Latitudes Of Longing

Shubhangi Swarup riverrun €17.99

Oxford graduate Girija is on honeymoon with Chanda, who has been spooked by the ghost of a goat. Out of such quirky titbits, Swarup fashions an exuberantly flowing novel that starts in the Andaman Islands, then moves to Nepal via Myanmar. Botanists, drug-dealers and political prisoners all play their part. The narrative curdles at times, but overall it is a promising debut, with some inventive touches and lyrical descriptions.