Mango Cheeks, Metal Teeth  (English, Paperback, unknown)

Aruna Nambiar’s slice-of-life novel set in sleepy, small-town Kerala follows in the delightful tradition of R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi tales. Her writing is smooth and unpretentious, and the book fizzes with a cast of colourful characters. Yes, these are unsophisticated people who lead simple lives; they are often flawed and foolish, and yet the reader cannot help empathizing with them because they seem so vulnerable. A welcome bonus – generous dollops of wry, tongue-in-the-cheek humour! An ideal...

A beautifully woven story of the parallel lives of the people in different social strata in a Kerala village, their small triumphs and failures, their jubilations and sorrow, seen through the eyes of young Geetha spending her summer vacation days. The excitements, and, at the same time, the poignancy of growing up are wonderfully captured by the author. Long after reading the book, the cast of characters, sketched with deep empathy, and with colourful names such as Ration Raaman and Koovait K...

Great book - very well written, humorous and a great read. Highly recommended for those who enjoy light fiction.