Tale of the Dreamer's Son

By the author of the international bestseller Evening Is The Whole Day, this novel set in Malaysia will appeal to readers of Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai

In what was once a Scottish tea planter's mansion in the highlands of Peninsular Malaysia, all religions are one and race is unheard of. That is, until the occupants of what is now known as the Muhibbah Centre for World Peace are joined by Salmah, a Malay Muslim woman. "All are welcome here," they are reminded by their spiritual leader, Cyril Dragon, who is ignoring news of the changing political climate with its increasing religious intolerance. He is still trying to forget May 13, 1969, when ethnic tensions boiled over into bloodshed. Tale of the Dreamer's Son guides us from that fateful incident in Malaysian history to the present day. Throughout, Samarasan's polyphonic, rambunctious prose brilliantly navigates the tug-of-war between ideals and reality.

Contents

Annunciation x
PART 1
Cinta Pandangan Pertama
Batchmates
The Sad Tale of Salmah Majid
Forecast
Presentation
Of Namesakes and Lineages
Toilets
The Lucky Ones Are Dead or Mad
Home Life
PART 2
Wise Men Say
Persuasion
The Whole Truth
Star Boy
New Reading Matter
Spine
Fritters
The Unwilling Confidant
The Prize Students
The Worried Father
Trail
Teacher Training
Stargazers
A Tentative Alliance
Reza's Questions
Family Walk
Orange Squash
All's Fair
Tracksuit
Vegetable Lorry
Neela Experiments with Truth
A Mother's Warnings
Foretellings
Descent
Operation Lalang
PART 3
Latifah
Just Say It
(Re)Education
Asylum Application
Self-Discoveries
The Knotty Problem of the Non-Mahram Freehairs
Reversion
The Minister Lets Fly at a Press Conference
Chicken
Food Fair
It Seems
The Anointed One
Born-Agains
Night Terrors
Canteen Brawl
Glow in the Dark
Chipped Mug
As Good as New
Which Boy Won't Be Glad
Five Times
Morning News
Towards a General Theory
Changing Places
Adidas Duffel Bag
The Open Window
The End of Hope
Pledge
Baby Photo
Sacrifice
Brief History of My Teaching Career
PART 4
George Cubinar Tries
Stray
Come Back
Cast-Off
Three Boys and a Dog
Annabelle the Beautiful
The Van of Iniquity
Bungalow
Morning
The Waning Honeymoon
Paralysis
Drive
Go-Between
Ultimatum
Loose
Sacrificing George Cubinar
Expulsion
The Busybody
Recognition
Eighty-Three
Aftershock
Reconnaissance
Distraction
Spurned
Salmah Unleashed
The Secretest Secret
Satay
Turned Tables
Confrontation
Toolshed
The Lost Boys
Unpardonable
Bliss is but Bliss, and Breath but Breath

Political Background
Glossary