Half Light 9781805337904 Paperback

‘In this remarkable novel, Mahesh Rao gives voice to the forgotten and the ignored, and my lord, what a voice it is.Half Lightis steeped to a sublime perfection, an astonishing literary achievement’Rabih Alameddine, author ofThe Wrong End of the TelescopeHigh in the mountains of Darjeeling, a landslide traps the guests and staff of a crumbling hotel. Cooped up inside, two men exchange lingering glances. For Neville, this is one of many thrilling encounters – urgent kisses in stairwells and parked cars. But for hotel employee Pavan, their connection threatens to unravel everything he has kept hidden.Years later, their paths collide once more, surrounded by the towering skyscrapers and ghostly smog of Mumbai. Neville is now a restless graduate, adrift in the city, while Pavan has started a new life, away from the hills. When Neville strides into his workplace demanding a meeting, their flirtation turns fraught, and long-buried secrets threaten to tumble into the light.Set on the cusp of India’s landmark ruling to decriminalise homosexuality, this is a tender, richly atmospheric and elegantly wry story of outlawed desire – and the fragile hope for a life beyond concealment.Praise forHalf Light:’A stunning novel, gorgeously written’Kamila Shamsie, author ofBest of Friends’A searing tour de force of shame, sex, love and identity. I was enchanted’Thomas Stewart, author ofReal Boys’Tender and timeless. A quiet story of hope and survival that took my breath away’Soula Emmanuel, author ofWild Geese’More than meets the expectations aroused by his debut’Patrick Gale, author ofMother’s Boy