Tomb of Sand
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- Create Date：2022-05-28 04:55:28
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Geetanjali Shree
- ISBN：1911284614
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Summary
An eighty-year-old woman slips into a deep depression at the death of her husband， then resurfaces to gain a new lease on life。 Her determination to fly in the face of convention – including striking up a friendship with a hijra （trans） woman – confuses her bohemian daughter， who is used to thinking of herself as the more 'modern' of the two。
At the older woman's insistence they travel back to Pakistan， simultaneously confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition， and re-evaluating what it means to be a mother， a daughter， a woman， a feminist。
Rather than respond to tragedy with seriousness， Geetanjali Shree's playful tone and exuberant wordplay results in a book that is engaging， funny， and utterly original， at the same time as being an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries， whether between religions， countries， or genders。
At the older woman's insistence they travel back to Pakistan， simultaneously confronting the unresolved trauma of her teenage experiences of Partition， and re-evaluating what it means to be a mother， a daughter， a woman， a feminist。
Rather than respond to tragedy with seriousness， Geetanjali Shree's playful tone and exuberant wordplay results in a book that is engaging， funny， and utterly original， at the same time as being an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries， whether between religions， countries， or genders。
Reviews
Mollie
，
Maybe 2。5。。 way too long with literally no need to be。 Winner of the international booker which I’m confused at， maybe I just didn’t get it lol
Rubal
，
first international booker prize for an indian book！！ translated from hindi！！
Another1toTbr
，
Giving this 5 stars without even reading cause I am a biased Indian who is beyond happy that an Indian won the International Booker Prize！ Beyond proud👏
Adina
，
Winner of the Booker Prize International 2022Obviously the winner had to be one of the 2 shortlisted books I haven’t got to read。 No worries， I already own the novel and I am planning to start it next week。
Areeb Ahmad （Bankrupt_Bookworm）
，
"A tale tells itself。 It can be complete， but also incomplete， the way all tales are。 This particular tale has a border and women who come and go as they please。 Once you've got women and a border， a story can write itself。 Even women on their own are enough。 Women are stories in themselves， full of stirrings and whisperings that float on the wind， that bend with each blade of grass。" Right off the bat， I must praise Tomb of Sand's dazzling linguistic virtuousity， Shree's stunning felicity for la "A tale tells itself。 It can be complete， but also incomplete， the way all tales are。 This particular tale has a border and women who come and go as they please。 Once you've got women and a border， a story can write itself。 Even women on their own are enough。 Women are stories in themselves， full of stirrings and whisperings that float on the wind， that bend with each blade of grass。" Right off the bat， I must praise Tomb of Sand's dazzling linguistic virtuousity， Shree's stunning felicity for language。 The prose is luminous， it's maximalist and sumptuous in a way that takes over the reader but does not overpower them。 It is a credit here to Daisy Rockwell's brilliance as a translator。 I have perused parts of the original Hindi—I'm in the camp that feels it is translated too much， haha—and she has done a marvelous job of recreating its artful wordplay in English。 I can easily say this is the most stimulating novel I have read in a while that's both poignant and entertaining。The story begins by informing us about the ending and Ma's forthcoming death， signaling its unconventional narrative structure early， one where inanimate objects like doors and shoes or animals like crows and partridges get equal agency alongside humans and are the stars of their own chapters。 It is a book obsessed with borders—man and woman， life and death， India and Pakistan—and the ways to cross them， perhaps even transcend them。 At its core， it's a book about the vagaries of age and the onrush of buried memories。 A modern masterpiece， plural and polyphonic， it merits a win。P。 S。 I feel that I should point out that the novel uses queer trauma as a plot device to advance the protagonist's narrative arc even though the queer character themselves are interestingly written with appreciable complexity and depth。 I will also take this opportunity to say the novel lives with digressions， it meanders and gets lost， goes on thinly connected tangents， and can get "boring" at times。 None of that should be a dealbreaker because there is a method to the madness and Shree is exercising subtle control over all the elements of her story in a way that is not easily discernible。 。。。more
Chandar
，
One of the most remarkable books I have read in a while！ Geetanjali writes in Hindi and this an amazing translation of her book Ret Samadhi by Daisy Rockwell （also nominated for the Booker）。 While the novel is inordinately long， and discursive， it is stunningly original and unselfconscious in its voice。 The author confesses to her love for the sound of words， the dhwani。 Rockwell manages to preserve in her translation the whimsicality and idiosyncrasies of the original， no mean task。 Grammar， sp One of the most remarkable books I have read in a while！ Geetanjali writes in Hindi and this an amazing translation of her book Ret Samadhi by Daisy Rockwell （also nominated for the Booker）。 While the novel is inordinately long， and discursive， it is stunningly original and unselfconscious in its voice。 The author confesses to her love for the sound of words， the dhwani。 Rockwell manages to preserve in her translation the whimsicality and idiosyncrasies of the original， no mean task。 Grammar， spelling conventions， syntax and punctuation are playfully abandoned at will！ Wonderfully imaginative， the narrative rambles on with tales tumbling out of birds， doors， walking sticks and the human characters， much in the Dastangoi tradition！ Makes one want to read the original in Hindi！ 。。。more
Annie
，
Tomb of Sand is an unabashed maximalist ode to life and language。 It’s like Shree scooped up armfuls of Western and Hindi traditions， history， literature， and ideas on gender， family， and nationhood， examined them in the light and scattered them all through the book like confetti， sprinkled with humor and magic。 It’s a challenging book for impatient readers like me: the main character， a depressed elderly widow， doesn’t even get out of bed for the first 200 page。 The novel is unhurried， meanderi Tomb of Sand is an unabashed maximalist ode to life and language。 It’s like Shree scooped up armfuls of Western and Hindi traditions， history， literature， and ideas on gender， family， and nationhood， examined them in the light and scattered them all through the book like confetti， sprinkled with humor and magic。 It’s a challenging book for impatient readers like me: the main character， a depressed elderly widow， doesn’t even get out of bed for the first 200 page。 The novel is unhurried， meandering， and bewildering in some parts， but full of dazzling word play， magic and joy in others。 It’s also a stunning translation feat by Daisy Rockwell。 Enchanting， exuberant and demanding in equal parts。 。。。more
Harpreet Singh
，
this has got to be one of the special books that I have read lately。 The characters， the metaphorical significance they carried throughout the pace of the story， was so refreshing to read。 I am not sure how long I would stay in the realm of this book， but it surely would be a long long time。
