Review of 'The Rice Mother' by Rani Manicka

The Rice Mother

Rani Manicka

5*

"A 'luminous' (Publisher's Weekly), get-lost-in-another world debut novel of magic, determination, and the bonds of family."

This book was a breath-taking, sweeping family saga that gripped my heart from the very beginning and did not let go until the very last page! This is definitely going on my list of all-time favorite books!

The Rice Mother starts off with young Lakshmi who grows up poor with a hard-working mother and an absent father. In hopes for securing a brighter future for her daughter, Lakshmi's mother promises her hand in marriage to a man whom she is told is incredibly wealthy and respected. Lakshmi quickly finds out that her mother was duped, but she makes the decision to accept her lot in life and do her best to assure that her children will not have to live a life of poverty and hardship. Her best efforts are laid waste however by the Japanese invasion that claims the life of her precious daughter, Mohini. From that point on, the lives of Lakshmi, her husband, her children, and grandchildren are forever lived in the shadow of this horrendous tragedy. It is not until Lakshmi's great-granddaughter Nisha begins to uncover the shocking truths of her family do the shadows of the past finally begin to recede.

I am simply amazed that this beautifully crafted story of family ties, deceit, and betrayal is the debut novel of the author Rani Manicka. I have not read any of her other books, but I can imagine that she has struggled to reach the high expectations that this book must have set for all of her subsequent writings.