A big, lush novel of prostitution, corruption, heroin addiction, despair and squalor, but this is no sordid tale, however depraved the characters and debauched their world. It is a very human story of lost innocence and hope as Balinese twins are exploited. It is also beautifully written; an extraordinary sensation, dark and powerful.
THE BALINESE TWINS – Beautiful and exotic, they exchange an island paradise for the shabby squalor of London, and innocence for corruption. THE SICILIAN- Ricky Delgado strikes a devil’s bargain with a blood goddess: ‘Build my temple and bring me the souls of damaged people, and you will see what rewards I give.’ THE COURTESAN – Elizabeth makes her living from men’s desire. With a flick of the switch in her head, she feels nothing: no pain, no hate, no sorrow, no joy. THE ARTIST – Anis takes to painting as an outlet for his rage. His artist’s eye knows his subjects before they know themselves, and he paints them all, a gallery of broken people. Can they escape the deadly web of decadence and sin?
‘Woven with the beautiful intricacy of a spider creating its web, Touching Earth uses exquisite, lyrical writing to present us with the harsh realities of heroin addiction, prostitution and innocence lost.’ Heat
'Once again Rani Manicka has left me spellbound with her beautiful prose and intricately woven plot. Touching Earth is a dark and powerful tale by an extremely gifted storyteller.' Santa Montefiore
'High on atmosphere and tension, this is another powerful novel from the author of THE RICE MOTHER.' Woman & Home
Author
About Rani Manicka
Rani Manicka was born and educated in Malaysia. An economics graduate, she now divides her time between Malaysia and the UK. Her first novel, The Rice Mother, won the South East Asia and South Pacific Region 2003 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, has been translated into 17 languages, and gained international acclaim.
