Cereus Blooms At Night

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Description

At the heart of this compelling novel lies a disappearance, and a crime which may have been committed many years before the story opens. When Mala, old and notoriously crazy, arrives at the Paradise Alms House, she is placed in the tender care of Tyler, a gay male nurse, and an extraordinary relationship begins to unfold. Who is Mala Ramchandin, and what lies behind her madness In telling the many stories of Mala adventurer, protector, recluse and madwoman - we learn the truth about her father, Chandin, the once-favoured child taken in by missionary colonialists; her mother and her white lover, Lavinia Thoroughly; her lost sister, Asha; and the mysterious but kindly visitors Otoh and Ambrose Mohanty. Combining diverse storytelling traditions, Shani Mootoo's luminous writing explores identity, gender and violence in a celebration of our capacity to love, and to survive cruelty and despair.

Reviews

An unforgettable story, it tells of a demented old woman's past, as discovered by her male nurse. Set on a tiny Caribbean island, where the scent of flowers and the buzz of insects thicken the air, it announces Mootoo as a notable talent who discards convention as she touches on issues of identity, fear and devotion. * Scotland on Sunday *
Funny, tender, shocking and young, Cereus Bloom at Night has at its heart a cry of pain and sacrifice but also a glimmer of the promise of redemption. * Mail on Sunday *
Her readers are taken on a fabulous journey and awake refreshed as if from a deep dream-filled sleep. * Sunday Telegraph *
Simply outstanding * Literary Review *

Author Bio

Shani Mootoo was born in Ireland and grew up in Trinidad before moving to Canada at the age of nineteen. A film-maker and visual artist, she has written and directed several videos, and her paintings and photo-based works have been exhibited internationally. Her first novel, Cereus Blooms at Night, was published in 1996. She is also the author of a collection of short stories, Out on Main Street, and three other novels. She lives in Toronto.