Page 27 - Toronto North Lifestyle May 2022

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2013 saw the publication of Shyam Selvadurai’s The
Hungry Ghosts, a heartbreaking look at how racial, political, and sexual differences can tear apart a country and a family. Writing in the Globe and Mail, Hasanthika Sirisena said of the book, “Selvadurai's work reminds me that the contemporary novel doesn't necessarily have to resort to thrills or high jinks in order to find its usefulness. Here, it unforgettably explores the interplay between individual intention and the tragedy of a nation's history.” The Hungry Ghosts went on to be shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award
for fiction.
This May, Shyam Selvadurai makes a triumphant return with his long- awaited new novel, MANSIONS OF THE MOON, a breathtaking reimagining of Ancient India through the life of Yasodhara, the woman who married the Buddha.
In this sweeping story, at once epic and startlingly intimate, Shyam Selvadurai ntroduces us to Siddhartha Gautama, otherwise known as the Buddha, a promising and politically astute young man settling into his life as a newlywed to Yasodhara, a young woman of great intelligence and spirit. The novel traces their early life together, and then the unthinkable turmoil as Siddhartha’s spiritual calling takes over and their partnership slowly, inexorably crumbles. How does a woman live in ancient India if her husband abandons her? Even a well-born woman with a revered husband? And what path might she towards enlightenment herself? Selvadurai examines these questions with empathy and insight, creating a rich portrait of a singular marriage, and of the woman who until now has been a shadow in the historical record.
MANSIONS OF THE MOON is a literary event, and a remarkable moment in an esteemed author’s extraordinary career.
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