Burnt Sugar

By: Avni Doshi

Narrated by: Sneha Mathan

Short-listed for the 2020 Booker Prize, a searing literary debut novel set in India about mothers and daughters, obsession and betrayal

“I would be lying if I say my mother’s misery has never given me pleasure,” says Antara, Tara’s now-adult daughter. In her youth, Tara was wild. She abandoned her marriage to join an ashram, and while Tara is busy as a partner to the ashram’s spiritual leader, Baba, little Antara is cared for by an older devotee, Kali Mata, an American who came to the ashram after a devastating loss. Tara also embarks on a stint as a beggar (mostly to spite her affluent parents) and spends years chasing a disheveled, homeless artist, all with young Antara in tow. But now Tara is forgetting things, and Antara is an adult - an artist and married - and must search for a way to make peace with a past that haunts her as she confronts the task of caring for a woman who never cared for her.

Sharp as a blade and laced with caustic wit, Burnt Sugar unpicks the slippery, choking cord of memory and myth that binds mother and daughter. Is Tara’s memory loss real? Are Antara’s memories fair? In vivid and visceral prose, Tibor Jones South Asia Prize-winning writer Avni Doshi tells a story, at once shocking and empathetic, about love and betrayal between a mother and a daughter. A journey into shifting memories, altering identities, and the subjective nature of truth, Burnt Sugar is a stunning and unforgettable debut.

©2021 Avni Doshi (P)2021 Recorded Books Inc.

Good story

First, you got to be familiar with Indian culture and Pune to understand the book. And then, I feel there is a bit too much packed into a single story or maybe the sequencing of the chapters could be better. Avani, writing is beautiful and her descriptions are vivid and colorful. It is compelling and thought provoking book and not a beach read.

Wonderful narration - Story is lacking.

Another beautiful performance by Sneha Mathan...
I wouldn’t have completed if not for her.
Story was disjointed, leaving the reader questioning the characters motives and direction the story was headed at times. However, the descriptive writing is well done, providing a clear glimpse into the time and place, and minds of the main characters.

Remarkable. Perfect.

Audio books can be hit or miss. It’s rare that a performer’s voice so perfectly matches the voice of a writer, as it does here. Doshi’s exquisite writing is a joy to listen to. I loved this book.

Burnt Sugar is a meandering reflection on the complexity of mother-daughter relationships, the role of trauma in our lives, what it means to be a woman, a lover, a wife, a mother. Doshi captures the desperation and sometimes frighting thoughts of a woman who feels trapped. A woman who yearns for escape but knows her roots are firmly anchored in the soil of family, duty and love.

Some of the best writing of the novel comes in the last fifty minutes. You might wonder, occasionally, where the author is going with her tale. Stick it out until the finish. You will be glad you did.

Strangely Relatable

Great performance. The mother/daughter relationship felt relatable. The story itself needed more time and clarity.

A must read

Captivating analysis of a mother & daughter relationship framework. Incredibly invocation of one’s senses. Looking forward to returning to it again for more insights.