The Sleeping Dictionary

Massey's harrowing yet hopeful story concerns Kamala, a strong, clever girl who perseveres through even the direst of circumstances toward her dream of independence, not only from the British rule of India that she finds so stifling but from her checkered past. Set during the 1920s through the end of World War II, around the time of the tumultuous Indian independence movement, Massey's (Shimura Trouble) novel takes listeners on a journey with Kamala as she loses her family at a young age, forcing her transformation from an innocent peasant girl to a perceptive and astute young woman who is accepted in the proper British society she secretly roots against. The author's attention to detail and character development combined with narrator Sneha Mathan's ability to differentiate each distinctive voice will have audiences clinging to every poignant word as they listen to this masterly written saga. Historical fiction fans will love this title, but the surprising plot twists and satisfying conclusion will appeal to a much larger audience.