Mansions of the Moon
A breathtaking reimagining of ancient India through the extraordinary life of Yasodhara, the woman who married the Buddha--from the bestselling, award-winning author of Funny Boy and The Hungry Ghosts. In this sweeping tale, at once epic and intimate, Shyam Selvadurai introduces us to Siddhartha Gautama--who will later become "the enlightened one," or the Buddha--an unusually bright and politically astute young man settling into his upper-caste life as a newlywed to Yasodhara, a woman of great intelligence and spirit. Mansions of the Moon traces the couple's early love and life together, and then the anguished turmoil that descends upon them both as Siddhartha's spiritual calling takes over and the marriage partnership slowly, inexorably crumbles. Eventually, Yasodhara is forced to ask what kind of life a woman can lead in ancient India if her husband abandons her--even a well-born woman such as herself. And is there a path she, too, might take towards enlightenment? Award-winning writer Shyam Selvadurai examines these questions with empathy and insight, creating a vivid portrait of a fascinating time and place, the intricate web of power, family and relationships that surround a singular marriage, and the remarkable woman who, until now, has remained a little-understood shadow in the historical record. Mansions of the Moon is an immersive, lively and thrilling feat of literary imagination.
Book Details
- Publisher: Vintage Books Canada
- Publish Date: Apr 23rd, 2024
- Pages: 432
- Language: English
- Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.19in - 1.06in - 0.79lb
- EAN: 9780735280649
- Categories: • Alternative History• Literary• Historical - Ancient
About the Author
SHYAM SELVADURAI was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He came to Canada with his family at the age of nineteen. Funny Boy, his first novel, was published to immediate acclaim in 1994. It was shortlisted for the prestigious Giller Prize, was a national bestseller, won the W. H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Lambda Literary Award, and was named a Notable Book by the American Library Association. In 2020, it was made into a feature film by director Deepa Mehta. His second novel, Cinnamon Gardens, was shortlisted for the Trillium Award. His third, The Hungry Ghosts, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award. Selvadurai is also the author of an acclaimed novel for young adults, Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award. He lives in Toronto.
Praise for this book
A Globe and Mail Best Book
A Guardian Summer Book Pick
A CBC Best Canadian Fiction Book of the Year "Selvadurai's tale of emotionally torn star-crossed lovers--and the aftermath of their parting--is subtle, absorbing and thoroughly modern." --Maclean's "Mansions of the Moon tells a seminal story from a new point of view. . . . Selvadurai creates immersive, visceral worlds you can almost reach out and feel . . . employ[ing] traditional myths and spiritual tales to create work that is unmistakably his own." --Toronto Star "A tenderly and skilfully drawn portrait of Yaśodharā, wife of the Buddha. . . . A compelling mix of philosophy, character, evocative writing and unexpected thrills." --Shehan Karunatilaka, Booker Prize-Winning author of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida "A page-turner, a novel in the grand sense . . . by one of Sri Lanka's great novelists. . . . [Selvadurai's] description of his characters, their inner and outer worlds, makes them vivid and alive. . . . A visceral experience." --Radhika Coomaraswamy, Groundviews
"Ambitious . . . understated but masterly. . . . Selvadurai rises to the challenge of retelling Yasodhara's story with intellectual rigour and humility." --Somak Ghoshal, MintLounge "A fresh perspective on a well-known theme. . . . Mansions of the Moon offers a tapestry of human relationships, of emotions and desires, along with intrigues of statecraft and diplomacy." --Telegraph India "An absorbing story told with empathy that offers a reader much to think about--both in terms of the past and the present." --The Hindu
"Captivating. . . . Although [Yasodhara] is 'submerged by change, swept away and drowned in it' due to the decisions the men in her life make, here, in these pages, we see her struggle, hear her fears, and understand her pain. We know what's coming next and want to shelter her from the blow--a testament to Selvadurai's extraordinary empathy and storytelling. Narrated using many Pali words, this is an epic story of Yasodhara's journey to find her own path forward." --Quill & Quire (starred review)
A Guardian Summer Book Pick
A CBC Best Canadian Fiction Book of the Year "Selvadurai's tale of emotionally torn star-crossed lovers--and the aftermath of their parting--is subtle, absorbing and thoroughly modern." --Maclean's "Mansions of the Moon tells a seminal story from a new point of view. . . . Selvadurai creates immersive, visceral worlds you can almost reach out and feel . . . employ[ing] traditional myths and spiritual tales to create work that is unmistakably his own." --Toronto Star "A tenderly and skilfully drawn portrait of Yaśodharā, wife of the Buddha. . . . A compelling mix of philosophy, character, evocative writing and unexpected thrills." --Shehan Karunatilaka, Booker Prize-Winning author of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida "A page-turner, a novel in the grand sense . . . by one of Sri Lanka's great novelists. . . . [Selvadurai's] description of his characters, their inner and outer worlds, makes them vivid and alive. . . . A visceral experience." --Radhika Coomaraswamy, Groundviews
"Ambitious . . . understated but masterly. . . . Selvadurai rises to the challenge of retelling Yasodhara's story with intellectual rigour and humility." --Somak Ghoshal, MintLounge "A fresh perspective on a well-known theme. . . . Mansions of the Moon offers a tapestry of human relationships, of emotions and desires, along with intrigues of statecraft and diplomacy." --Telegraph India "An absorbing story told with empathy that offers a reader much to think about--both in terms of the past and the present." --The Hindu
"Captivating. . . . Although [Yasodhara] is 'submerged by change, swept away and drowned in it' due to the decisions the men in her life make, here, in these pages, we see her struggle, hear her fears, and understand her pain. We know what's coming next and want to shelter her from the blow--a testament to Selvadurai's extraordinary empathy and storytelling. Narrated using many Pali words, this is an epic story of Yasodhara's journey to find her own path forward." --Quill & Quire (starred review)