century.

I will add this to Soffitta1's Asia bookbox on its next circuit.

Taken from Soffitta1's Asian BookBox, look forward to getting to soon and then moving it on to another BCER

Sent to India

The book was here when I got back home today! Reached all safe and sound despite the rains. Thank you katrinat, for promptly sending this off to me, I shall get to it as soon as I'm done with my current read! I shall be finished with it in time for my Malaysia trip! :)

A good and fast-paced read, (though I enjoyed the first half of the book better)...about the life of Lakshmi - a simple but ambitious and intelligent woman in Malaysia and how out of nothing, she paves a future for herself and her children. However, by the time the book gets to the 3rd generation, that simple life has been replaced by a very modern world where dark and dirty things happen. It got a little creepy for me towards the end...those descriptions don't paint a very nice picture and left me a little uneasy. But that's just me - the author's done a good job. Overall a page turner.

Travelling to totje2 as a trade. Already received my part of the trade, thank you and hope you enjoy this one! Am glad to be passing it on soon...safe travels, little book!

This book arrived safely today.
Thank you so much, prachitulsahn, for making the trade! I really look forward to read this wishlist book!

Synopsis:
"Nothing in Lakshmi's childhood, running carefree and barefoot on the sun-baked earth amid the coconut and mango trees of Ceylon, could have prepared her for what life was to bring her. At fourteen, she finds herself traded in marriage across the ocean to a stranger in the fascinating land of Malaysia. Duped into thinking her new husband is wealthy, she instead finds herself struggling to raise a family with a man too impractical to face reality and a world that is, by turns, unyielding and amazing, brutal and beautiful. Undaunted, she becomes a formidable matriarch, determined to wrest from the world a better life for her daughters and sons and to face every new challenge with almost mythic strength.

A multigenerational narrative that spans the nightmare of World War II and the Japanese occupation, The Rice Mother gorgeously evokes a world of exotic beauty and vivid characters, where small pleasures offset unimaginable horrors. It is a powerful story of laughter and loss, love and betrayal, in a world where ghosts and gods walk hand-in-hand."

I think this has been a very interesting read. At times very disturbing, for example when the book talked about the Japanese occupation. Disturbing also, because it talks about love going wrong, children dying, misunderstandings on multiple levels.
Not a nice book, but a nice book to read, I hope you understand what I'm trying to say with this...

Left this wonderful book in the 'living room' of the hotel. It has travelked to the North Cape with me on holidays, so it has not only the story ibside its covers, but it is litterally a well travelled book as well.
I hope it may see lots more of the world!

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Es war faszinierend über Malaysia zu lesen, einem Inselstaat über den ich herzlich wenig wusste. Familiengeschichten über mehrere Generationen sind für mich das beste, was die (Roman)Literatur zu bieten hat. Unterhaltend, lehrreich, spannend. Was will ich mehr?