Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Virago Modern Classic

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Description

Sophie, an English ingenue with two children, arrives in Himalayan Kashmir to set up home in a tumbledown cottage surrounded by flowers and herbs. Settling down to live quietly, frugally and peacefully with her new neighbours, she is unaware of the turmoil her arrival provokes as the villagers compete fiercely for her patronage. Sophie's cook makes a drastic bid to secure his position, and the unwanted consequences are catastrophic . . .

Reviews

A haunting tale . . . the whole book burns with the beauty and poetry of a matchless landscape, but the human side of it is wry, delicate and true * Daily Telegraph *
[Godden has] a genius for storytelling * Evening Standard *
Powerful adult themes underlie the novel's glimmering surface. I devoured them as a teenager, racing through the stories and revelling in the lush landscapes and exotic peoples in the (then) certainty that I would never see them for myself. It's hard to think that I appreciated any of their true qualities. They have repaid rereading as an adult, and they will continue to reward both returning readers and new ones: such is their narrative grip, subtlety and understanding of the human state -- Rosie Thomas * Guardian *
The Novel Cure for extravagance . . . romanticises frugality in Godden's novel - in a way which is surprisingly contagious * Independent *
Her craftsmanship is always sure; her understanding of character is compassionate and profound; her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty * New York Times *
Godden has never been out of print * Irish Times *
Godden's 1953 novel of Colonial India depicts an independent but naive British widow living in a village in Kashmir polarized by conflicting Hindus and Muslims * Publishers Weekly *
All [Godden's novels] have one important thing in common: They are beautifully and simply wrought by a woman of depth and sensitivity * Los Angeles Times *

Author Bio

Rumer Godden (1907-98) was the acclaimed author of over sixty works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Born in England, she and her siblings grew up in Narayanganj, India, and she later spent many years living in Calcutta and Kashmir. Several of her novels were made into films, including BLACK NARCISSUS, THE GREENGAGE SUMMER and THE RIVER, which was filmed by Jean Renoir. She was appointed OBE in 1993.