"Set in a Sydney nursing home, this moving novel lays bare Australian migrant experiences, racism, colonialism, changing communities and the horrors of the Sri Lankan civil war with tremendous power."
Heart-rending, enlightening and beautifully-written Shankari Chandran’s Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens presents a cast of richly-drawn characters whose stories reveal broad stroke historic, political and cultural contexts. It’s a multi-layered trove of storytelling excellence that also shows how our stories mould us into who we are, and who we become.
Inviting empathy at every turn, the novel is set in the idyllically named Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home in Sydney. Founded by Maya, a Sri Lankan refugee, and now run by her daughter, “over the four decades that Maya has run the nursing home, it has been terraformed from a neglected wilderness to orchards and large beds of vegetables that feed the residents”. It’s a safe oasis, a place where residents’ cultures and histories are respected, and their stories listened to. Through these stories, we learn of the horrors and trauma of the Sri Lankan civil war that saw many flee to Australia, then there’s the prejudice and outright racism migrants faced in their new country, and continue to be confronted by today.
Brimming with a sense of community and love alongside revealing truths about the brutality of war, persecution and racism, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is as gritty as it is gorgeously written – an awareness-raising read with emotional resonance.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
WINNER OF THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD
"Deftly traversing time, culture and continent to weave a tale of both home and unbelonging, this is truly a novel not to be missed." - Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of Foreign Soil and The Hate Race
"Chandran is an excellent storyteller." - The Weekend Australian
Welcome to Cinnamon Gardens, a home for those who are lost and the stories they treasure.
Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home is nestled in the quiet suburb of Westgrove, Sydney - populated with residents with colourful histories, each with their own secrets, triumphs and failings. This is their safe place, an oasis of familiar delights - a beautiful garden, a busy kitchen and a bountiful recreation schedule.
But this ordinary neighbourhood is not without its prejudices. The serenity of Cinnamon Gardens is threatened by malignant forces more interested in what makes this refuge different rather than embracing the calm companionship that makes this place home to so many. As those who challenge the residents' existence make their stand against the nursing home with devastating consequences, our characters are forced to reckon with a country divided.
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is about family and memory, community and race, but is ultimately a love letter to storytelling and how our stories shape who we are.
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, General Fiction, Fiction
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is available in Paperback, Ebook, Hardback
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens was written by Shankari Chandran and published by Ultimo Press
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens has 368 pages
£8.09
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