About The Rice Mother. At the age of fourteen, Lakshmi leaves behind her childhood among the mango trees of Ceylon for married life across the ocean in.
Table of contents
- The Rice Mother -- book review
- Questions and Topics for Discussion
- The Rice Mother Reader’s Guide
- Related Articles
- THE RICE MOTHER
Some quotes I loved: Let her wear her family with pride. O carte foarte frumoasa!
The Rice Mother -- book review
Dec 13, Diane rated it it was amazing Shelves: February Smart Women Book Club selection. I knew nothing of this book nor the author before it was selected by my Book Club for our March read. I cannot say enough about it. I found it compelling, and could hardly put the book down. A family's saga spanning approximatly 80 years. Each chapter told in a different voice; each voice so different. There were so many layers, things left unsaid, feelings not given into. Much sorrow and strength within this family's story. The writing was beautiful. As soon as I finished it, I passed it onto a friend.
Well worth the read. I don't think I will ever forget this story. View all 6 comments. Oct 06, Cortney rated it it was ok. This book was up and down for me almost the entire time, sometimes within the same page. I think it could have used a better editor, perhaps, to hone in on the heart of the story and trim off the distractions flapping 'round the edges. My main problem, which might not be entirely fair, is that this read like a poor rendition of The Poisonwood Bible, in terms of theme and the devices used to tell the story.
It was a multiple narrator novel, with the narrator's name as the chapter title. The troubl This book was up and down for me almost the entire time, sometimes within the same page. The trouble, as I noted when I was halfway through, is that, in the absence of the titles, I would have been hard pressed to distinguish the characters from one another.
This is perhaps where some editing would have been useful- I think it was hard to meaningfully flesh out unique characterizations and voices with so many narrators tromping through the story. One major issue I have with the characterization spoiler alert is the way the matriarch, the Rice Mother, Lakshmi, was portrayed as a wild and carefree spoiled child who roamed free until she was At that point she was promptly taken into the home and turned into a woman, and soon, a child bride.
What I kept wondering was how such a woman sprang from the spoiled only child from the first few pages? It never made sense to me that Lakshmi would be a steely, determined, disciplined, focused woman. Where did she learn this? It seems like a minor quibble, but really, the entire novel and the title is based on the power of the matriarch, so it seemed strange the author would not have given more thought to how her childhood and upbringing were presented in order to be consistent.
The prose was often lovely, the setting was interesting, and there were moments of real beauty here and there. I also found bits of it awkward and strangely out of place. I suppose this just goes back to my first reaction, that it was up and down the entire time. The inconsistency made it hard for me to hit a groove, and thus I found myself strangely unmoved by the major tragedy that altered the family forever. It was sad, but it seemed so calculated, and so obvious, that I knew what was going to happen before it ever happened the foreshadowing was quite heavy handed and when it did happen it felt inevitable instead of shocking or surprising.
The story line I was most drawn to was the uncle's- Sevenese. From his childhood spent with the snake charmer's boy to the debauchery of his nomadic, bachelor ways, I found him the most interesting. I would have gladly sacrificed one or two of the more clunky narrators to hear more from him. I loved this book. The way the story is told is really fantastic! The main character, Lakshmi, is not the only one who narrates the events.
We have the opportunity to read some parts of the story narrated by various members of the family and it's amazing to see how Rani Manicka maintained the consistency of the plot from beginning to end! I found this way of writting really cool and unique because not all characters had the same perspective of some of the events. There are attitudes from some charac I loved this book.
There are attitudes from some characters who are a little hard to understand at first, but it's intentional to keep us wondering until the very end where some events are explained making it all a lot clearer. This adds a nice sensation of mystery and suspense to the whole experience! Besides that, the book made me more aware of some cultural facts that I loved to know about the Asian cultures!
Some parts of the story are funny and of easy reading while other parts made me cry as they were a little too heavy and were also based on true events. The Japanese looting villages and raping and slaughtering innocent people during WW2, for instance Mar 05, Anna rated it really liked it. IF I was talented enough to be a writer, this is exactly how I would write my stories.
Her writing is so magical it felt like a fairytale The child in me read each line wide-eyed and anxious about the princess hidden in the castle and the evil dragons with black eyes who sought to find her. The woman in me read each line in complete anguish as I was able to put myself in the shoes of every fema IF I was talented enough to be a writer, this is exactly how I would write my stories. The woman in me read each line in complete anguish as I was able to put myself in the shoes of every female character in this story.
