Like Heaven

by NialaMaharaj (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  2007

  $3.45

  Like Heaven is a vivid and evocative portrait of an Indian family in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Ved Saran is forced to leave his childhood behind when he takes on the family business, sacrificing his own personal desires to make it a success. As he prospers, he is pulled further away from the ramshackle carnival culture that has sustained him and thrown instead into a world of politics and corruption which finally threatens his personal happiness and the happiness of the people around him. Creating a cast of richly drawn characters, Niala Maharaj in this debut novel reveals the humour and pathos in life - the unpredictability of its course and the complexity of human relationships. It celebrates the fun and pleasure to be found in friendship and social occasions and shows the devastation that can be wrought by a split-second decision. Ultimately uplifting, Like Heaven pulsates with life, and is vibrant with the sounds, smells, colours and texture of the Caribbean.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2006

  $5.49

  This is the story of Ved Sant, an Indian from Port of Spain, Trinidad - a ramshackle carnival culture which suddenly becomes oil and gas rich. At an age when he might have been contemplating further education, Ved is forced to take charge of the family business. Breaking all the rules about how things should be done, Ved follows his instinctive impulses towards kindness, respect, generosity, creativity, and sees the company surge forward. But, while success brings very tangible rewards, it also brings more than its share of heartache. Ved may be clear-sighted in his practical vision of the future, but he is unable to apply the lessons he has learned to his private life. And intense family pressures bind him tight when he needs to be free. Ved is an attractive man, and very attractive to women. But, he cannot keep the one he really loves. And, as his business flourishes, he finds himself sucked into a whirlpool of politics and corruption. In her first novel, Niala Maharaj takes us on an exhilarating journey into an island Eden, where natural, ebullient innocence has a struggle to survive under the extreme pressures of commercial development. Like Heaven is a novel which pulsates with life, is rich in character and vibrant with the sounds, smells, colours and texture of the Caribbean.