Laura
，
This was like nothing I've read before！ What a feat！ Also， the amazing translation blew my mind！ This was like nothing I've read before！ What a feat！ Also， the amazing translation blew my mind！ 。。。more
Sandeep
，
Booker Winner 2022。 A moment of silence for the axed trees and to be axed trees。 The Indian version of the print has lots of empty pages and half filled pages。Tomb of Sand - Geetanjali Shree - Translated by Daisy Rockwell。Rating - 2/5 [Did not finish]Disclaimer - Its an expensive book。。 Buy only after reading 30 pages of this book。 Do not go buy， thinking its Booker shortlist （so it shall be good） and other marketing gimmicks。 As per the description the book happens to be about an 80 year old Booker Winner 2022。 A moment of silence for the axed trees and to be axed trees。 The Indian version of the print has lots of empty pages and half filled pages。Tomb of Sand - Geetanjali Shree - Translated by Daisy Rockwell。Rating - 2/5 [Did not finish]Disclaimer - Its an expensive book。。 Buy only after reading 30 pages of this book。 Do not go buy， thinking its Booker shortlist （so it shall be good） and other marketing gimmicks。 As per the description the book happens to be about an 80 year old woman who slips into depression and re-surfaces with exuberance。 Such exuberance that， she befriends a transgender person， wishes to travel to Pakistan to recollect days of partition or re-live her younger days I am not sure。 I read only 375 pages and have to give up。 Firstly， let me confess， the book is definitely not what it is described。 Second， depression as per my encounters with people happens to be a bit more serious affair， but over here in this book， the 80 year old woman who's sleeping on the bed， turns towards the wall， offering her back to people and the world and refuses to talk nor eat nor meet people。 Wondered is this depression or sadness？ Upto the 375 pages I read， it was all about the old woman， her hour by hour accounts of her dressing up， waking up， her kids， her grand kids one in India one in Australia， her public servant son Bade， who retires， his army of helpers then Beti， who happens to be a free soul and her lover。 I feel it was only rambling， ranting， small talk and nothing else。 There was absolutely no plot， let alone going to Pakistan， it might turn up around the 600 page mark。 But who has that patience， when loads of other beautiful books are waiting， why should I be hooked to this one？ This book put me into reading slump not once but two times， and this time I decided to abandon the same。 This book has been overhyped owing to the booker shortlist and lots of marketing on instagram via influencers。 I have nothing against the author who has put in effort to translate the book， but it just isn't for me。 Now， I have decided to abandon the book， I feel so so relieved， I no more have to bear the brunt of reading this book。Cheers， 。。。more
Alex
，
At times brilliant， I did find this novel quite messy （maybe intentionally） and its use of multiple techniques and narrative devices often took away from the thrust of the powerful partition narrative。 While clever and aiming to be meta， not every writing trick worked for me as a reader， often taking me out of the trance a great novel can put you into。
Lia （_Lia_Reads_）
，
Once again， thanks to the International Booker shortlist for putting this masterpiece on my radar。 I'm not sure I would have picked it up otherwise。I was blown away by this book， and also struggle to put into words the experience of reading it。 It， in many ways reminded me of another shortlisted book， The Books of Jacob。 The book meanders from subject to subject， sometimes leaning into the （very dramatic！） plot of the book and other times giving us lengthy tangents into something that seems irre Once again， thanks to the International Booker shortlist for putting this masterpiece on my radar。 I'm not sure I would have picked it up otherwise。I was blown away by this book， and also struggle to put into words the experience of reading it。 It， in many ways reminded me of another shortlisted book， The Books of Jacob。 The book meanders from subject to subject， sometimes leaning into the （very dramatic！） plot of the book and other times giving us lengthy tangents into something that seems irrelevant （but generally is actually very relevant）。 One of my favorite tangents: the chapters we spend with a flock of crows， watching and commenting on our characters。But at the same time， Tomb of Sand rejects many Western conventions in storytelling。 As the translator explains in the translator's note at the end， Shree leans into a tradition of literature produced in the wake of the Partition between India and Pakistan （something I'll admit to knowing little about）。 One prominent theme of this book is borders: not just the borders between countries， though those are incredibly important too， but the borders between spaces， between people， and even within people。 Equally as impressive as the story is the translation of it。 The English version includes so much wordplay and experimentation with language that I can only imagine what it was like to translate （we get a hint of that difficulty in the Translator's note at the end）。 It is a masterful work on the part of both author and translator。I don't want to talk too much about the story itself because I think this is one of those books that it's best to go into blind。 Simply put， one of our protagonists is an octogenarian who takes to bed after the death of her husband。 Her family doesn't know what to do， and continues to be baffled by her when she eventually rises and moves in with her adult daughter。 The characters were initially a bit hard to keep track of， but it does come together as the book goes along。Don't be intimidated by the length of this book。 If you like reading books that place a lot of focus on the writing， sometimes over the plot （think Ali Smith， for example）， then you will devour this one like I did！ 。。。more
Aden
，
This is definitely a taste thing， because there are several things in this book that are objectively good。 The sentence are excellently written （and translated） and the commentary is really thoughtful。 But， I just did not like it very much。 It’s almost 750 pages and it easily could have been cut down to 300 with nothing lost。 This took forever to read and I just wanted it to be done the whole time。 I’ve also always been a very character-centric reader， and because of the strange omniscient POV h This is definitely a taste thing， because there are several things in this book that are objectively good。 The sentence are excellently written （and translated） and the commentary is really thoughtful。 But， I just did not like it very much。 It’s almost 750 pages and it easily could have been cut down to 300 with nothing lost。 This took forever to read and I just wanted it to be done the whole time。 I’ve also always been a very character-centric reader， and because of the strange omniscient POV here， there is so much distance between the reader and the characters。 I could tell you very little about their personalities。 I’m bummed this didn’t really work for me， but if this book sounds good to you， try it。 It might be more to your taste than mine。 。。。more
Book Wormy
，