The story was amazing however, the writing was second to none. The only reason why I did not give this book a 5 star rating is because I could have done without the addition of the last generation of this family. By the end, there were so many characters that I was having a hard time remembering them all. Feb 26, Marie80 rated it really liked it. A saga about four generations of a family. The formidable matriarch, Lakshmi, at age fourteen leaves her childhood in Ceylon for married life in Malaysia. She gives birth to a child every year until she is nineteen.
The Rice Mother is a book of unyielding hardship. So much sorrow, horror and tragedy. There's not a whole lot of happiness to be found in Rani Manicka's beautiful prose. A prose that at time meanders as it describes with such vividness it's impossible not to picture the scenes or feel A saga about four generations of a family.
A prose that at time meanders as it describes with such vividness it's impossible not to picture the scenes or feel emotion. At other times it gallops at a tremendous pace you feel cheated. Well worth a read, but do not expect much joy. Expect though a fantastic insight to different people's perception of incidents and people as it switches from one character's viewpoint to another's alternative one. May 26, Smitha rated it really liked it Shelves: She realizes when she reaches Malaysia, that her husband was far from the rich man her mother was getting her married to.
That was all Lakshmi's mother wanted, a good match for her daughter. For her Nothing in Lakshmi's childhood, running carefree and barefoot on the sun-baked earth amid the coconut and mango trees of Ceylon, could have prepared her for what life was to bring her.
For her daughter to escape the misfortunes that she herself had to live through, and even that, Lakshmi realized wouldn't happen. Her husband Ayah, was not only not rich, he was just a civil servant, neck deep in debts. It took all of Lakshmi's willpower and mental strength to whip things into shape. To get her husband's finances in order and to make the most of a bad situation.
Gone was the carefree, happy girl. In her place was a determined, strong woman, sometimes too strong for the rest of her family. She gives birth to six children by the time she is nineteen. Her only real friendship is with Mai Tai, who is a servant in a rich Chinese household. Mai Tai is forced to bear children for her master, and then see her children taken away and given to his wives. Mai Tai's only link to kindness and normalcy was through Lakshmi. It is an epic tale encompassing, three generations of Lakshmi's family, through everyday life, heartbreaks, loss and political events like the Japanese invasion of Malaysia.
Narrated by the various characters, recorded by Lakshmi's grand daughter Dimple, and discovered by her great grand daughter, Nisha. The book absolutely transports you into Malaysia. You are right there, witnessing Lakshmi's friendship with Mai Tai, feeling their terror when the Japanese invasion takes place, you see different perspectives on the same incident when narrated by different people. The constant factor is Lakshmi's strong character and sometimes stubbornness , be it when she comes to term with the reality of her husband's situation, when she devises ways of keeping her daughters safe during the Japanese invasion, when her beloved daughter dies, leaving everybody bereft or when she sees everything a fortune teller had foreseen coming true.
We can feel Lakshmi's despair which she hides from the rest of her family, when she sees her gentle, unintelligent husband being the one everybody has a kind corner for, and she, who does so much for everybody, bearing the brunt of all criticism, both spoken and unspoken. It is a tale of choices that people make, sometimes, knowing, and almost inviting trouble.. It is the sort of book, I think, would be great for book club reading. No character is just black and white, with the exception of Mohini, who came across through every narrative someone really good at heart.
Each of the characters are well fleshed out, and that couldn't be an easy task, given that there are so many of them. It is not a cheerful, bubbly read, if that is what you are after. Spesso, quando leggo queste saghe famigliari, mi torna in mente l'aforisma di Tolstoj: Quello che sembra essere un ricco pretendente si rivela un povero impiegato ed i sogni di benessere svaniscono presto.
Credo sia una reazione comprensibile: Tuttavia le persone non rispondono a queste cure come i polli e le mucche su cui ha investito per sostenersi durante la guerra e ci sono molti errori e molti fallimenti. Una parte interessante del romanzo racconta dell'occupazione giapponese durante la seconda guerra mondiale. L'errore di Lakshmi arriva via radio: Gli altri figli crescono, arrivano i nipoti. Il loro status sembra migliorare, almeno economicamente.
