A big-hearted, hilarious family saga from an award-winning Dutch author ? based on his own childhood experiences. His father is positive: it’s a girl. The birth announcement cards for Eva van der Kwast are at the printer’s. So when Ernest is born in Mumbai, India, in 1981, the consternation is immense. From that moment on, Ernest will have a fraught relationship with his parents. Ernest van der Kwast’s breakout novel-in-stories is peopled by an array of colourful characters, from Bollywood star Uncle Sharma to talented heptathlete Aunt Jasleen. But it’s van der Kwast’s overbearing yet loving mother who’s the beating heart of these funny stories: a woman with an iron will, hilarious directness, and intense sorrow about her disabled son Ashirwad. Intriguing, surprising, and moving in equal measure, Mama Tandoori will make you smile from beginning to end.