#BookerInternationalShortlist Book 4I really enjoyed this story and I am so glad it made the short list。 The book is a delight， the word play is delicious and while there is a seriousness underlying it all this still remains a fun book to read。 I had no idea where Ma would end up next and who she would drag along on her madcap adventure or what she would end up dragging them into。Writing quality: 4/5Originality: 4/5Character development: 3/4Plot development: 3/4Overall enjoyment: 2/2Total: 16/20 #BookerInternationalShortlist Book 4I really enjoyed this story and I am so glad it made the short list。 The book is a delight， the word play is delicious and while there is a seriousness underlying it all this still remains a fun book to read。 I had no idea where Ma would end up next and who she would drag along on her madcap adventure or what she would end up dragging them into。Writing quality: 4/5Originality: 4/5Character development: 3/4Plot development: 3/4Overall enjoyment: 2/2Total: 16/20 。。。more
Emily M
，
The crux of the matter is that those who haven’t cared to read this far are advised not to read ahead either。 （this quote is from the 92% point of a 700 page book）Part seven stars， part three stars， we’ll call it a day with five。I laughed， I snorted and chuckled。 I was bored， I was melancholy。 I was very confused。 I was delighted。 I laughed。 I felt my mind expand， contract。 This book is definitely not for everyone， and it’s much too long。 But in its chaotic， digressive， intimate， expansionist g The crux of the matter is that those who haven’t cared to read this far are advised not to read ahead either。 （this quote is from the 92% point of a 700 page book）Part seven stars， part three stars， we’ll call it a day with five。I laughed， I snorted and chuckled。 I was bored， I was melancholy。 I was very confused。 I was delighted。 I laughed。 I felt my mind expand， contract。 This book is definitely not for everyone， and it’s much too long。 But in its chaotic， digressive， intimate， expansionist glory， it’s one of the most invigorating reading experiences I’ve had this year。 Most of all its digressive。 You have to wade through a good 500 pages to find the plot （it’s there， and it’s even dramatic！） But in the meantime you get: Yet these days the search for his missing laughter had infiltrated even that。 This was a big problem， because where was he going to find something worth laughing about at work？ He tried the joy of laughter in the company car， but the driver’s jaw dropped and his eyes popped out in astonishment and Serious Son’s laughter was nipped in the bud。 The driver’s Michael Jackson uniform， and his Wow， oh shit， the consumerist culture of the street， the sun sobbing quietly amid the pollution， the ill-mannered city that lay beneath， discoloured by dust， rust， and bird shit， the obscene malls， everything for sale， even water， the little girl tapping on his window was selling it， she’s doing this instead of studying and she’s dressed in rags， performing a filmi number between the cars; educated girls crossing the street， their clothing shrunk smaller than their minds， and any random guy you address， in whatever Indian language， answers in English， and in bad English at that， even the Hindi spelling on the signboards is wrong， and as for spellings of English words， the less said the better。 By the time he’s got to the office， Serious Son’s mood has soured but his face still longs to laugh。 （all this about a character we’re told doesn’t feature in the story）。This book is the polar opposite of Western storytelling conventions。 To give a final example， Sid’s wife （who won’t enter this story because she’s not a character in it）， at some point in the future。。。 （I’m still giggling about this） Marvellous beings， stories。 Preserved in death and in stone。 In endless trances that evolved into tombs， surviving from one lifetime to another。 The tombs turn to stone， then liquefy， then evaporate into steam and shimmer up， rendering you idolatrous with their silence。 …… The gardener has no permission here to artificially shape the garden， forming a boundary hedge; measuring here， pruning there， perfectly precise， standing like a scrap of an army under a flag of false pride: We’ve got this garden surrounded！ This is a story garden， here， a different light and sunlight rain lover murderer beast bird pigeon fly look sky。And it’s erudite。 There are references to all kinds of things I recognized （i。e。 Shakespeare） and many many more things I didn’t。 I’ve never been to India。 I don’t know anything。 You maybe don’t need to know anything。 You’ll connect with the style or you won’t。Well， it would be a good idea to know about Partition。 From translator Daisy Rockwell’s afterword: a note on Partition literature: the traumatic events surrounding the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan have led to an entire literary genre， on a scale similar to that of Holocaust literature…。 It is an enduring shame and a major lacuna in Western publishing that virtually all of these classic works do in fact exist in excellent English translations， but almost none have ever been published outside of South Asia。 The heroine is an octogenarian woman who， after spending at least a hundred pages depressed in bed （in prose that is not depressing）， rouses herself and begins to live again。 I’ve tagged my review to the Indian edition of this book， whose cover strikes me as much more representative of the feel of it。 It’s bad enough that it’s 700 pages。 It’s bad enough that it’s called Tomb of Sand （a justified title but hardly representative of the tone）。 This is a spry， intellectually playful work about an old lady on a mysterious mission。A few more highlights， because I think it’s a book that has to speak for itself。There’s a lovely moment of reversal: a middle aged daughter finds herself sharing a bed with her elderly mother， and the mother disrupts her sleep like a baby: And so it happened， that at every movement of Ma， the already-awake Beti grew ever more so。 She feared she might fall asleep and sprawl towards Ma; accidentally knock into her with a hand or foot， waking her up， so she kept sliding closer to the edge of the bed。 And sleeping Ma kept seeking out Beti’s presence， sliding right after her and sticking to her， as Beti lay holding her breath。In the coming nights， Beti would lie scrunched up on the edge of the bed， teetering along the side slats， Ma’s head on her arms， the rest of Ma’s body taking up the entire bed。 If Beti slid any further， her hands and feet would hang off the edge。In case you thought Tolstoy had the last word on families， there’s this: Anything we say about the Mahabharata could also be said about families: they contain all that exists in the world， and whatever they don’t contain doesn’t exist。 Not even in the imagination of a poet。 That is， the gone-astray terrorist， the hot-headed leftist， the female and the feminist， the everythingist and the opti-pessimist， all in the family。 Or in the Mahabharata; whichever you prefer。It’s Partition literature of a curious kind。 It starts in a present that never mentions Pakistan。 It carries on that way， and then late in the day， it goes roaring back。 And we get this。 Fools！ If you cut a border through a heart， you don’t call it a border， you call it a wound…。Ma drew a line with her cane and began to move from this side to that side。 It reminded me of Olga Tokarczuk’s Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead， in which the protagonist likes crossing borders “because I remember a time when it was not possible to do so。” And this book， like Tokarczuk’s are perhaps from final dispatches from generations that， though they did not live through the war/partition， knew people who did。But let’s leave things on a lighter， non-tomby note。 This did what the best world literature does， pulled me out of my various comfort zones: linguistic， geographical， formal （meaning my ideas about how literature is put together） exploded them all， and yet I felt very at home throughout。 Mangoes？ Bade’s wife took up the thread at mangoes。 This was everyone’s hobby horse。 All things in the world on one side， mangoes by themselves on the other。 The mango contains multitudes。 。。。more
