- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins (5 Sep 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007143494
- ISBN-13: 978-0007143498
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 907,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
‘A neat and joyful story’ Good Housekeeping
ACCLAIM FOR ONE HUNDRED SHADES OF WHITE:
‘An absorbing novel about mothers, daughters, food and truth.’ Closer
‘A great read. Fast, funny and full of life’ Shyama Perera, author of I Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet
‘A genuinely moving novel…like the bottled spices that play such a role in the story, this has all its ingredients in just the right quantities to spirit away all negative emotions.’ Daily Express
‘She writes evocatively about childhood and there are passages of tight and lyrical immediacy…Moving description packs a powerful punch in this book about family, forgiveness and the power of truth.’ Guardian
‘A carefully woven tale that’s exceedingly good’ Company
‘A dynamic author.’ Good Housekeeping
‘A sensuous and poignant novel…enchanting.’ Sainsbury’s magazine
GYPSY MASALA
‘A little gem of fiction…a mystic and beautifully lyrical book’ New Woman
‘A rich, evocative tale.’ Company
"A heart-warming read about families, forgiveness, carving futures and filtering truth." Guardian
‘A luscious book, made lush with spices. Kindnesses and friendships abound, but so do hardships and hard knocks’ Oxford Times
Product Description
A novel of painting, pretence and the strange ways in which truth makes itself known, from the author of ONE HUNDRED SHADES OF WHITE
Nina’s lost her job, boyfriend and faith in her guru in the space of 24 hours. Unable to tell her parents what has happened, she puts on a suit every day and pretends to go to work.
What she’s really doing is escaping to a studio, where she begins to paint for the first time in years. But when her work is spotted by a top gallery owner, she cannot admit she is the painter, and pretends to be the agent instead. Meanwhile at home, she’s agreed to an arranged marriage to keep the peace. There are too many layers of pretence and something has to give way – but at what cost to Nina?
This novel is based on the author’s own experience of self-publishing her first novel. To lend it credibilty, she invented Pru, a pushy publicist. Pru went on to be shortlisted for the PPC Publicist of the Year Award, but her cover was blown – it was Preethi all along.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Another literary masterpiece from Ms. Nair. Her life experiences clearly show through into the book with the intricacies of the characters, the beauty of the narration and depth of feeling being well above and beyond what you would normally find in such readable literature. The book starts at a crossroads for the star of the book - Nina. The book charts her path from stability to rock bottom to back in charge of her life. It is a journey of emotion and sheer determination against adversity and should be an inspiring read for most people. It is a story of friendship and family of highs and lows and provides a substantial cultural insight into how Nina and her family come to terms with the different cultures of east and west and how they can live together.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
After reading One hundred shades of white, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I had high expectations for this book, which ultimately did not disappoint. The style is recognisably Nair, especially the jumping backwards and forwards in time, which seems to be very popular amongst Indian authors currently, but nonetheless the book has a story line that gets you hooked quickly - I finished the book by reading the last 175 pages in one go, it was just that gripping, or "unputdownable" as some prefer. Highly recommended.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The opening scene of the protagonist hurling a saffron-stained cocnut over London Bridge at 6.30 am, had me gripped from the start.
Nina has a traditional Asian home-life, and she tries to balance the wishes of her parents with her need to do more in her life than get married. She tries to please everyone - and is bound for failure. Nina also carries the added pressure of her older sister eloping with a white man; her parents are pinning all of their hopes on Nina. Preethi uses humour brilliantly, and I particularly loved her insight in to how, even as adults our parents can still make us cringe with embarrassment. There are many laugh out loud instances.
A central theme is grief, which is so often disabling but Preethi reminds us that grief can also be enabling - the catalyst for change in Nina's life.
A great holiday read.
Nina has a traditional Asian home-life, and she tries to balance the wishes of her parents with her need to do more in her life than get married. She tries to please everyone - and is bound for failure. Nina also carries the added pressure of her older sister eloping with a white man; her parents are pinning all of their hopes on Nina. Preethi uses humour brilliantly, and I particularly loved her insight in to how, even as adults our parents can still make us cringe with embarrassment. There are many laugh out loud instances.
A central theme is grief, which is so often disabling but Preethi reminds us that grief can also be enabling - the catalyst for change in Nina's life.
A great holiday read.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A lovely, readable book
I really enjoyed this novel, Preethi Nair has a refreshingly intelligent style and I loved all the art stuff. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Sue Brandon
The Colour Of Love
The book was recommended to me as an easy-read. It was that, but at times frustrating and shallow. I think the author had a similar rise to fame and success as her main character,... Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2010 by Ms. P. Stevens-Hoare
Nice writing... sad stereotypes
I was drawn to this book because of the author's name. Upon knowing that she was from Kerala, where my boyfriend is from, I felt obliged somehow to buy it and read it. Read more
Published on 14 Oct 2008 by montchoisy
Fab, A great Read
This is a fantastic read. Preethi Nair has managed to give an insight into young modern day asians having to deal with traditional values and upbringing and chasing their own... Read more
Published on 2 Aug 2004 by S SHAH
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
