A hugely entertaining and hypnotically beautiful family saga about the corrosive power of secrets. The story centres on wealthy Trinidadian family – Valmiki, a renowned doctor and loving, if confused, father; and his eldest daughter, Viveka, lively, intelligent, and intent on escaping the gilded cage that protects but also smothers her.
In Valmiki’s Daughter, Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalist and best-selling novelist Shani Mootoo explores family relationships, and the competing pulls of race, class, and sexuality, in a tale laced with humour. The author offers a refreshingly different view of Trinidad, evocatively capturing the island’s cultural ethos, and social conventions at odds with hidden desires and family secrets.
With this masterful novel, Shani Mootoo gives us a vibrant and uplifting book, full of the vigorous stuff of life.
Month: September 2010.