Kit Wren
，
（not currently listed for USA publishing， be a cool kid and order it from Blackwell's）A book full of the type of elements I usually like but I was totally unable to connect this time， for whatever reason。 A very dissolute book， about a great many things and taking a great many perspectives， including several chapters narrated by a murder of crows。 But this expansiveness is a tradeoff with focus， and in its many examinations of the geopolitics of the Partition and Hindu-Muslim relations it comple （not currently listed for USA publishing， be a cool kid and order it from Blackwell's）A book full of the type of elements I usually like but I was totally unable to connect this time， for whatever reason。 A very dissolute book， about a great many things and taking a great many perspectives， including several chapters narrated by a murder of crows。 But this expansiveness is a tradeoff with focus， and in its many examinations of the geopolitics of the Partition and Hindu-Muslim relations it completely loses track of the physical facts of its protagonist， an elderly widow who emerges abruptly from a depression to flout all the conventions she can think of。 The book is devoted fervently in the original Hindi to traditions of wordplay within that language， something the English translation tries to preserve， but this， too， represents a tradeoff with clarity and the strength of any individual thread of the narrative needs to untangle itself。 The result is， oddly， almost like a Thomas Pynchon， and how you feel about a Pynchon depends primarily on your mood at the given moment。 。。。more
Jo
，
4。5 starsA book that even a month after finishing I’m still wondering how to write about， and I’d recommend the excellent and more detailed review by Joseph at the blog 'rough ghosts' who does this book justice。 Last year I read Geetanjali Shree’s Mai and although I didn’t love it， admired the writing and was keen to read more of her work。 Tomb of Sand is a much bigger book in both subject and length from that one and much more successful even though I assumed from the blurb on the back of the b 4。5 starsA book that even a month after finishing I’m still wondering how to write about， and I’d recommend the excellent and more detailed review by Joseph at the blog 'rough ghosts' who does this book justice。 Last year I read Geetanjali Shree’s Mai and although I didn’t love it， admired the writing and was keen to read more of her work。 Tomb of Sand is a much bigger book in both subject and length from that one and much more successful even though I assumed from the blurb on the back of the book that Ma is up and at em from the start。 Instead， she is bedridden for a good chunk of the early part of the book， but this gives us time to be introduced to the other members of her family and their dynamic and provides a contrast to what comes next。Once Ma is ambulatory again then life becomes more interesting both for her and the reader。 Living with her daughter Beti， Ma embraces life， installing and caring for plants on the apartment balcony， creating a business with her hijra friend Rosie and trying to avoid her families concern for her physical frailties。 The latter third of the book is concerned with Ma’s past and her experience of India’s partition and this is perhaps the most engrossing part of the book。 At the same time the joy of this book is not just its plot or even its characters， it is in the playful way Geentanjali Shree uses and plays with language – and praise is doubly due to Daisy Rockwell who managed to convey this through her translation。 There are digressions on politics and the environment， there are a family of crows who get to speak and the whole text seems to veer between the serious and the magical。 From pages of word play to an imagined meeting of partition writers， from the memories of doors to murder。On the very first page Geentanjali Shree writes that， ‘This particular tale has a border and women who come and go as they please。 Once you’ve got women and a border， a story can write itself’ and borders of some kind feature everywhere in this novel。 Ma must cross one to leave the family home and her old married life， there is the boundary between herself and those considered to be beneath or different from her， that line that demarcates what a woman of a certain age should do。 And finally， the physical border between Pakistan and India and that between her past and her present。 We follow Ma as she pushes through or past these lines and are entertained and educated， entranced and engrossed as we do。 。。。more
Nathan Drake
，
How does one even begin to write about a work of literature as monumental as Geetanjali Shree's magnificent TOMB OF SAND。 Whether at the form， which is magnificent， or the function， which is glorious！ A compilation of words arranged in a manner so unfathomably stunning that words fall short。 No matter how many adjectives I cram into this write up， it will still fall short for conveying the brilliance of both Geetanjali Shree's stunning prose and Daisy Rockwell's unfathomably seamless translation How does one even begin to write about a work of literature as monumental as Geetanjali Shree's magnificent TOMB OF SAND。 Whether at the form， which is magnificent， or the function， which is glorious！ A compilation of words arranged in a manner so unfathomably stunning that words fall short。 No matter how many adjectives I cram into this write up， it will still fall short for conveying the brilliance of both Geetanjali Shree's stunning prose and Daisy Rockwell's unfathomably seamless translation。 In order to render a semblance of coherence to this word vomit， I'll try my best to focus on one particular aspect that knocked my socks off。 That being， narrative perspective。 Narrated from the perspective of a myriad of perspectives， both living and non living， it is an eloquent evocation of the transcendent nature of storytelling。 The persepctives range from the eyes of the human characters to the eyes of crows to。。。。wait for it。。。。in a particular instance， the wind passing through a party！ The very notion of "narrative perspective" feels like a flesh and blood character in itself。 What is especially interesting is how seamless the multiple switches in perspective feels。 At one instance， the reader might be reading through the perspective of a human character， but as the lines go by， the perspective gradually shifts to a society of crows and before we know it， the wind takes centre stage again！But， this isn't a book merely content with formal brilliance！ The function is in a league of its own。 In a glorious sequence， famous charactes from partition literature literally share the stage with their creators where the line between creator and creation is blurred in a literal manner， an apt segway to the book's shift to borders as a central theme。 The book is a gossamer of such glorious sequences weaved in a manner so exquisite that one can't help but sweep one's jaw from the floor while being awestruck by the magnificent literary mosaic on display！TOMB OF SAND is one of those rare， monumental literary events that honestly makes the reader feel privileged that the written word is their choice of artistic indulgence！ It is books like this that remind me the reason I fell in love with literature ❤️All I'll say is， if there is one book I am rooting for from a brilliant shortlist to win and one book that I feel might be and deserves to be hailed as a classic， it is TOMB OF SAND！ An absolute stunner of a book where words fall short to convey its brilliance！ 。。。more
Topher
，
