Tomb of sand

ANJALI ENJETI, THE STAR TRIBUNE

"Epic ... An engrossing fable about an octogenarian's liberation from her decades-long roles as wife and mother ... Shree scrupulously examines the demarcation between life and death, mother and daughter, past and present, and how grief and memory, when harnessed, have the power to cultivate long lost connections. The narrator's witty observations and lengthy humorous asides...add to the breadth and depth of this rich novel ... For the reader who wades in Shree's luminous prose, the book's threads braid into a single, vivid tapestry."

SAM SACKS, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

"Rhymes and puns and other wordplay abound, lending a feeling of spritzy frivolity to an otherwise long and death-haunted tale ... While the prize-winning and acclaim make for a terrific success story, I wish I could muster more enthusiasm for the novel itself. But too much of its burbling lyricism feels insubstantial, like a glass of beer that's mostly froth ... No doubt the digressions and embroideries are part of this novel's rejection of borders. It will wander as its whim takes it, and if its voice appeals to you, you won't regret its rambles."