Contemporary
If you met Arun when he first came to Kandra, and said that one day he’d sit beside a pool in a clearing and tell the story of his life, he wouldn’t thank you for it. Stories and poems belonged to a past he’d worked very hard to forget. And if you told him his audience would be Night itself, he’d probably laugh and walk away.
Then again, if you’d met him when he was thirteen years old and said that instead of becoming a farmer like his father, he’d find himself on an extraordinary journey that would take him far from his hut in the valley to places he could never have dreamed of, he wouldn’t have believed you either. Although he’d have liked the idea; he’d always longed for the glamour and excitement of the wider world.
His older self knew better. That journey was no quest for high adventure but a shattering of everything he’d ever known. From desert plains to fabled cities, he’d embark on a desperate search that would change his life utterly. He’d discover the value of friendship, and the meaning of home and family. And he’d learn the hardest lesson of all: that love and happiness come at a terrible cost.
And if you sit beside Arun as he finishes his tale, he’ll tell you there is nothing more to say. He’d be wrong. There is a decision to be made, one final choice that could transform his life. But will he have the courage to make it?
This moving and beautiful novel about a young man's search to find his family takes the reader on an emotional journey through a timeless and richly imagined world.
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
A clever, celestial, atmospheric and poetic book that's a complete treasure - it's one of the best books I read last year. The descriptions of food, furniture and flowers are so lush that you'll wish it didn't end at page 681. Often, it's a tale within a tale within a tale. It's clear that Ansari is a poet; some of her sentences take your breath away. This astonishing novel invites you to settle down with a cup of herbal tea and join Arun on his journey. You won't regret it.
This book is a treasure. I was enthralled right from the beginning, being enticed into the story Arun was sharing with Night. Zeeba weaves such a rich world, and an evocation of human experience, in an environment outside my experience, yet sort of familiar from ancient tales. Arun has human qualities which had me despairing as well as cheering him on. I felt I was with him every step of the way, through the lows and the highs. I didn't want the story to end, and I do hope there will be another book to follow. Highly recommended to anyone who loves good storytelling.
'A remarkable new world, vividly explored, with an entrancing thread of poetry running through the compelling narrative.'
The Hut is such a compelling, beautifully told story that the reader finds it impossible to put down and is sad when the last page is turned, like parting from an old friend.
This first novel by Zeeba Ansari offers a rich and immersive poetic journey, alongside Arun who embarks on a quest that changes him in numerous ways. The narrative is compelling and evokes dreamlike worlds, drawing on imagery of the Silk Road and the Crescent Spring and Library Caves of China. Zeeba is known as a poet and every sentence is beautifully constructed. A page-turner that is full of wonders.
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