Persistent Rumours

by Lee Langley

Book Overview

Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Novel (Eurasia) and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Best Novel Award. A childhood mystery has haunted James Oakley all his life: the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571310142
• ISBN13: 9781571310149
• Release Date: March 1998
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

I loved this story

Part mystery (what happened to James' mother off the coast of India when he was just a boy away at boarding school?), part love story between a husband and wife, and part adventure story that primarily takes place on an island off the coast of India, this story is unique and beautifully written. A tragic event in James' life shapes his personality and relationships in ways that are incredibly realistic. I loved that we DO find out what happened to James' mother, and I thought the ending was terrific. One side note: character development is fantastic, but you have to wait until Part Two to really feel like you know these characters. Lee Langley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Also recommended: Distant Music by Lee Langley, (this is my all-time favorite book) plus Resistance, Fortune's Rocks, Where or When, and All He Ever Wanted, by Anita Shreve.

Absorbing tale of exotic locale and relationship conflict

A recent article in Scientific American about the aboriginal people of the Andaman Islands made me recall this book with pleasure. I found it to be an absorbing and fascinating tale about colonial Britain and one of its more far-flung outposts. It also provides a sharp portrait of the "hidden" sides of marriages. I have recommended this book unabashedly to friends and I think it is both intellectually and emotionally intriguing for the discerning reader.