This is about a woman's journey after her husband's death。 From the get go， I was very intimidated by the sure heft of this novel。 But I have to say， it was so easy to read。 I zipped through this book in less than a week。 It seems like a whimsical piece of work， but there is so much depth and heart that radiate throughout。 It delves into the family unit。 It talks about becoming something else after tragedy。 It also brings along the pivotal intersex character of Rosie。 By the end of the story， I This is about a woman's journey after her husband's death。 From the get go， I was very intimidated by the sure heft of this novel。 But I have to say， it was so easy to read。 I zipped through this book in less than a week。 It seems like a whimsical piece of work， but there is so much depth and heart that radiate throughout。 It delves into the family unit。 It talks about becoming something else after tragedy。 It also brings along the pivotal intersex character of Rosie。 By the end of the story， I was struck by its power。 For me， this stands next to some of the other books about women in the International Booker Prize long list like Elena Knows and The Book Of Mother。 Each book tackles the different sides of women's battles in their separate lives。 This book gets a 5/5 for me。 I would be happy if this won the booker or Elena Knows。 Either book is worthy of much praise。 。。。more
Nancy Oakes
，
Brava， Geetanjali Shree！ And another brava for Daisy Rockwell， for an amazing translation！ I will have to return to make a post about this later next week （or the week after） when I'm home again。 For nowoh my god -- such a wonderful， wonderful book， and an amazing feat of writing that was an absolute joy to read。 It won't be everyone's cup of tea， but it's worth it just for what this author does with language， storytelling， and her focus on boundaries and borders。 I also for some reason have an Brava， Geetanjali Shree！ And another brava for Daisy Rockwell， for an amazing translation！ I will have to return to make a post about this later next week （or the week after） when I'm home again。 For nowoh my god -- such a wonderful， wonderful book， and an amazing feat of writing that was an absolute joy to read。 It won't be everyone's cup of tea， but it's worth it just for what this author does with language， storytelling， and her focus on boundaries and borders。 I also for some reason have an extra copy， brand new， if anyone would like it， I am happy to give it to you free。 I don't need two copies。 US only please， and just send me a pm。so very highly recommended -- I can't praise it enough。 more to come 。。。more
Kavitha
，
This was so much fun to read that 725 pages were not enough。 I wanted more。 It’s playful， lyrical， unconventional & meandering with very little plot。 It’s a hard book to write about， so I will do my best to articulate a few things that I really liked。The wordplay: " I am always the giver， and you are always the taker。。When you are quiet， you are polite; but when I’m quiet， I’m wily。。If I ask， it’s obscene curiosity; when you do it’s sympathy…If I do it， it’s for my own convenience; if you do it， This was so much fun to read that 725 pages were not enough。 I wanted more。 It’s playful， lyrical， unconventional & meandering with very little plot。 It’s a hard book to write about， so I will do my best to articulate a few things that I really liked。The wordplay: " I am always the giver， and you are always the taker。。When you are quiet， you are polite; but when I’m quiet， I’m wily。。If I ask， it’s obscene curiosity; when you do it’s sympathy…If I do it， it’s for my own convenience; if you do it， you are most beneficent。。If I’m quiet， I’m acting proud; if you’re quiet， you feel bashful。。when I get angry， I’m humourless， but when you do， it’s self-respect…" It goes on like this for several lines and there are many more of this sort throughout the book。 It was clear to me that Shree had a lot of fun writing this book and I had a lot of fun reading it。 Some serious topics are being explored underneath but let's just collectively gush about the playful-ness of the prose here for now 😊Ma: She is the main protagonist。 She is an 80 something year old woman who has mostly filled her conventional gender role throughout her life。 Ma undergoes a transformation and becomes an unconventional older Indian woman， mother & grandmother。 I can't remember when was the last time I read a book with an older woman as the main protagonist before this and my recent read - Elena Knows。 Ma is bold， strong and fun to hang out with。 Beti， Bade， Rosie and all the other characters are also very well done but I absolutely loved Ma。The Indian-ness: I really appreciated how authentically Indian this book felt。 The family relationships， the gender roles， the patriarchy， the politics， the history， the language， the food， the crows， the sarees （yes， there's a whole paragraph where various kinds of sarees are listed）。。。everything felt so Indian that it triggered some good old nostalgia in me。One regret I have is of not reading it i Hindi， although the English translation is excellent and I may read the Hindi version also someday。 Reading this book reminded me a lot of Rushdie's Midnight Children， which I read a few months ago， although I didn't enjoy that one as much as this one （poor timing）。 If you are planning to read this， I recommend going in with an open mind and enjoy the wild， fun ride。Quotes:“Family relationships have their own beaten paths which turn into ritual relationships， roles performed accordingly。 They are carried forward in the expected way without any thought， almost out of inertia。 Has the relationship popped out of it’s worn groove？ Who is going to trouble themselves over analyzing that？”“So people will always be in a quandary over which direction is the right one， for only then can we know which is the opposite， in other words wrong’ But flow both ways， this way and that way too， on this side of the border and that one too， how then to be clear about anything？”“The mysteries of the body frighten。 Those who consider the body insignificant are foolish。 The Sufis and wide men have said that the body is a mirror a home a fine shawl a rainbow; clay fluid deep blue sky; it is a snake a lion probably a cow and a deer too。 That you must worship it and dote upon it。 It is a diamond mine， a coal pit。 It zaps with lightening， it snap cracks the whip of darkness。 The body is mind， the mind finds its path via the body。 When the body has withered and surrendered to the fire volumes and dust， then all of existence will wander in the cosmos with the mind becoming mere memory。 Memory is the soul that wanders the earth， we reach out to grasp a wisp only to feel it slip away。”“The butterflies knew that they were but brief guests in this world， scattered about like moonbeams on sand…But they also knew this: that it was they who spread messages of trust throughout the world…they enjoy the essence of a tale， gather it like stardust， and scatter it in the sands so that even after they leave， the stories will grow and blossom and spread their perfume。 So what if we ourselves died？ Our roles as messengers never will。” 。。。more
Mandeep Kaur
，
The narrative was lucid and powerful。 The translator has done a great job。 I liked how the book blends magic realism with the most complex issues of our age。 Deducted two stars for the lack of 'story'。 I don't know if it should be on the Booker list but it's better than the previous year's Burnt Sugar。 The narrative was lucid and powerful。 The translator has done a great job。 I liked how the book blends magic realism with the most complex issues of our age。 Deducted two stars for the lack of 'story'。 I don't know if it should be on the Booker list but it's better than the previous year's Burnt Sugar。 。。。more
