Burnt Sugar

“Burnt Sugar” is a story of love, misunderstanding, and betrayal. But not between lovers—between a mother and a daughter. Avni Doshi brings up an urgent and painful topic that is still, in part, taboo in society. The heroines are separated by years and completely different life experience, but what unites them is an unbreakable natural bond that, in the end, becomes destructive for them. “Burnt Sugar” is a story of love, misunderstanding, and betrayal—not between lovers, but between mother and daughter. Avni Doshi raises an urgent and painful topic that is still, in part, taboo in society. The heroines are separated by years and completely different life experience, but what unites them is an unbreakable natural bond that, ultimately, turns destructive. Avni Doshi is a true cosmopolitan. An ethnic Indian, she was born in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and now lives in Dubai. “Burnt Sugar” is her debut novel, published in more than 20 countries and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. A film adaptation is planned based on the book.

“Avni Doshi spent seven years writing her first novel, which was nominated for the Booker Prize. Congratulations. A good start.” — Euronews

“Avni Doshi isn’t just a talented writer—she is a creator. Her sentences are sharp, incredibly precise. This is a story without embellishment.” — New York Times Review

“Delightful and refined—you can’t put it down.” — Observer

“An anxious debut, powerful with its poison and disarming with its humor.” — Guardian

“Sometimes I talk about my mother in the past tense, even though she’s still alive. It’s a pity that in India there is no euthanasia, like in the Netherlands. Not only for the dignity of the patient, but for the dignity of everyone involved. I must grieve, not be angry. Sometimes I do cry, even when no one sees. Yes, I am grieving, but it’s too early to burn the body.”