Burnt Sugar

"Shortlist"

"Yes, a very compelling and unusual mother-daughter story that is not always comfortable. I think the title, Burnt Sugar , is telling, because there’s an indication that there might be some bitter taste left in the mouth. It’s an author who is really pushing against the reader’s sympathies – and it’s beautifully written and imagined, emotionally engaging and poignant. It’s a sort of love story, a story of love and betrayal, but it happens to be between a mother and a daughter. A story of contemporary India , and it’s a difficult story but beautifully told. It’s very unsentimental, not a sugary mother-daughter story. Ambivalence, yes, that’s it."