I'm impressed with this book regarding the amount of characters that we meet and the fact that it is surprisingly well organized. There is a decent cohesion in the book and the secrets of the story are revealed subtly and through different characters. This is a multi-generational saga told in first person. Focusing mainly on women, starting with Lakshmi who, at age fourteen, is duped into marrying a man more than twice her age. The mother from the first generation and the first narrator. There is I'm impressed with this book regarding the amount of characters that we meet and the fact that it is surprisingly well organized.
There is much sadness in this book, but I wouldn't call it a sad book. It reflects the realities of happiness and tragedy within a family. This book is certainly an experience. Beautiful, soft, and perfectly white with large green eyes.
She is so beautiful and that leads to a tragic end. Usually this is a funny name to give to your daughter in Sri Lanka. Mohini is a well-feared female evil spirit usually accosted lone males at nighttime of course and would beg them to look after the child for a while.
Questions and Topics for Discussion
If the man agreed it was usually the end, and would suffer for the rest of your life with various mental and physical illnesses; that is, if you did not die then and there of fright. So seeing a pretty woman with long curly hair carrying a child at night time near the cemetery was a joke for guys and a game of "chicken". Aug 03, Stephanie Anze rated it really liked it Shelves: Lakshmi is a carefree girl that enjoys running barefoot among the mango trees.
Her childhood is suddenly cut short when she is made a child bride and forced to marry a man more than twice her age Lakshmi is 14 years old , believing that he is wealthy. Soon as Lakshmi arrives in her new home, she discovers that to be a lie for her new husband is only a common servant. Lakshmi is thus abruptly pushed into a harsh life and the choices she makes will have repercussions on future generations. This no Lakshmi is a carefree girl that enjoys running barefoot among the mango trees. This novel is not an easy or fast read. The plot is intense and, at time, cringe-worthy.
Many times, I wanted to stop reading but I continued for the writing, as tough as the subject matter is, was well executed. We meet Lakshmi, just a child when she is made a bride. By the time she is nineteen, she is a mother to six children. Having experienced a range of difficulties in her life, from losing her childhood to living during the Japanese occupation, Lakshmi is a complex character.
This novel spans four generations and is narrated by a number of voices. For the most part, that worked, but at times it felt cumbersome. As far as characterization is concerned, it was done well.
The Rice Mother Reader’s Guide
Rani Manicka depicts each character in such a way that the reader felt everything from sympathy to disgust. That is to say that Lakshmi was not always agreeable and that Ayah her husband was not exactly a monster. I have to dock a star for the tone of the book changed towards the end, making it feel almost like a different novel.
My final thoughts on the novel, its far from being a fun and cheerful narrative but kudos to Manicka for a realistic telling of a complicated situation. May 03, Karla rated it it was amazing Shelves: In the land of far away exotic Malaysia lives the beloved and hated Indian Rice mother named Lakshmi seeming IMO to be some sort of human deity.
Her family fights an unyelding curse she refuses to believe. Through unrelenting frustrations, failures, tragic loss and horrible atrocities from the Japanese brutality during WWII you would think that if any of them survived it, they could face anything to In the land of far away exotic Malaysia lives the beloved and hated Indian Rice mother named Lakshmi seeming IMO to be some sort of human deity.
Through unrelenting frustrations, failures, tragic loss and horrible atrocities from the Japanese brutality during WWII you would think that if any of them survived it, they could face anything together. But with the unthinkable, the link is broken and their scars are too deep to bear. This is an engrossing epic family story, spanning over 80 years. I adored the richly woven traditional folklore and evocative symbolism of spiders and birds, honestly I am still trying to wrap my head around it all. This story felt like a real tale told from generation to generation as a trail of secrets, dreams and wisdom to solve the family puzzle and to find a place of healing.
We get the privilage of reading this mythical private journey. I devoured the mysterious Eastern magic, how often do you get a story with a character like a snake charmer?
- Hardback Editions.
- Sketches of war;
- Making Sense Out of Life.
- See a Problem?.
- Mems Packaging (EMIS Processing).
I found myself disappearing fully into each character as they switched narration from chapter to chapter. I felt determined to find a cure to their sorrows. Full of vivid, raw, cruel and tragic accounts mixed with some unspeakable horrors that will make this novel unforgettably haunting. Aug 03, Ramona rated it liked it. How to rate a book that I think I despised, yet also could not abandon.
