Sunday potpourri

1. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, paperback, published by Penguin books, pp 336, Rs 650

2. Mother’s Milk by Edward St Aubyn, hardcover, published by Picador, pp 350, Rs 550

3. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin, hardcover, published by Faber and Faber, pp 250, Rs 650

4. The Bursting Balloons Mystery by Alexander McCall Smith, paperback, publisehd by Bloomsbury books, Rs 500

5. The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa, paperback, published by Faber and Faber, pp 416, Rs 595

What the books are about:

The Inheritance of Loss:

At the foot of Mt Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas, lives an embittered old judge who wants not-hing more than to retire in peace. But with the arrival of his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, and his cook’s son trying to stay a step ahead of US immigration services, this is far from easy. When a Nepali insurgency threatens Sai’s blossoming romance with her handsome tutor, they are forced to consider their colliding interests. The judge must revisit his past, his own journey and role in this grasping world of conflicting desires every moment holding out the possibility for hope or betrayal.

The Janissary Tree:

Yashim is no ordinary detective. It’s not that he’s particularly brave. Or that he cooks well, or reads French novels. Not even that his best friend is the Ambassador from Poland. Yashim is a eunuch. As the Sultan plans a series of radical reforms to his empire, a concubine is strangled in the palace harem. A young cadet is found butchered in the streets of Istanbul. Delving deep into the city’s alleyways and into its tumultuous past, Yashim discovers some people will go to any lengths to preserve the traditions of the Ottoman Empire. Brilliantly evoking Istanbul in the 1830s, this is a fast-paced literary thriller with a spectacular cast, from mystic orders and lissom archivists to soup-makers and a seductive ambassador’s wife. Darker than any of these is the mysterious figure who controls the Sultan’s harem.

Information courtesy: UNITED BOOKS, Ganesh Man Singh building, Northfield Cafe ph: 4229 512; Bluebird stores in Lazimpat & Tripureshwore, ph: 4245 726; Momo’s and More, Old Baneshwor; Himalayan Java; Saturday Cafe, Bouddha; Namaste Supermarket in Pulchowk, ph: 5525 017