Madre Del Arroz c-155 (Hardcover book, good second hand) Rani Manicka

Rice Mother recounts the life of an amazing woman, a 20th century matriarch in Malaysia. Told in the voice of its protagonist, Lakshmi, and other members of her family, we discover a story of love and betrayal, of joy and pain, rich in myth and superstition, taking place in a lush land and often in extremely harsh conditions.

Fourteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her native Ceylon for fascinating Malaysia to enter into an arranged marriage with a man much older than her. Lakshmi gives birth to a son year after year, becoming a great matriarch and true breadwinner despite her young age. With great tenacity and courage, he defends the well-being of his children, and manages to survive the nightmare of the Japanese invasion, but his family is inevitably marked by deep scars that will affect even generations to come. However, the true legacy of the matriarch will not bear fruit until her great-granddaughter Nisha finally manages to recompose the mosaic of pieces of family history, and the secrets of the past and the bittersweet relationships of four generations of women emerge.