The Sleeping Dictionary

A historical novel set in colonial India, this story has a large cast of characters--so large, in fact, that it takes nearly seven minutes to hear the list of all of their mentions before the story itself begins. Sneha Mathan manages to distinguish the dizzying cast through an impressive range of variations in cadence, rhythm, pace, tone, and volume. Her strength is the gentle yet perky ethos she gives to the young protagonist, Kamala. Mathan draw us closer to an unforgiving era when women were often caught between the colonizer's agenda and the restrictions of a patriarchal society. An eclectic mix of history, humor, passion, and pain, this is a lovely title for those who enjoy Indian literature. M.R. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine