The House of Blue Mangoes, David Davidar
The House of Blue Mangoes, David Davidar
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The House of Blue Mangoes

Author: David Davidar

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 16 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/26/2009

Synopsis

In 1899, in the south Indian village of Chevathar, renowned for its groves of a rare variety of blue mango, Solomon Dorai is contemplating the imminent destruction of his world and everything he holds dear. As the thalaivar, or headman, of Chevathar, he seeks to preserve the village from both catastrophe and change, and the decisions he makes will mark his family for generations to come.Richly emotional and abundant in historical detail, The House of Blue Mangoes is a gripping family chronicle that spans nearly a half century and three generations of the Dorai family as they search for their place in a rapidly changing society. Whether recruited into the burgeoning independence movement, apprenticed in ancient medical arts, or managing a British tea plantation, the Dorai men nevertheless find themselves drawn back to their ancestral land by profound emotional ties that transcend even the most powerful forces of history.

About David Davidar

David Davidar began his career in journalism and now works in publishing. He is married and lives in New Delhi.

About Simon Vance

Simon Vance is an award-winning actor and an AudioFile Golden Voice with over fifty Earphones Awards and thirteen prestigious Audie Awards. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kavita

*Minor spoilers ahead* The House of Blue Mangoes is an attempt at writing an epic multi-generational saga, but like most of these stories, it flounders at the end and the family becomes gradually more and more boring. Solomon Dorai is a non-Brahmin Christian, belonging to a caste that appears to be s......more

Goodreads review by Nethra

There are two angles I'd like to take when writing about this book. The book as an experience: As an experience this book satisfies the Tamil whim in me in every which way. The descriptions, the names, the settings, the conflicts - every single aspect of what I can only define as mann vaasanai (the r......more

Goodreads review by K

I suspect I might have felt as if I were skimming this book, even if I hadn't been skimming it in fact. The pace seemed rushed at times, and overall the story felt superficial. Maybe because it was. I'm not sure this was actually a story, to tell the truth. Certainly the characters were not characte......more

Quotes

“Lush, densely detailed, sweeping family saga…A tale of grand scope.” Time

“Thoroughly engrossing…a sweeping and generous view of India’s fractured history.” Publishers Weekly

“[Vance] employ[s] a straightforward delivery without flourishes or stylization. To his credit, however, he does not condescend. The novel traces a proud landowning family in India as the country breaks from British control. [He] does not shy from the distinctive Indian accent, and he delivers with great dignity.” AudioFile

“Skilled and charming…Davidar works on a panoramic scale not unlike that of James Michener as he dramatizes conflicts over caste, religion, race, imperialism, and the status of women, and depicts everything from mango and tea growing to siddha medicine, riots, and weddings, in this enormously appealing and welcoming novel.” Booklist

“An epic sweep and several strikingly imagined characters are the most impressive features of this…debut: an ambitious three-generational saga that embraces the early twentieth-century history of the Indian subcontinent, Gandhi’s pacifist revolution, and the collapse of the British Raj…A lavish tale.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Awards

  • New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books
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