The Rice Mother [Paperback]

Rani Manicka (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2004

At the age of fourteen, Lakshmi leaves behind her childhood among the mango trees of Ceylon for married life across the ocean in Malaysia, and soon finds herself struggling to raise a family in a country that is, by turns, unyielding and amazing, brutal and beautiful. Giving birth to a child every year until she is nineteen, Lakshmi becomes a formidable matriarch, determined to secure a better life for her daughters and sons. From the Japanese occupation during World War II to the torture of watching some of her children succumb to life’s most terrible temptations, she rises to face every new challenge with almost mythic strength. Dreamy and lyrical, told in the alternating voices of the men and women of this amazing family, The Rice Mother gorgeously evokes a world where small pleasures offset unimaginable horrors, where ghosts and gods walk hand in hand. It marks the triumphant debut of a writer whose wisdom and soaring prose will touch readers, especially women, the world over.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Manicka's first novel is a big, sprawling, absorbing multigenerational saga set in Malaysia. At the age of 14, Lakshmi is married off to Ayah, a man more than twice her age. Led to believe Ayah is rich, Lakshmi is surprised to learn he is actually a clerk wholly lacking any sort of ambition. Lakshmi makes the best of her situation, bearing six children, including a set of twins, in five years. But Lakshmi is dogged by a prophecy that predicts heartbreak from her oldest son and the loss of one of her other children. She is a ferociously protective mother, and when the Japanese invade Malaysia during World War II, she hides her three daughters away. At the end of the occupation, part of the prophecy comes true, permanently splintering Lakshmi's family. Manicka tells her story from many of the characters' point of views; they tell each other's stories as often as they tell their own. Graceful, engrossing, and peopled with memorable characters, this novel is sure to attract a wide audience. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Exotic, sensual, sometimes sentimental, often searing, and ultimately universal... Read this one slowly, to savor. (Kirkus Reviews) A first novel of Eastern exoticism, myth and magic, and unforgettable characters, living and dead... You’ll be hard-pushed to find a more powerful, moving read this year. (Glamour, UK)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (July 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142004545
• ISBN-13: 978-0142004548
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #248,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pulled Me In, Didn't Let Go, September 12, 2005

By 

Colleen McMahon ""Omnivorous Reader"" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rice Mother (Paperback)

I bought this in a lot of 3 used books, all dealing with female characters of South Asian descent. The other two are more fluffy chick-lit and the ones I bought the lot for--but when I picked up this novel and browsed through it, it immediately sucked me into its world and kept me there.

The central character is Lakshmi, and we see the wondrous and often frightening world of Malaysia in the first half of the 20th century largely through her eyes and experiences. She marries and raises six children, fighting fiercely for them and facing terrible struggles and tragedies. She is a fascinating character telling her story forthrightly. At times I loved her and at times I wanted to reach into the book and shake her, but she and her world were 100% real to me as I read the book.

But she isn't the only narrator, and this is where the book became really fascinating to me. Her husband, sons and daughters and eventually grandchild and great-grand child (as well as a few secondary characters) tell portions of the story through their eyes, adding perspective to the overall narrative and enlightening the reader on portions of the story that the other characters didn't directly observe. Each of the characters had a very distinctive voice and the shifts in tone and narration added dimensions to the story. Although the first half of the book is stronger with Lakshmi front and center, and loses some focus and steam once her grand daughter and great-grand daughter move to the forefront, events and themes ultimately come to a satisfying conclusion.

While the story can be at times quite harrowing and sad, it made for a great read and kept me completely engrossed in its world as I read. I look forward to other books by this author.

Although I didn't read this as part of a reading group, the additional reading group materials in the back, including an interview with the author and discussion questions, enhanced my personal reading of the book and are worth a look as well.

If you remember fondly the generational sagas of 1970s and 1980s women's fiction (early Barbara Taylor Bradford, Belva Plain, etc) in which stories that start with one female character ultimately play out and resolve through her descendants, and like reading books set in lesser-known settings (I think this is the first book I've ever read set in Malaysia), check this out!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars addictive family spread, November 29, 2003

By 

Tharani Loganathan (KL, Malaysia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rice Mother (Hardcover)

This book is the most addictive read i've encountered for a while. The reason it is spellbinding is Manicka's accurate potrayal of life in Malaya during the second world war. The details of a Ceylonese family's life in these times are surprisingly accurate. It makes me wonder how my own family lived through these times. Her description of the family members and details of family life is colourful and rings true. She writes of food like she has cooked them all.The disadvantages are that at times her writing style is stifling with repetitions and mixed metaphors. Also, I feel there isn't enough closure on each character. They are all so vividly developed at the beginning, then they all mysteriously get old and die or dissapear. Also what is with Nisha, how can anyone voluntarily remain amnesic for more then a decade- not knowing anything about her mother or her family?

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Tale, September 9, 2004

By 

Stephanie Edwards (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rice Mother (Audio Cassette)

This book took me on an extraordinary journey through the minds and hearts of several characters. The author's writing was so descriptive and imaginitive that I could feel the characters' pain and feel it deeply. As I was reading the novel, and even now after just finishing, I feel deeply connected to the characters, and I loved hearing "their story." As the voice of the story changes to different family members, we get to see things from different perspectives, and hear new apects of the situation. Through every story prevades a love so heartbreaking it can't possibly be returned.

There is much sadness in this book, yet I wouldn't say it was a sad book. It reflects the realities of happiness and tragedy within a family.

I bought this book randomly and was pleasantly suprised. I wanted the book to never end! I'm truly looking forward to Rani Manicka's second novel.