A few people have been talking about the novel that I've chosen as this week's One to Watch, so if you've not read it yet, it's time to see what the fuss is about:
Ramadan Sky is a literary novel set in Indonesia, an area rarely covered in literature. The story begins with a young boy of twelve being told that his father has died. Yet, despite this sad opening, there is a naivety and sweetness to the narrative that prevents the tone from feeling too heavy. As the narrative progresses, the boy, Fajar, grows up as the youngest son of a large family, and there are new challenges to contend with.
I was drawn to this manuscript because of the writing style, which is concise, and subtle, yet evocative and very readable. I was reminded of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – a personal favourite of mine. Within just a couple of paragraphs, Victoria establishes a subtle, but undeniably rich setting; we are also introduced to an intriguing dynamic, in the form of our protagonist Fajar’s relationship with his teacher, Dedi, which opens a window on Fajar’s own personality.
I have included Victoria’s pitch below, but urge everyone to take a look at the first few chapters. For me, the pitch suggests a much more abstract narrative than what you actually get with the chapters available.
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Here's Victoria's Pitch
To them I am Lady Chatterly gone mad. Do I have to explain my lover with the smooth skin and electric black eyebrows...?
He is snorkelling – waving his thin arms around in the inexpert way he did in Bali – but this time he is naked and asleep, eyes shut tight, crawling like a shrimp across the crisp linen. He chats away to her in a high-pitched voice, sometimes in English and sometimes in Indonesian. She wonders whether the conversations they have when he is awake make any more sense than those when he is asleep. And what the hell she is doing here with him in this inhospitable place. The morning call to prayer rings out as he suddenly opens his eyes to find her watching him. They begin their dance without speaking, desire rising and breaking like waves while the voice outside continues to proclaim the greatness of God.
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5 comments:
You might want to edit this line in the above post:
"a young boy of twelve being told that her father has died"
To reflect gender accuracy ;) You wouldn't want to prove me right about publishing-house rush-job proofing errors, would you? :) xx
Not at all, Lisa. Although, I'm happy to admit that I rarely employ a proofreader to examine my blog posts - credit crunch and all.
Well, luckily I gave you that one for free, then! Nice one :) xx
That seems an interesting story to me.People like reading such kind of things which are full of adventure and drama.
Terrific choice, Rachel. I think its the restraint Victoria shows in her prose that makes it such a compelling read. Fabulous stuff.
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