Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing, The
Jacob, MiraTamil Nadu, India and Albuqueque, New Mexico may only be separated by plane journey, but they are worlds apart for the Eapen family, brain surgeon Thomas, wife Kamala and children Akhil and Amina, who are pursuing the American dream. Of course their new life of freedom and opportunity is not without its own challenges and just like any other family they will have their own dark times to contend with. Spanning three decades and told from Amina's perspective this is a complex family saga.
With its sharp dialogue and likeable characters, including the warm supporting cast of the Christian Indian community, this absorbing story perfectly captures the migrant experience and the messy business of family life.
Pages
498
498
Year
2014
2014
Reviews
08-02-2022
Highly enjoyable.
31-01-2022
Most members of the group found the decade time shifts a problem initially, but those who persisted were pleased they did so, and found the book an absorbing read. All the characters were well drawn and the extensive dialogue ( a stand-out feature) was fascinating - the humorous exchanges particularly appreciated. We hope that her second book is not 10 years in the writing! We found the notes particularly helpful.
31-01-2022
We all loved this book; quite profound writing regarding human relationships, especially close family relationships. We had an amazing discussion without using the written questions.
31-01-2022
We all enjoyed this book with its complexities of immigrant families, and all the guilt encompassed by this action!
31-01-2022
Mixed feelings, but on the whole the group enjoyed it. Good insight into the lives of first generation immigrants.
31-01-2022
Despite the length of the book, everyone found it easy to read and all read it. We had a very animated discussion about the way the storyline developed, and appreciated the rich and varied characters. Kamala (mother) was a favourite, and her pithy and dramatic one-liners provided much of the humour - humour that was appreciated as it lightened the sadder parts of the story.
13-03-2019
A wonderful story. Easy to read once you have the characters' names sorted. Definitely recommended.
13-03-2019
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Lots of discussion. Most thought well of the character Kamala. Much discussion had about Thomas, especially that high achievers tend to focus on their work to the detriment of family life. 2 members likened this to the title - 'Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing'. Lovely writing style. All loved the humour which lightened the story.
13-03-2019
A very good read. Enjoyed.
29-08-2018
Not recommended reading by the majority of the group. No plot to speak of, and too long.
29-08-2018
Those of us who read this book loved it - the dialogue especially. The characters felt real to us , and because we are a group in which life experiences are many and varied, we found the stories and events believable...
29-08-2018
We loved it. The author somehow managed with extraordinary adroitness to make a story entertaining and amusing without diminishing in any way the poignancy of the tale. Clever narrative construction; credible, WONDERFUL characters and brilliant expression combine to make this a book to buy for our own personal libraries. This is a book you re-read.
29-08-2018
A great read, engaging and loved by all who read the book.
20-12-2017
Outstanding novel- we loved it. Our best book for 2017.