A compelling glimpse into a captivatingly exotic world of myth and magic.

Beguiled by promises of wealth, fourteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her native Ceylon for Malaya and marriage to a man many years her senior. But Ayah has lied to her and her family about his circumstances and in fact he lives in poverty. A woman of formidable energy and intelligence, Lakshmi provides security, if not luxury, for her family, though at a considerable emotional cost. Then the Japanese army invades during WWII.

The family bears deep scars and inflicts those wounds on the next generation. But in Nisha, Lakshmi's great-granddaughter, it is as if Fate has come full circle . . .

Winner of the South East Asia and South Pacific Region Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2003

About the Author
Rani Manicka was born and educated in Malaysia. An economics graduate, she now divides her time between Malaysia and the UK. The Rice Mother won the South East Asia and South Pacific Region 2003 Commonwealth Writers' Prize, has been translated into 22 languages, and gained international acclaim.

Reviews
It would be difficult not to be seduced by . . . the intriguing mixture of myth, religion and superstition . . . there is a freedom and freshness in the manner in which the author explores the interior life of her characters whose idiosyncrasies and many failings are sympathetically and sometimes humorously observed . . . It possesses a genuine intimacy and passionate involvement. * Elizabeth Buchan, Times Play *
You'll struggle to find a more powerful, moving read this year. * Glamour *
Emotionally satisfying, complex books like this are harder to find. * Heat *
I simply didn't want it to end . . . The characters themselves, with their resolute individualism, ultimately seem larger than either the superbly drawn historical background or the novel's exotic setting * Image Magazine *
A vivid storyteller . . . Unfolding over four generations like a Greek tragedy, it's a compulsive and often harrowing tale. * In Style *
Echoes of Memoirs of a Geisha in this exotic family saga * Daily Mirror *
Powerful * Sunday Mirror *
Drips with local colour . . . wonderful. * Daily Mail *
A vividly atmospheric novel of tragedy, superstition, belief and hope. * Woman & Home *
Rich in domestic detail essential for a convincing family saga . . . this novel transcends its genre . . . she has created a novel with its own strong flavour. * Times Play *
You'll love Rani Manicka's first novel. * New Woman *



Book Information
ISBN 9781444706581
Author Rani Manicka
Format Paperback
Page Count 608
Imprint Hodder Paperback
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 480g
Dimensions(mm) 206mm * 130mm * 42mm