Shruti Chhabra
，
" But those who wish to listen further will have to believe in shadows。 Because shadows lie ahead。"It is difficult to describe this book and more challenging to review using the common man's language。 An International Booker's Prize 2022 shortlists， this book is written originally in Hindi by Geetanjali Shree， who has penned many incredible novels before。 It is beautifully translated by Daisy Rockwell。It is a story of Chanda， an octogenarian in northern India， who slips into depression after her " But those who wish to listen further will have to believe in shadows。 Because shadows lie ahead。"It is difficult to describe this book and more challenging to review using the common man's language。 An International Booker's Prize 2022 shortlists， this book is written originally in Hindi by Geetanjali Shree， who has penned many incredible novels before。 It is beautifully translated by Daisy Rockwell。It is a story of Chanda， an octogenarian in northern India， who slips into depression after her husband's death。 One day she goes missing from her son's house。 Found in a dilapidated state after a few days， her daughter decides to take her mother home。 At her daughter's house， Chanda gets a new lease on life。 She rekindles her friendship with a transgender Rosie。 She experiments with life and starts living her life without any regrets。 "Slowly Ma pours herself into the crannies and crevices of the house。 She feels as though she's flying。 She likes it。 My feet don't touch the ground here。 She flies about silently。 She listens to the comings and goings of her breathing。 She hears the curling of a tendril。 She hears the growing of the grass。"To everyone's surprise， Chanda insists on traveling to Pakistan along with her daughter。 Once on another country's soil， she travels to dangerous places without a visa and starts reliving her unresolved past before the partition。 Everything changes。 The bohemian， feminist daughter and Chanda are transformed。 There is a role reversal。 Chanda is free and without fear in a land that was supposed to be different， while Beti is fearful and tragic of the fear of the unknown。"When did I become me， and am I me， or have I become Ma？"In the end， Chanda dies far away from home in the country she calls home， while Beti returns to the country she calls home。"Every part of the body has a border。 So does the heart。 A border surrounds it but it also binds it to the other parts。 It doesn't wrench the heart from the rest。 Fools！ If you cut a border through a heart， you don't call it a border， you call it a wound。 If you lock a heart inside a border， the heart will break。"It is not an easy read。 The book is layered at so many levels that it is not easy to not get lost in them。 The story is omnipresent。 It covers everything and anything。 She touches upon the plethora of varied topics wrapped in a story， relationships， politics， Interpersonal relationships， caste differences， family conflicts， and bureaucracy。 Even Nithari Incident finds a mention in her book。 Geetanjali has cleverly wrapped it with the usage of the right emotions and words that it has not only become utterly unique but intelligent， funny， and highly engrossing read。 A few characters remain unnamed; Bade （eldest son）， Beti （daughter）， Bahu （daughter in law）， and Overseas Son （the grandson who moved abroad） are used as salutations throughout the story。 The book brings out the pain of partition separation， the futility of borders， and the quench of "home" across the border that refuses to die down for some。 The tale is streamless yet streamlined。"Understanding has become a much eroded， much abused word， to the point that its sense has come to mean to establish meaning， when its real sense is to displace meaning To give you such a shock you see lightning。"I couldn't help but compare Geetanjali Shree's writing with Murakami's in a few places。 She experiments with the language and owns it。 The imagery of animals she uses is so strong that it almost feels like one of the book's main characters。 The book is divided into three parts， and the most astonishing and beautiful thing about the book is that each chapter has its own inner voice。 It is inter-connected yet distinctive enough to leave a personal impact and be the entire book in itself。 This book is such a rightful entry to the International Booker's Prize and deserves every bit to win it。 It's a complex but fantastic read。 。。。more
Gabby Humphreys
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I have no idea where to start with Tomb of Sand。I stayed up late reading it， I got up early to read it， and I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about it。Oooh that’d be a good clickbait quote， but I’m being serious。 This book has had me questioning how printed words can do this。Sand of Tomb begins with a mother who is ill in bed。 She’s mentally ill from a cloud of depression and/or grief （because how can one separate these things？）。 This is a real slow burner， with her only emerging from bed 20 I have no idea where to start with Tomb of Sand。I stayed up late reading it， I got up early to read it， and I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about it。Oooh that’d be a good clickbait quote， but I’m being serious。 This book has had me questioning how printed words can do this。Sand of Tomb begins with a mother who is ill in bed。 She’s mentally ill from a cloud of depression and/or grief （because how can one separate these things？）。 This is a real slow burner， with her only emerging from bed 200 pages in。 Fear not though， it’s a big boy at 700 pages and despite a potential lack of movement， you will not get bored。As well as utter loss， this book explores borders and relations between Pakistan and Israel， family ties， gender expression， the reverse roles of parents and children that come with ageing， religion， traumatic childhood。 My brain is genuinely a blur because there’s SO much within these pages。The plot it pretty amazing， but to me what makes this book spectacular is it’s language。 The fact that this book is translated fiction is insane， and both Geetanjali Shree and Daisy Rockwell are stupidly talented。 The narration of this book makes it feel like a story。 “But it is a story？” you say， while I scratch my head because how can I articulate this magic。 Remember sitting down， legs crossed and being read a story by a wise owl？ This is how the book is。 If you watched Jackanory， this is the vibe。We break off the story multiple times to say things like “there’s also another son， but he’s not relevant at the moment” or “didn’t I tell you that was important？”。 Additionally， there’s a very wise crow who apparently has a main voice in this book， a fairytale about how Reebok shoes were snakes and the most gorgeous prose on windows and doors。If you like Ali Smith， you’ll love this。 If you like the confusion， yep。 If you want a straight forward beach read， absolutely avoid。 It’s long and it’s hard but ！！！！ IT IS A WORK OF ART ！！！ and I’m genuinely in a state of confusion over this paPER WITH WORDS ON THAT HAS THIS CONTROL OVER ME。 So so thankful that @thebookerprizes shone a light on this beauty。*mic drop**gabby faints* 。。。more
Arun
