I think at times I was not smart enough to fully appreciate this book for what it is. I overall enjoyed reading it but a lot went over my head and would love to have more knowledge or context on the partition, maybe a translators note?

This very much a case of 5 stars for the writing and the project of the book but 2 stars for my enjoyment. This book is a tome and for the first 50% of the book it just meanders its way through the lives of this Indian family and I had no idea what was going on. The plot did start to come together, but at that point I was sort of checked out. The writing was beautiful and there were several parts that had me pausing to reread or to think about a phrase, but I think in my exploration of literary fiction I have determined that I need something with a little more plot than this.

All that to say, I think if I reread it with a better expectation of what I was getting into, this could be a book I adore.

I love books with this kind of premise that follow older characters and so much internal reckoning, and I think one day I will come back to it, but this was just too long for me to get through at the moment. DNF around 40%.

I really enjoyed Tomb of Sand and cannot imagine how tough it was to translate such a long book! I loved Ma's story and Beti as well. The writing was beautiful and I will read more from this author.

This was a unique read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This may not be for readers who require "plot" to drive the story, or if one isn't accustomed to translated works.

This was a hard read for me, if only because I was off put by the prose. 'Tomb of Sand' is beautifully written and translated, but stylistically it was not for me...especially at it's length. I also acknowledge that, despite the feminist themes, I am not quite the target for this novel.

It was extremely well done, and I see the value in it as a novel. Geetanjali Shree is an artist, and I would like to revisit this novel someday when I am in a better space for it. I want to give it the devotion it deserves and so clearly needs.

Hopefully someday I can come back to this review and renounce it all, but as is, 'Tomb of Sand' fell a little flat for me. I will recommend it to friends whose tastes are more in line with the style, and will revisit in the future myself.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper for an ARC of this book.

Originally written in Hindi by Geentanjali Shree and translated in English by Daisy Rockwell @shreedaisy , Tomb of Sand explores the traumatic impact of India Pakistan partition. A sad event in the history of the Southeast Asian continent that left many separated from their families, friends, and homes. The story also touches on feminism, climate change, politics, and our modern way of living.

Tomb of Sand is an ‘acquired taste’ sort of book. You might stop reading it after the first 100 pages (like I did when I picked it last year). If you persevere the 700+ pages, the writing will grow on you. You will find that the meandering tale is bordered with unusual side characters described in the most artistic way possible. Don’t let the word border fool you. Border is not supposed to be restrictive but adorning the edge. As Ma says in Tomb of Sand, “A border increases recognition. Where two sides meet and both flourish. A border ornaments their meeting.” This tale is of Ma, an octogenarian who rediscovers youth, and who is determined to return from whence she came. But the tale encompasses within it everything around it – family, home, walls, door, crows, sunshine, rainbow … everything you can think of. It weaves them in Ma’s story and pushes past the border.

Ma insists on retuning to Pakistan so Ma’s daughter, Beti, an independent woman, crosses the partition drawn border with her. What ensues after that is a shocking revelation for Beti. There’s not a lot I can reveal without giving out spoilers.

The plot moves slowly, almost sidelined by the beautiful prose. I loved that for a select few lines in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Sanskrit, the English translation has the original text and its English translation. They add depth to the story and also shows how commendable the work of the translator is. Translation is not easy.

Tomb of Sand requires patience and time. Give it that and it will reward you with a tale and wordplay you will never forget. If you made it this far, thank you!

Tomb of Sand is my pick for a book by BIPOC author for the #bigbookreading2023 challenge by @time4reading. Thank you, Harper Collins Canada, for my e-copy.

Tomb of Sand--in its span of many pages--has some oddball mentions of talking crows, phalic cysts, and more. But at its heart, Tomb of Sand has this understated intensity. The spotlight to the book shines on daughter Beti who, to me, is at most odds of everyone. Beti's own insecurities and daydreams match the playfulness of Shree's writing leaning toward existential inquiry. I was surprised at the tenderness I felt that the book crept up on me as I progressed through reading it for months. In some ways maybe it feels like a reward as my own endurance was tested in the early repetitiveness of the story volleying between family members. But, altogether I think it works, thanks to the warmth the book accomplishes to convey in the face of the scary reality of what it means to do with one's life: being constantly reminded its our one and only chance to live it properly.

The English translation of Geetanjali Shree’s novel “Tomb of Sand” is a masterpiece. Descriptive and imaginative, readers not only get a glimpse into Indian households, but also tackles religion, life and death, gender and agism. Rockwell's English translation preserved fragments of the original text from Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Sanskrit, leaving them untranslated, adding to the richness of the text. I will be adding this to my classroom library for my Juniors and Seniors, as well as, educators at the school.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper for an ARC of this book.

