Well, I tend to say I wrote nothing as an undergraduate. But, in fact, I sat there in most of the lectures I went to, which weren’t many, writing this novel very obsessively and extremely slowly. And knowing it was no good, and knowing I didn’t want to write a novel about a young woman at a university who wanted to write a novel, and equally knowing I didn’t know anything else, and hadto write that sort of novel . . . Much later, Khush would s Booklist also reviewed the novel, [9] as well the audiobook, noting that "London actor [Maya] Saroya is a gentle, measured cipher, moving seamlessly between the crisper British English of the sisters and their contemporaries and the more lyrical South Asian accents of the older generation. Hers is an unhurried performance, as if leaving open breathing room for the unspeakable, the absent, and perhaps even a little space for hopeful potential." [10] Awards and honors [ edit ] Awards for Maroo's writing

In a reflective moment about her creative process, Chetna Maroo shared insights during an interview, where she explained that the book had been essentially crafted as a compilation of dense short stories, mostly in the first person. A poignant illustration of the power of sports to help a family deal with grief—and each other—as they gradually make their way out of the darkness . . . [Maroo] is a marvelous and restrained storyteller.”There’s a sense from the very beginning of your work of what you want to do. It’s not every novelist that would write a first novel about a successful novelist. Publishers Weekly called Western Lane "compact and powerful," highlighting how "Maroo skillfully balances" the novel's varied dramas. [8] Their selection was made from 163 books published between October 2022 and September 2023 and submitted by publishers.

An unforgettable coming-of-age story, Chetna Maroo’s first novel is a moving exploration of the closeness of sisterhood, the immigrant experience, and the collective overcoming of grief.

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That was at the beginning of autumn. The weather had turned from unseasonably dry and warm to humid. The air was oppressive and the streets smelled of decomposing food. Gopi is eleven years old when the novel opens and has recently lost her mother. She, along with her father, referred to as Pa, and her two older sisters, Mona and Khush, turns to the game of squash to have something to hold onto and focus on in their grief. Gopi, however, is the only one that shows real promise leading her father to focus more intimately and intensely on her relationship to the sport, while she takes any chance to find connection with her lonely and depressed father.

Maroo was originally employed as an accountant before devoting herself to writing full time. [1] [2] Western Lane is a quiet novel about a family--namely, three sisters --in the wake of the loss of their mother. The issue here is that it is so quiet as to feel completely muted--and that's really the beginning and the end of why I didn't find this novel to be particularly memorable, or even moving. Theoretically, the elements of its story should work for me: I love stories about families, especially ones that focus on the dynamics between a small group of characters. But the way this novel is written made it so difficult for me to connect with its story. The general impression I get from Western Lane is that it was aiming for subtlety and nuance but instead overcorrected and tamped down its entire narrative: that is, rather than subtle, the writing just felt flat, one-note. I wanted more from this story, because there were glimmers here and there of genuinely interesting or compelling moments. But it was like the narrative kept refusing to give me even the faintest bit more: more feeling, more introspection, just... more. I understand that this tamping-down is a function of the characters' grief--specifically the narrator, Gopi's, grief--but I just don't think the way it was done here served the story or its characters well. Prophet Song by Lynch, also Irish, was a “propulsive, unsparing and terribly moving” book warning of “the precarity of the democratic ideal”, the judges said. The novel, set in Dublin, is a dystopian tale of Ireland under a tyrannical government. She mentioned that as she delved into these narratives and explored other novels, she encountered the challenge of maintaining a consistent narrative voice. This challenge was particularly pronounced when she had to switch between the perspective of the child and the retrospective narrator. Taking a break and immersing herself in various readings ultimately led to a significant breakthrough.

It was again a chance thing that led me to "read" the audiobook edition of another longlisted 2023 Booker nominee, after listening to a narration of Sebastian Barry's Old God's Time. While looking for the half-dozen or so Booker nominees currently available in Canada at the library, I found that a CD-audio edition was available immediately, as opposed to joining the long list of hold requests for a hardcopy. I fortunately still have a CD-player available (even in the car), and I suppose many do not. All this to say, I’m not sure how best to categorise Western Lane but I’m interested in how readers read it. Hardik Pandya’s return to Mumbai Indians explained: Is there a transfer fee involved? How do trades work in IPL?

The story is told from the first-person perspective of Gopi, the youngest of three daughters in a family dealing with the loss of their mother. Gopi’s narration is sparse, befitting a storyteller who is coming of age. Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from the perspective of an 11-year-old child - and how does it benefit the novel?Much of the novel concerns what is unsaid. There are pauses, silences, gestures. Conversations are fragmented, or end almost before they’ve begun. What drove you to invest so much editorial energy in this unspoken communication between characters? But on the court, she is not alone. She is with her pa. She is with Ged, a thirteen-year-old boy with his own formidable talent. She is with the players who have come before her. She is in awe.