Aerogrammes: and Other Stories Hardback - 2012

Media reviews

A San Francisco Chronicle and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012

“Tania James’ stories are funny, deeply tender, and each-and-every-one memorable. Aerogrammes is a gift of a collection from a talent who only grows.”
—Nathan Englander
 
“By turns rib-shakingly funny and poignant, pinwheeling and wise, these stories are always devastatingly candid when it comes to their central preoccupations: exile and identity, the fault lines inside a family, grief and love… Proof that the short story is joyfully, promiscuously, thrillingly alive.”
—Karen Russell
 
“These are stories that map out a fresh new world between America and South Asia with a rare blend of humor and sensitivity. Surprising and affecting.”
—Romesh Gunesekera
 
“From an Indian wrestler in 1910 England to a marrying ghost who plots a return to flesh, James writes the kind of stories I’ve always loved, by turns absurd and hilarious but also deeply consequential. James has got range and a phenomenal heart. Not to be missed.”
—Junot Díaz

“At every turn, James’ prose is crisp, observant and carefully controlled…James projects a deep emotional intelligence.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Although most of the characters in these nine immaculately crafted short stories share a common native land—Kerala in southern India—their range of emotions is brilliantly diverse…James understands the nuances of emotional displacement.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A skilled storyteller…a refreshingly authentic new voice.”
—Library Journal
 
“Fleeting ties and temporary alliances underscore James’ zestful exploration of the elusive connections inherent to most relationships…Lushly exploring themes of identity and recognition, singularity and community, James crafts taut, complete worlds populated by complex yet recognizable characters who ultimately achieve catharsis and obtain enlightenment, often through unplanned and unconventional methods.”
—Booklist

“First-rate…James’ prose is clean, deep, limpid; the stories she builds throw strange, beautiful light on completely unexpected places…real, fresh and worthy.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
 
“Agile…authentic and deftly drawn.”
—Washington Post
 
“Like all great fiction, James’s stories emerge from a strange and beautiful source of inspiration, then proceed to transcend it…still and elegant.”
—Huffington Post
 
“Jam-packed and hectically lovely…flawless.”
—DBC Reads