The House of Blue Mangoes

The House of Blue Mangoes

by David Davidar (Author)

Synopsis

Like Vikram Seth's A SUITABLE BOY, THE HOUSE OF BLUE MANGOES tells many stories in one, each slipping effortlessly into the other and all ultimately entwined. Three generations of an ancient family come and go in Chevathar, the village by the sea. First there is Solomon, the patriarch, manoeuvring to keep the peace as caste struggles begin to encroach on the village. Then there is the story of Solomon's sons, their fortunes rising and falling as India begins its struggle for independence. Finally, there is the story of Solomon's grandson, perhaps the last of the line, making his own stand for independence. A host of characters enliven these pages: Father Ashcroft, the English priest washed up in a forgotten corner of the empire; Mrs Wilkins the planter's wife who clings to the old ascendancy; Joshua, the prodigal son who leads the battle on the beach; Daniel and Aaron, brothers at war; and Helen, an Anglo-Indian beauty who brings about the final disintegration of the family. This is a glorious, generous, and exhilarating read.

$3.45

Save:$19.20 (85%)

Quantity

3 in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 421
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: W&N
Published: 07 Mar 2002

ISBN 10: 1861591969
ISBN 13: 9781861591968
Book Overview: Author is a prominent Indian publisher, who attracted extensive review coverage Hugely accessible novel, based on the author's own extraordinary family history

Media Reviews
Connolly is an Irishman who has become one of the finest practitioners of US crime writing; he has an unerring ear for the American idiom, so that his books never put a foot wrong in conveying their vividly evoked locales. In South Carolina, a young black man has been condemned to death for the rape and murder of Marianne Larousse, who was the daughter of one of the richest men in the state. Needless to say, nobody wants to come near a case like this, but sardonic detective Charlie Parker is an old hand at unwinnable cases. For him, though, an involvement in the Larousse case becomes very personal indeed. Nothing less than his soul is at risk when a fundamentalist preacher, incarcerated in a prison cell, takes a bizarre revenge.
Author Bio
David Davidar was born in South India into a military family in 1962. He was educated in India and at Harvard and is now publisher of Penguin India and based in Delhi.