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*Full Review to Follow*Geetanjali Shree’s International Booker Prize nominated oeuvre in Hindi （translated by the inimitable Daisy Rockwell） is a complex masterpiece of humanist and Partition literature as it chronicles the journey of its octogenarian heroine - Amma/Chandu - as she transforms from a catatonic grieving widow to an adventurous compassionate and fearless protagonist。 This is a deeply erudite novel， rich with historical， literary， musical， culinary， and artistic references that span *Full Review to Follow*Geetanjali Shree’s International Booker Prize nominated oeuvre in Hindi （translated by the inimitable Daisy Rockwell） is a complex masterpiece of humanist and Partition literature as it chronicles the journey of its octogenarian heroine - Amma/Chandu - as she transforms from a catatonic grieving widow to an adventurous compassionate and fearless protagonist。 This is a deeply erudite novel， rich with historical， literary， musical， culinary， and artistic references that span the long arc of Indian history and beyond。Tomb of Sand which （in the original Hindi） incorporates Sanskrit， Persian， Urdu， and even English and French vocabulary， is by turns funny， acerbic， romantic， and tragic。 Indeed it incorporates each of the navarasas， the traditional nine aesthetic principles， in its narrative。 It is also a novel of big ideas。 While starting with an urban family melodrama which exposes the hypocrisy and pettiness of middle class families it quickly expands its scope to examine greater societal flaws such as liberalism versus humanism， ageism， gender bias， climate change， and ultimately the significance of borders， whether circumscribing individuals， age， gender， sexual orientation， social classes， religions， time， or nations。 Shree argues persuasively that the purpose of a border is to be crossed and transcended， rather than to rigidly confine。 In Ammas journey to Pakistan from India across the border at Wagah， there is joy， beauty， and meaning to be found and celebrated - contrary to the perspectives of both governments。There is a deeply Buddhist ethos which informs the perspective of this text （an embracing of wisdom and compassion over orthodoxy and empty ritual） symbolized by a Gandharan era statue of a fasting Buddha which Amma holds near to her during her journeys。While at times her writing in English translation may be perceived as slow or unfocused （ Im awaiting my Hindi language version to see whether this is an artifact of translation or its intended format） I was most impressed by Shree’s linguistic agility and the depth and breadth of her musical， artistic， and literary sophistication extending from her understanding of Sanskrit literature ， classical Hindustani ragas， and contemporary Indian art and Hindi/ Urdu letters。 I have read that her play with the Hindi language is quite innovative， in the way Kenzaburo Oe’s is with Japanese。 She puns across languages effortlessly and frequently yet without the self conscious cleverness of Rushdie。 Indeed one wonders at how much readers who are less conversant with the Subcontinent’s rich cultural traditions and history can possibly catch every allusion or pun in this multilayered text。 It’s difficult enough even when one is a Hindi speaker。 But if one is willing to keep Google handy， understanding and appreciation is at hand。In summary， it is my hope that works such as this or by other authors in other Indian languages （ Ambai in Tamil， K R Meera in Malayalam， Manto in Urdu， and Shree’s guru Krishna Sobti in Hindi to name but a few）will open a new frontier in the realm of Indian literature to non-Indian audiences。 Five stars plus plus plus！ 。。。more
Jane Fudger
，
Unfortunately Iwas unable to finish this book。 I perserved to 300 pages but could go no further。 The concept of the novel was promising with an elderly grandmother slipping into a severe depression after her husbands death but suddenly resurfaces with a zeal to betray her Indian conventions。 However some reviews I have read say the book is original funny and engaging。 Original it maybe but witty and engaging it is not - in fact I found it overwritten whereby too many words are used to describe a Unfortunately Iwas unable to finish this book。 I perserved to 300 pages but could go no further。 The concept of the novel was promising with an elderly grandmother slipping into a severe depression after her husbands death but suddenly resurfaces with a zeal to betray her Indian conventions。 However some reviews I have read say the book is original funny and engaging。 Original it maybe but witty and engaging it is not - in fact I found it overwritten whereby too many words are used to describe any given situation to the extent it became boring and thus lost the interesting concept of the novel This isanother novel I have read which has been nominated for the International Booker prize which is disappointing 。。。more
Michael Huerlimann
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Storytellers are a thousand times better than historians， they describe whatever draws their interest， whether it's the small moments of the big。 （p。346） It has taken me a good 48 hours to find the adequate words to describe the experience of reading Tomb of Sand， but I think I can finally do it。Since the announcement of the international Booker longlist， the description of Tomb of Sand intrigued me。 I'm a sucker for inter-generational stories， and especially the talk about borders really sold it Storytellers are a thousand times better than historians， they describe whatever draws their interest， whether it's the small moments of the big。 （p。346） It has taken me a good 48 hours to find the adequate words to describe the experience of reading Tomb of Sand， but I think I can finally do it。Since the announcement of the international Booker longlist， the description of Tomb of Sand intrigued me。 I'm a sucker for inter-generational stories， and especially the talk about borders really sold it to me。 As someone who has a dual nationality， who has spent their life moving between countries， it's something that has always fascinated me。When I finally opened the book， I was taken aback。 I don't know what I had expected， but it wasn't what I got。 In the best way possible， this book really threw me for a loop。Part 1， entitled 'Ma's Back'， describes Ma， the central octagenarian character， as she is lying in what seems to be a depression。 Shree's incredible storytelling skill shines in the way that she weaves the various family member's narratives and streams of consciousness together to create this wild and colourful impression of a large family。 Here， generations meet， tradition meets new ideas， and it all comes together in Ma and her new， multicoloured walking stick。 The climax of part one is the disappearance and subsequent reappearance of Ma， and what's so exciting about this novel is that Shree does not shy away from leaving gaps for the reader to imagine。Why did Ma renounce such beautiful saris and start dressing in sacks？Because， child， she has peeled away all her outer layers， and now she is opening the inner ones。 （p。393） Part 2， 'Sunlight'， is much calmer than part 1， and describes what happens after the return of Ma， and her living in her daughter Beti's flat。 It also tells of Ma's friendship with Rosie， a hijra， and how this presence forces the daughter to reconsider her views， to question what she is and what she isn't comfortable with。 This part felt incredibly delicate。 each page， each sentence was rich in meaning yet never felt heavy or forced。Because stories never end。 They jump through windows and cracks or other such openings， or create them by shaking， causing the earth to quake。 （p。581） the final part， 'Back to the Front'， was too me the most baffling。 I had to reread chapters to make sure I knew what was happening。 But even so， it never lost it's beauty。 The story comes to a head， as， followed by another incident at the end of Part 2， Ma now visits Pakistan with Beti。 Here Shree engages in politics from an artists lens。 It's a wonderful plea for the openness of borders， for the importance of human movement。 Shree never shies away from the uncomfortable， but ultimately even the horrific becomes beautiful in her creation。 However， a border is not created to be removed。 It is meant to illuminate both sides。 （p。654） This is a novel I want to return to again。 It is， I believe， a work that will continue to linger in the back of my mind for many years to come。 Daisy Rockwell's translation does great honour to Shree's imagination and together they have created a book that sings， that transcends categorization， fusing past with present， tradition with modern。 This is a modern masterpiece， and if you are willing to commit to it， then just let it wash over you。 You will be richly rewarded。 。。。more
