Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens

Gabi's Review

Winner of this years - 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award. The author calls her book a Trojan Horse, in that its title and cover suggest a light and populist read. Instead it is a multi-generational, multi-cultural Australian story that does not shy away from the tough questions around who we perceive ourselves to be and what in reality we are. It is a wise choice to reward our multi-cultural voices a definitive Australian Literary Award because it is via our rich cultural diversity that our wonderful egalitarian culture has evolved.

Publishers Reviews

WINNER OF THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD

‘Deftly traversing time, culture and continent to weave a tale of both home and unbelonging, this is truly a novel not to be missed.’ - Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of Foreign Soil and The Hate Race

‘Chandran is an excellent storyteller.’ - The Weekend Australian

‘This is an engaging story that feels both urgent and necessary. It is also a terrific read.’ - The Daily Telegraph

‘this story burns with anger and sings with optimism, sprinkled through with moments of levity and humour.’ - The Canberra Times
 

Welcome to Cinnamon Gardens, a home for those who are lost and the stories they treasure.

Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home is nestled in the quiet suburb of Westgrove, Sydney – populated with residents with colourful histories, each with their own secrets, triumphs and failings. This is their safe place, an oasis of familiar delights – a beautiful garden, a busy kitchen and a bountiful recreation schedule.

But this ordinary neighbourhood is not without its prejudices. The serenity of Cinnamon Gardens is threatened by malignant forces more interested in what makes this refuge different rather than embracing the calm companionship that makes this place home to so many. As those who challenge the residents’ existence make their stand against the nursing home with devastating consequences, our characters are forced to reckon with a country divided.

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is about family and memory, community and race, but is ultimately a love letter to storytelling and how our stories shape who we are.

'Wise and dignified.' - The Australian Women's Weekly

‘An engrossing, urgent, warm, wise and utterly, utterly beautiful novel.’ - Emily Maguire, author of An Isolated Incident and Love Objects

‘This is a book that requires concentration and full immersion – but it will reward the reader for that investment.’ - The Guardian

‘a powerful, compassionate novel about friendship, family, community-building, and the racism faced by members of diasporic communities in this country.’ - The AU Review