She is both chillingly fierce and sacrificially loving. Her children lead tragic, sordid, perverse lives after witnessing the savag How to rate a book that I think I despised, yet also could not abandon. Her children lead tragic, sordid, perverse lives after witnessing the savage brutality of the Japanese occupation during WW2. The novel leaves the reader with a spiritual, emotional and psychological poverty.
May 26, Sumita rated it it was amazing.
Related Articles
I picked this from the library just for fun, as i enjoy Indian readers -and never expected it to move me the way it did. Being malaysian with similar ancestral history, it was like reading something about my own past - bits and pieces of memories of hearing similar things from the older generations. This book really moved me beyond my imagination and experience. It has been some time since something caught hold of me the way this book did, i'm still reel I picked this from the library just for fun, as i enjoy Indian readers -and never expected it to move me the way it did.
It has been some time since something caught hold of me the way this book did, i'm still reeling from mohini's death and can't seem to get over it..
- Empower Yourself! Reclaim Your Purpose, Passion, and Prosperity.
- Hydraulic Fracturing and Safe Drinking Water Act Issues.
- The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11!
- Rani Manicka;
- Celebration of Fools: An Inside Look at the Rise and Fall of JCPenney: An Inside Look at the Rise an.
- Taken (Mills & Boon Nocturne)?
- Bestselling Series.
Rani Manicka, you have truly touched me deeper then any other author has ever gone. BUT, two plots that i wish was better: People move on and this seemed a little silly.. Dimple should not have died from opium overdose just like that.. But i loved it anyway Words cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this book.
Rani Manicka takes you on a journey like no other. When a book makes you think of how you live, how you love and how you treat the ones you love it surpass any possible expectations. You cannot help but stop and reread sentences as it is poetic in its language but harsh in its statements. My exposure to the Hindu religion was very limited up to this point. Throughout the story you are being exposed to the wonderful tales of the diff Words cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this book.
Throughout the story you are being exposed to the wonderful tales of the different gods and how it interlinked with customs and tradition. This is one of those books that had a lasting and profound impact on me.
THE RICE MOTHER
I keep going back to certain scenes, passages and wonder about the fate of certain family members. The Rice Mother; 5 Stars 1 14 Feb 19, The Rice Mother 8 15 Apr 16, Rani Manicka, an economics graduate, was born and educated in Malaysia and divides her time between Malaysia and England. Her first novel 'The Rice Mother'Infused with her own Sri Lankan family history is a vivid imaginative story about the frailties of human nature and the consequences of war. It won a Commonwealth Writers Prize in She has published a further two novels,'Touching Earth'in 2 Rani Manicka, an economics graduate, was born and educated in Malaysia and divides her time between Malaysia and England.
She has published a further two novels,'Touching Earth'in ,a dark and compelling tale of love,betrayal and addiction, her current novel 'The Japanese Lover' was released in , a story set in Malaya during the Japanese occupation, an absorbing story of unconventional love between captor and captured. Books by Rani Manicka. See All Goodreads Deals…. Trivia About The Rice Mother. The story begins with Lakshmi, a young Tamil girl in her teens born and raised in Ceylon, who is cajoled into marrying a man twice her age.
Soon enough, Lakshmi realizes that her husband, Ayah, an expatriate Tamil living in Malaya, can hardly make ends meet. Homesick for her village and folks in Ceylon and unhappy with her situation, Lakshmi resolves to improve her lot. The narrative told from the point of view of the different characters - Lakshmi, Ayah, the children, their partners, the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren - makes for a wonderful tapestry that looks at land and culture, tradition and modernity, and all the joys and sorrows and the tenderness that are ultimately universal in family stories spanning generations.
The capture and killing of the exquisitely beautiful Mohini by the occupying Japanese during the Second World War affects the whole family in a way from which they can never recover.
Lakshmanan, trapped in terrible guilt, becomes a strange person. His mother, on the other hand, changes into an unrecognizable person: Dimple, a girl with breathtaking beauty, takes an extraordinary interest in the family history and goes around recording the stories as told by each member of the extended family.
She meets her tragic end, but these stories are eventually discovered by her daughter Nisha, who finally comes to term with the sorrowful legacy of her ancestors, a legacy of the tough life in a new land, of war and death, of unhappiness and unfulfilled dreams. Yet it is this legacy that enables Nisha to come to terms with her own depression and amnesia and understand her world.