‘Vethamani’s stories deal with the universal themes of love, loss, and cultural identity, rooted within the Malaysian social fabric.’— Mahesh Dattani‘These stories ripple with unsettling tensions often complicated by race, religion, expectations, fears and prejudices against the Other.’— Suchen Christine LimPoignant and provocative, a collection of stories that explore loneliness and longing, love and resolutionsWomen torn between their marriage and their emancipated livesA young boy’s memory of 13 May 1969 still flavoured with the slightly salted taste of cream crackersMixed-race couples divided by the walls of race and religionGay men’s love still incomprehensible to their familiesA sex-addict coming to terms with his own demonsA bumbling spirit complicating the attempt to fulfil a death wishTaking the reader from post-independent Malaysia to the early decades of the twenty-first century and the Covid-19 pandemic years, here are stories that delve into the complexities of family life, sexuality, and identity, conflicts that are typical in contemporary Asian societies, yet also so universal.
