By the author of Black Narcissus and The River

'Rumer Godden's novels have a timeless shimmer' GUARDIAN

'Touching, amusing, enchanting . . . an exceptional work' OBSERVER

'Her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES

In a crumbling Calcutta mansion, with faded frescos and a jasmine-covered garden, the Lemarchant family live, clinging to the fringes of respectability: neither Indian nor English, they are accepted by no one and exploited by all.

After only a day in India, Stephen Bright meets Rosa Lemarchant. In an ill-fitting dress once belonging to her sister, she is awkward, shy and couldn't be more different from the stories he has heard of fast 'Eurasian' girls. Ignorant of Calcutta's strict codes of conformity, he falls in love with Rosa and becomes enchanted by the building in which she lives, determined to uncover its secrets.

Mystery pervades this story of a memory-haunted house in old Calcutta, as secret as a sundial in a ruined garden.

* featured on www.Virago.co.uk

About the Author
Rumer Godden (1907-1998) was the acclaimed author of over sixty works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Born in England, she and her siblings grew up in Narayanganj, India, and she later spent many years living in Kolkata and Kashmir. Several of her novels were made into films, including Black Narcissus, The Greengage Summer and The River, which was filmed by Jean Renoir. She was appointed OBE in 1993.

Reviews
Rumer Godden's novels have a timeless shimmer. But powerful adult themes underlie their surface -- Rosie Thomas * Guardian *
Touching, amusing, enchanting . . . an exceptional work * Observer *
Her craftsmanship is always sure; her understanding of character is compassionate and profound; her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty * New York Times *
One of our best and most captivating novelists -- Philip Hensher
This tale of a haunted house in a decayed quarter of Calcutta cannot fail to delight . . . graceful and perceptive * Scotsman *



Book Information
ISBN 9781844088478
Author Rumer Godden
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Virago Press Ltd
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 164g
Dimensions(mm) 199mm * 177mm * 15mm