Half Light
Sep 2025 · Pushkin Press
Ebook
288
Pages
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About this ebook
'A stunning novel, gorgeously written' Kamila Shamsie, author of Best of Friends 'Intelligent, keenly observed' Tash Aw, TLS 'A poignant study of loneliness, and a perceptive examination of the struggle for acceptance and understanding' Telegraph 'A tender yet piercing exploration of what it means to live in the shadows' Service95 High 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 for Half Light: 'A thoughtful, moving novel that takes its time to explore its characters' inner lives and invites the reader into the dual heritage of a country in an unusual and rewarding way' Irish Times 'A quietly lovely exploration of desire and self loathing in India in the years leading up to the decriminalization of homosexuality' Daily Mail'Highly enjoyable. . . offer[s] a glimmer of hope for a new world that could come into being' Guardian 'Half Light is a novel steeped to a sublime perfection, and an astonishing literary achievement' Rabih Alameddine, author of The Wrong End of the Telescope 'A searing tour de force of shame, sex, love and identity. I was enchanted' Thomas Stewart, author of Real Boys 'Tender and timeless. A quiet story of hope and survival that took my breath away' Soula Emmanuel, author of Wild Geese 'More than meets the expectations aroused by his debut' Patrick Gale, author of Mother's Boy
About the author
Mahesh Rao grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. He has worked as a lawyer, academic researcher and bookseller. His debut novel, The Smoke Is Rising, won the Tata First Book Award for fiction and was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, the Crossword Book Award and the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize. His short fiction has been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Commonwealth Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize. Mahesh has written for the New York Times, The Baffler, Prospect and Elle. He lives most of the year in Mysore, India.
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