Daniel KML
，
That which is torn develops an increased capacity for insight and forbearance。 A capacity to experience sensations that escape the notice of others。 Reading Tomb of Sand， to me， felt like reading a book about borders - personal borders and doing what you believe is outside your comfort zone， family borders and breaking with the expected roles of tradition， gender borders and the challenges lived by trans people， age borders and an eighty-year-old heroine， geographical borders that cause strife a That which is torn develops an increased capacity for insight and forbearance。 A capacity to experience sensations that escape the notice of others。 Reading Tomb of Sand， to me， felt like reading a book about borders - personal borders and doing what you believe is outside your comfort zone， family borders and breaking with the expected roles of tradition， gender borders and the challenges lived by trans people， age borders and an eighty-year-old heroine， geographical borders that cause strife and division， and even linguistic borders， with Geetanjali Shree beautifully dancing with words and phrases， giving birth to an almost mystical textual resonance （or dhwani， a word I learned and experienced reading the book）。Everything has a border。 However， a border is not created to be removed。 It is meant to illuminate both sides。 A border is a horizon。 Where two worlds meet。 And embrace。 A border is love。 Love does not create a jail， it throws out stars that surmount all obstacles。 A border is a line of meeting。 It pairs this way and that way to create a pleasing shape。 It happens when the two meet。 It is a confluence。 A sangam。One should not be intimidated by the almost 800 pages of the book， as reading it feels like flowing through a river （maybe the Ganga or the Indus？ or even the Brahmaputra？）， there will be rapids and peaceful navigation across placid bodies of water， you will be confused， there will be bends， and even floods and some land crossing， and when you least imagine you will get there， and maybe the destination will not be what you expected， but the journey will have been soul enriching。I can hardly imagine the difficulty in translating such a playful and kaleidoscopic book， and Daisy Rockwell deserves all the possible accolades。 There was not a single chapter which did not make me wonder at the challenges of bringing this book to English-speaking readers。 From the translator's note:She [Geetanjali] relishes the sound of words， and how they echo one another， frequently showcasing their dhwani—a word that she points in the course of the novel is among the hardest to translate。 But let’s try。 Dhwani is an echo， a vibration， a resonance。 It is alliteration and assonance。 Dhwani could be deliberate and playful， as in double entendre and punning， an accidental mishmash of sameness， or a mystical reverberation。 Geetanjali often makes word choices that prioritize dhwani over dictionary meaning。 Wordplay takes on a life of its own in many passages and sometimes even drives the narrative。 Geetanjali also plays with narrative borders by employing a very fluid and playful narrator who sometimes can be a family friend or even a bird that observes and comments on the characters actions。 While I enjoyed the narrative style， I believe that it did not succeed in bringing the reader closer to what is supposed to be the main character， the eighty-year old Amma。 By adopting a more distant and reverential tone whenever Amma is in scene， it always made me feel closer to the other characters （Beti， Rosie， Bahu， Bade， the crow， etc） - maybe that is what was intended but I wished I had felt much closer to Amma - who is a truly fascinating character。Finally， I wish there were more literature from the subcontinent available to western audiences。 If you enjoyed Tomb of Sand， I wholeheartedly recommend reading Khwabnama， a true classic by Bangladeshi author Akhteruzzaman Elias， recently translated by Arunava Sinha （who Daisy Rockwell acknowledges as the person who helped her to get connected to Geetanjali）。 Khwabnama is a rich and rewarding blend of history， myth and poetry with also notes of social criticism and magical realism， and it deserves its own place in the pantheon of world literature。 。。。more
Rendezvouswithbooks
，
रस निष्पत्ति - अद्भुत😮 （in readers）भाव निर्मिति - रति🥰（ in characters）She has a diligent routine that she has followed from last 60 years。 60 yrs of being married。 She opens the window of her kitchen， prays to Sun。 Steams up a hot cup of tea。 Sits down on her fav sunlit spot， with her white cup with delicate blue flowersI can see her fragile face， through waft of steam， lined unanimously with lines that define lifeOur morning conversations about reminiscing her youth - she being part of NCC cade रस निष्पत्ति - अद्भुत😮 （in readers）भाव निर्मिति - रति🥰（ in characters）She has a diligent routine that she has followed from last 60 years。 60 yrs of being married。 She opens the window of her kitchen， prays to Sun。 Steams up a hot cup of tea。 Sits down on her fav sunlit spot， with her white cup with delicate blue flowersI can see her fragile face， through waft of steam， lined unanimously with lines that define lifeOur morning conversations about reminiscing her youth - she being part of NCC cadet prgrm， degree in Music after marriage， making home of her houseI can sense her pride， pride in becoming what she has。 Her tenacious ways of defying boundaries & creating new ones to defy againNow that I have seen her， I want to leave this world with that sense of pride， looking up even while falling， just like AmmaPride that Amma found in herself， pride she had in her eyes for both the Nations， to whom she belongedPride she had in her heart， for her friendship， which can't be defined by genderPride for the love she had for her loversPride in being 80 yrs old yet forging aheadTomb of Sand is not a simple narrative。 It goes way beyond the realm of black letters printed on white paperAmma loved wholesomely by her family， yet she is seeking something more。 A point comes in your life when life isn't about eat， sleep， pray。 It becomes about finding yourself& that's what Amma decides to do。 The wall which to some may be a 𝘊𝘶𝘭 𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘤， for Amma that was a hurdle to leap across & foray into far forgotten landsThis book is a bouquet of relationshipsB/w Mother & Daughter， where ones love confines， while other's liberateAmma & Rosie's， where one heals the broken otherAmma's bond with her roots， from place she lived to place where she was bornNarrative's bond with Crows， Butterflies， Birds， Sarees。。everyday lifeAuthor's writing is surreal。 You laugh with her， cry with her， see what she wants to show you & dream what she wants you to dream。 Translation's luscious stream， takes you along， unhinderedRead it for every goddamn reason 。。。more
Kalika
，
3。5
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Tomb of Sand
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Tomb of Sand&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Tomb of Sand&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0