Synopses & Reviews
The redemptive journey of a young woman unsure of her engagement, who revisits in memory the events of one scorching childhood summer when her beautiful yet troubled mother spirits her away from her home to an Indian village untouched by time, where she discovers in the jungle behind her ancestral house a spellbinding garden that harbors a terrifying secret.
Review
"A daring fairy tale of a story, Nair's first novel audaciously tackles issues ranging from puberty to friendship to abuse, providing plenty of adventure as well." --Booklist
Review
"The unexpected twists and dark secrets lurking make it difficult for readers to put this engrossing story down. A strong cast of well-developed characters will further capture their emotions. Fans of The Secret Garden (the author was inspired by this childhood classic) as well as lovers of family dramas and Indian fiction will find a new favorite in Nair." --Library Journal
Review
"Lush and mysterious, The Girl in the Garden casts its spell from the first page. Kamala Nair weaves an intricate tale of family bonds, buried secrets, and the pain that comes when we must leave the innocence of childhood behind. This is a deeply satisfying novel." --Kelly O'Conner McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott
Review
"Kamala Nair has crafted an evocative, passionate, tragic novel about love, loss and the terrible cost of family secrets. An impressive debut." --Thrity Umrigar, bestselling author of The Space Between Us
About the Author
Born in London, Kamala Nair grew up in the United States. A graduate of Wellesley College, she won the Academy of American Poets Prize, the Jacqueline Award for Prose, the Florence Annette Wing Memorial Prize for Lyric Poetry, and the Virginia Wainwright Sonnet Prize. Kamala received an M.Phil in Creative Writing from Trinity College Dublin in 2005. She currently lives in New York where she works for ELLE Decor magazine.