Beautifully written story about a widow ready to give up after her husband passes away but instead decides to approach life in a different way. I loved the writing but the story just kind of meandered along. I will absolutely try another book by the author and will absolutely read other books done by this translator! Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

This beautiful book is poetic in both its message and writing. It is definitely one where. you have to surrender yourself to the wandering journey rather than try to follow a clear path. Though I usually like pieces that have this quality, something about this one just didn't connect with me. I don't think that is any fault of the author or translator, I just wasn't the right reader for it. I still think this book is worth experiencing.

TOMB OF SAND by Geetanjali Shree (translated by Daisy Rockwell) is a tome divided into three distinct parts. In the first, the elderly family matriarch lies in bed, refusing or unable to get up after her husband’s death, and the narrative describes the activities of her family members fluttering around her. In part two, the matriarch goes to live with her daughter, and we observe her friendship with a hijra (trans) woman. Finally, in part three, the elderly woman travels with her daughter to Pakistan, and we learn more about the matriarch’s early life and trauma during Partition.

Tomb of Sand is one of those books where you can recognize its genius even if you don’t fully enjoy it. The playfulness of the language, incorporating frequent alliteration and homophones - and how cleverly that came through in the translation (Daisy Rockwell did a stunning job!) - is something that will delight many readers, especially those who appreciate experimental prose. While I loved the themes of the narrative, the writing style just wasn’t my taste, which is a pity since the linguistic repartee is one of the main draws of the book (it is neither plot- nor character-driven, IMO, but language-driven). I’d recommend reading the first chapter and if you jive with the writing, continue onwards. Otherwise, it is a lot of pages to work through (624, to be precise).

I appreciated learning more about Partition, which is a subject I’ve read too little about, and it’s made me curious to dive deeper into that period of history. I also enjoyed the subtle digs at how society reduces women to being wives and mothers, and how even our own family members see us as the role we play rather than as individuals with specific histories and preferences and relationships outside of the family.

Winner of the 2022 International Booker Prize, TOMB OF SAND is inventive, rich with wordplay, and original. While it's not for everyone, it's a tour de force that is worth checking out.

I was really intrigued to pick this up. Not only because of the Booker Prize, but also because I've been meaning to read more Indian literature. The synopsis sounded interesting, but looking back on it, it should have been a warning of what was to come. I find the writing in this book to be almost completely incomprehensible. The words feel like they're strung together in a nonsensical way. Part of it is that it is in stream of conscious, but part of it could also be just the experimental nature of the novel itself. I can appreciate how difficult it was for the translator to go into this project, if the original is anything like the English. However, I can't continue. I've read 20% and I've mostly wanted to just to bang my head against a wall. I'm sure that if the writing style doesn't bother you, there is something incredible in here, but I'm not willing to risk a reading slump after having just left one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Via for providing me with an eARC, sorry that I didn't enjoy this at all.

Lyrically written a storyline that is unique gorgeous writing.A book that flows kept me turning the pages.Well deserving of the international Booker Prize.#netgalley #tombofsand

While i've had my eye on this one since it won the International Booker Prize, I was initially very intimidated by how long this book was. However the short chapters made it go a lot faster than I anticipated. It could have been shorter, sure. I was also not expecting to find whimsy in this one given the title and topic but the writing is lyrical and I ended up enjoying it.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Via for the ARC of this one.

Wow! The lyrical style, the poetic play on words made for an outstanding book. While reading this book, I could only feel admiration for the magical wordplay it was quite unlike anything I have read. Unfortunately, the beauty of the writing caused the book to flow in a very languid manner and for me, that was its downfall. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Harper Via. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This must have been tough to translate. It's well written but won't be everyone's cup of tea, which seems to be true of a lot of award winning novels. Although quite long, this is a mostly engaging story. Probably best for serious literary fiction fans.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

This gorgeous, playful story tells of an old woman's new lease on life when all seems at its end. Mourning the loss of her husband and her role as his wife and matriarch, Ma falls into a deep non-responsive depression until she disappears altogether. When she reappears, she seeks out the freedom and fringe that her daughter, Beti, has been able to find in an alternative lifestyle. Together, they travel old wounds and new reflections.

The telling of this story is what makes it so unique - the author's voice is joyful, playful, and the narration seems to be having such fun in its own telling. We as readers, as observers, cannot help but feel its lighthearted and mischievous tone rub off on us, despite the dark nature of the story's content. But, the asides are not just playful in tone, they're also very frequently insightful barbs at humanity or existence or some other universal experience. Such a voice is totally new to me and I would guess is fairly unique unto Shree. That being said, there were also (in my opinion) a surplus of sidebars and anecdotes and jokes included in the book - sometimes it felt like a slog to get through these or, if I'd put the book down and was coming back to it, it became difficult to get back into the story because the story was in the middle of some recounting of the beginning of existence or some such other thing. As a reader, I'm I tend to have difficulties with books that lag, and this book had no problem taking its time in telling its story, but this is also just my own preference.