Atlante dell'ignoto

This is a story which had potential as it follows the lives of two sisters from a Christian family in Kerala, with their interactions & experiences with multiple cultures. As a debut work of the author, I suppose there will always be some learnings for the next one. For me, this one fell short, larg Leggi tutto

Sometimes, just for a change of pace, I like to take a side trip into an author's back catalog. That's how I happened upon Atlas of Unknowns—it was an impulse, after I heard about James's latest novel, The Tusk That Did the Damage , which sounded quite good but not exactly what I was in the mood for. Leggi tutto

Atlas of Unknowns is one of those rare, perceptive books that effortlessly tackles a battery of issues ranging from the benign to the tragically consequential and still manages to keep a sense of humor. There is no one narrator. Instead the plot follows the lives and voices of the Vallara family fro Leggi tutto

I enjoyed this book well enough. We are following the Vallara family--a Christian family from Kerala, India. Was interesting to get that perspective of Christians interacting with the larger Hindu and Muslims communities. (Scant attention was paid to the limited amount of Jews, mostly when Anju was

It's hard to believe that this is Tania James' debut novel. I loved the plot, and the writing was absolutely top-notch. Dark at times, downright funny in parts, on the whole, this is a wonderfully poignant story. Anju and Linno Vallara are sisters from Kumarakom in Kerala. Anju, the younger one, is a Leggi tutto

The story opens on Christmas eve of 1995 in Kumarakom in the state of Kerala, India. Melvin the father, Linno, 13, and Anju, 9, the daughters and Ammachi the grandmother are the first characters the reader gets to meet. Gracie their mother had died when the girls were just 7 and 3. Linno took to her Leggi tutto

In Atlas of Unknowns, first time novelist Tania James, tells the funny and honest story of two sisters trying to find their places in this world amidst betrayal and haunting secrets. The older sister, Linno, is scarred by an unfortunate accident and the truth behind her mother's death. She's a gifte Leggi tutto

Overall, I'm disappointed in this book. I enjoyed the beginning a lot and was interested in the characters and the story but by page 160 or so I was getting a little tired of it. The characters became kind of static and there was no real movement of the plot. Somehow I missed everything the jacket f Leggi tutto

It is about the experience of Indians in India and in the U.S., and their perception of America, from the perspective of India, and when they are here. It is about the traumas that befall and connections that sustain family, the senses of responsibility and guilt for what we do to others in our fami Leggi tutto

I think, realistically, I would give this book about 4.3 stars, but because I got it from Poundland (yes, a POUND!) I have rounded it up on the basis of value-for-money. It was a lovely tale of sisterhood, coming of age, cultural differences, hardship, secrets, love and friendship. It was really wel Leggi tutto