Amulya Malladi - The Mango Season

Table of Contents

Praise for A Breath of Fresh Air

[Malladi] draws us into the novel with her characters, who are refreshingly free of stereotype.... Their voices are clear and strong, each one carefully modulated to be different, and as the book progresses, they surprise us [with] their reactions to events and to each other. Malladi has successfully managed to avoid sentimentality and melodrama in her handling of emotional materiala near-fatal accident, a childs mortal illness, a spouses infidelity. And that is no mean achievement for a first-time novelist.

CHITRA DIVAKARUNI, Los Angeles Times

This first novel by Amulya Malladi, born and raised in India, gets off to a gripping start.... In simple language, Malladi tells a simple story of love, betrayal, jealousy, guilt, and forgiveness.... A glimpse into a foreign culture is always a treat, and this novel combines that with characters with whom we can empathize, as they deal with universal problems and emotions.... A fast and fascinating read. United Press International (UPI), Book of the Week

[A novel] about women struggling to come into their own in modern India.... Malladis writing style is unadorned and simple.... She sketches some remarkable women... and unlike many women-centric novels where the men are beasts or spineless, Malladi treats her male characters with compassion.

San Francisco Chronicle

A well-balanced, pitch-perfect novel youll read in a few sittings. Open a box of Kleenex when you come to the end.

SHAUNA SINGH BALDWIN, author of What the Body Remembers

In this accomplished debut novel, Malladi depicts believable and well-defined characters facing tumultuous circumstances with grace and sensitivity, passion and pride. Booklist

Debut novelist Malladi deserves credit for illuminating a troubling aspect of Indian culture.... Anjali is an admirable heroine, and women will relate to her heartbreak as the mother of a dying child. Publishers Weekly

A plainspoken reverie about love and destiny. A terrible accident gives the story a sense of lifes inexorable cruelty, but the brilliance and steadfastness of Malladis characters elevate them, and carry them beyond their tragic circumstances into a kind of fabulous Greek timelessness. The story of Anjalis star-crossed marriages zips the reader along, but although the book is a quick read, its also deep. This book is ostensibly about India, but really, it is about everywhere. AMY WILENTZ, author of Martyrs Crossing

Amulya Malladis pure voice pulled me right into the heart of this tale of the Indian woman Anjali and her family. Her story made me nod my head in agreement, and grind my teeth in anger, and it broke my heart with its clear look at the consequences of our shared human imperfections and our attempts to rise above them. A Breath of Fresh Air is a gift for all of us in these complicated times.

NANCY THAYER, author of Custody and Between Husbands and Friends

[A] first novel about an Indian woman haunted by the Bhopal tragedy... This is absorbing stuff, particularly Anjalis struggles as a contemporary woman in India. Kirkus Reviews

Here again is an instance of a novelist taking what could be the humdrum details of family heartbreak and raising them to the level of clear-eyed, well-crafted art.... Malladi writes dispassionately and yet movingly of love and destiny in modern India... a portrait of modern Indian life that is complex, fraught with morals and customs that are in many cases outmoded and in all cases difficult to navigate. Malladi writes with a steady, sure hand; accumulating details casually, she catches the reader unaware with the depth of her insight into love and loss. St. Petersburg Times

Gemlike... the quality of Malladis writing elevates A Breath ofFresh Air well above standard issue... a fine study of the tenuous control we have over love and memory. San Francisco Weekly

A lovely... novel about a spirited woman in contemporary India... and about the convolutions and contrariness and surprises and disasters of that phenomenon we like to call True Love.

ANN LAFARGE, The Voice Ledger

The story is rich with insight into Indian culture and psychology, while it presents truths that are universal. The Calgary Sun

Sensitive and moving first novel. Toronto Sun

A Breath of Fresh Air iswella breath of fresh air.... Reads breezily, thanks to the authors refreshingly simple prose. Which is not to say there arent layers of meaning that enrich the tale.... A vivid picture of modern relationships in her native land. [Malladi] excels when she examines with clarity the differing emotions of all four protagonists. The Santa Fe New Mexican

Praise for The Mango Season

With humor and grace, Amulya Malladi has constructed a family story in which the heroine must make the difficult choice between the traditional and the modern. Malladi is a writer of great promise.

BHARTI KIRCHNER, author of Darjeeling and Pastries: A Novel of Dessertsand Discoveries

Amulya Malladi has the ability to get so close to ordinary life that her words effortlessly transform themselves into art with pitch-perfect prose fed by an observant eye and a warm heart.... Malladi is a born storyteller with an expansive and satisfying vision of the meaning of love. LAURA PEDERSEN, author of Beginners Luck

A fast, compelling read that speaks to all of us who have dared to break from the norm. Heart and Soul magazine

In this passionately told story... Priyas frustration, her familys desires, and the heat during the mango season are all well conveyed... a fascinating look at contemporary India. Strongly recommended. Library Journal

Malladi submerges the reader in fascinating cultural traditions and rich foods garnished with saucy humor. Booklist

A welcome second [novel] from Malladi... nicely seasoned: The spice of atmosphere and geography livens up a family saga and gives a fresh twist to a typical coming-of-age tale. Kirkus Reviews

Touches on a very human conflict with delicacy and humor. Miss Malladi makes Priyas ambivalence understandable and powerful... a lovely novel. The Washington Times

A gentle, attractive novel with a great atmospheric feeling of India and its customs. Beautifully written and very easy to read.

Publishing News, UK

A dramatic portrait of a modern womans anguish over her inability to blend her two worlds. The story is told with beautiful word pictures. Malladis imagery makes one thirst for a juicy topping of HAPPINESS to end the story, a rich ripe mango. For insight into the Hindu world, The Mango Season is highly recommended. Bookreporter.com

Entertaining light read. AsianWeek.com

An informative as well as entertaining novel filled with interesting situations that highlight the rules of marriage and the importance of the institution in Indian society.

Charleston Post and Courier

A lush, beautifully written novel of contemporary India... a glorious celebration of life and love. The Bookseller, UK

Like the strong and unconventional Anjali in A Breath of FreshAir, Amulya Malladi in her second novel provides us with yet another female character who fights her own battles and emerges scathed but victorious.... Well written with balanced portions of traditional tugs and contemporary needs, conviction and concern, The Mango Season is a work of soul searching, decision making, and strength building. India Currents

Also by Amulya Malladi

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

SERVING CRAZY WITH CURRY

For Sren and Tobias,
for all that I am and all that I hope to be