01 Nov / Evening Is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan [in Bloomsbury Review]
The wealthy Rajesekharan family of Ipoh, Malaysia is suddenly in shambles. Chellam, one of the family servants, has been mysteriously dismissed and leaves in utter disgrace. The bitter, difficult family matriarch is dead. Her son is long disillusioned with his life, especially his family. His wife, once a wide-eyed naive young girl dreaming of happily-ever-after with her wealthy husband, has borne a life of endless disappointments. The oldest daughter can’t wait to leave everything behind and start her new life as a student at Columbia University. And finally, 6-year-old Aasha sees too much but can never say enough of the truth. Samarasan’s exquisite debut novel deftly weaves back and forth in time to reconstruct the moment when the mighty family falls completely apart.
Review: “TBR’s Editors’ Favorites of 2008,” The Bloomsbury Review, November/December 2008
Readers: Young Adult, Adult
Published: 2008