The Toss of a Lemon

Critics

• The Matriarch

  Marriage at 10, in 1896, then motherhood at 14 and four years later a widow’s white sari — these are the determining events in the life of a Brahmin girl called Sivakami, the main character in Padma Viswanathan’s ambitious first novel. After her husb ... (read full critics)

  nytimes published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

• The Toss of a Lemon

  by Padma Viswanathan In this debut novel, Padma Viswanathan offers a sweeping narrative of a Brahmin family in India that must redefine itself when the nation undergoes political and social upheaval. The Toss of a Lemon is an ambitious work that deli ... (read full critics)

  quillandquire published on Tue, 14 Sep 2010

1 Review

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  A Pleasant Surprise!!

  To be honest, I had my doubts about this book. At face value the story line appeared simple and I couldn't fathom how the author could draw it out over the course of 600+ pages and entertain the reader all at the same time. But entertain she does. Padma Viswanathan artfully draws together a compelli ... (continue)

  To be honest, I had my doubts about this book. At face value the story line appeared simple and I couldn't fathom how the author could draw it out over the course of 600+ pages and entertain the reader all at the same time. But entertain she does. Padma Viswanathan artfully draws together a compelling family saga with the deeply involved Indian caste system, and tops it off with a hint of intrigue and magical realism. This book is a wonderful read; not too demanding, yet very insightful.
  Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
  Suggested With: A chaise lounge and a sparkling fruit drink.

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  ReadingQueen 12/17 said on Aug 28, 2008 | Add your feedback

Book Details

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• English Books
• Hardcover 640 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0307356329
• ISBN-13: 9780307356321
• Publisher: Random House Canada
• Pub date: Apr 01, 2008
• Dimensions: 1484 mm x 1032 mm x 258 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Others

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