From Robin Desser, VP Alfred A. Knopf:
I had the pleasure of having had passed on to me Nartana Premachandra’s remarkable first novel The Moment, Before Sleep. Ms. Premachandra is a marvelously talented writer-and for me perhaps above all, a gorgeous lyricist. Her prose evokes her many characters’ worlds with grace and style, not to mention originality…nothing can take away from the beautiful prose Ms. Premachandra is capable of, or her desire to take on the (sometimes painful) themes she does here, often stunningly.
From Marjorie Stelmach, former Director, Howard Nemerov Writing Scholars Program, Washington University:
I must tell you that your language is truly beautiful, surprising, exceptionally poetic…I remember being stunned by the style. I’ve never seen anyone do language like you do! This is not a sit-in-the-drawer novel. I think you have worked a wonder.
From Erin Reel, a former agent:
It [The Moment, Before Sleep] is certainly one of the most beautiful novels I’ve read in some time. It’s clear you have amazing talent and a good ear and eye for luscious detail in sound and vision, not to mention texture. It’s an honor for me to represent you as a writer.
From Chuck Kim, an editor at Welcome Rain Press:
There are many things to like about this charming novel. Ms. Premachandra is an imaginative, fluid writer who demonstrates a high sensitivity to the wavering of the human psyche as it reacts to the push and pull of the exterior world. She tries to articulate the essence of all that surrounds us and is beyond us-God, nature, death, life-and rightly shows that, while we may not fully comprehend these phenomena, our efforts to understand them are the common bond of all humanity. The Moment, Before Sleep has several qualities that give it a good chance of making it; it is a well-told story by an articulate writer; its search for significance and beauty will touch many readers seeking solace in books after September 11th, and it should benefit from the recent surge in popularity in Indian culture and religion and the high visibility of [Indian] writers.
From Professor Emeritus of Classics at Washington University, Kevin Herbert:
I think the story has a Magic Realism drive, with added elements of personal philosophy, with ideas such as the unity of all religions, of all mankind, and of the ethical imperative to assist any fellow humans in need and to reject arrogance. Apart from Akbar and Ashwini other important characters are Robert and his wife Pearl, Nyana and the murderous boy Samuel, the ill-fated Eric and Susanna Gil from America, and the blind poet (Borges) from South America. All their views, experiences, and interactions help to broaden the reader’s horizons….The work ends in a very effective sequence of events…All in all an effective and thought-provoking conclusion. At the end the reader will have been challenged, inspired, and informed. P.S. In retrospect your juxtaposition of historical, male, Muslim Akbar and fictional, female, contemporary Hindu Ashwini is brilliant, and a perceptive editor will recognize this.
From Rick Gregory, on my appearance at Southwest Illinois College’s Spring 2010 Writer’s Series:
Nartana read from her work at the East St. Louis Community College Center’s Writer’s Workshop in East St. Louis, IL on Wednesday, February 10, 2010, and her presentation was magical. Not only were her readings well chosen and indicative of her writing style (which is beautifully poetic), but she is so versed in explaining Hinduism to a lay audience. The total presentation was very educational for the students at the East St. Louis center, and expanded the students’ worldview immensely. I personally liked her “Dance of Spring” poem. As someone who gardens quite a bit, I had never thought of all things “dancing” in spring, but I have often thought how happy the worms, the squirrels, butterflies and all living beings seem when the Earth warms up. Nartana’s poem wonderfully captured this time of year. Having lived in Nepal and traveled a fair amount in India, her readings had me enraptured and daydreaming about the enchantment of south Asia. Nartana is a talent to watch. I recommend that you keep checking her website to read some of her latest writings and book her to speak to your organization, school or church. You’ll be well pleased. —Rick Gregory, Site Supervisor, Southwest Illinois College
And from some readers:
Thank you very much for the opportunity to read your novel. It is imaginative and expressive in the best ways. Some of your sentences have the power to captivate the reader in such a way as to make you mull over them again and again, rolling them in the mouth, almost like wine. You tackle some profound issues and offer a perspective that seems both heartfelt and true to the human experience. We do, I think, live in a universe that is deeply interwoven and have the ability, known and unknown, to influence people across time and space. Your story illuminates one version of such possibilities. Your portrayals of some of your characters are quite striking, and I have rarely, if ever, been so struck by the poetic force of language in the context of prose. Your novel is most wonderfully worth the effort.–Dr. Greg Schneider, Santa Fe, N.M.
I loved the novel for its beautiful writing and the fact it took me to a time and place that was so unusual. One thing that I can tell you is that your writing is incredibly deep and intellectual and spiritual. I was very motivated to finish the novel-it does require an intellectual and emotional commitment to the book. It is really amazing and beautifully written.—Scott Stern, CEO, LendersOne Mortgage, St. Louis, MO
That Ms. Premachandra’s exquisite novel remains unpublished is inexplicable to me. Through word of mouth, a large number of individuals, from strikingly different socio-cultural backgrounds, have read her work and derived enormous pleasure from its alchemical blend of poetry and prose. The eternal literary themes of death, love and the nature of the universe are explored in such a profound and deeply affecting way that a complete reconsideration of one’s own life and ontological premises is elicited by the time one reaches the final page. Whilst the innovative stylistic structure and content makes the text difficult to place within canonical publishing rubrics, it should be remembered that powerful books that have the ability to touch the souls of all who read them are notoriously difficult to categorize. This narrative, which at times reaches heights of lyrical beauty and strangeness comparable to the best of magical realism, can be disturbing and disorienting, particularly the scenes set in Rwanda, but ultimately reveals its internal logic and meaning in an extremely satisfying, if heartrending manner.–Anne Louise Avery, Art Historian, Oxford, U.K.
“Premachandra’s brilliant first novel is extremely surprising because of its unconventionality and lyricism. Unlike many other Indian novelists who usually narrate some facet of the Indian identity, Premachandra effortlessly transcends cultural and temporal boundaries by elegantly interweaving the experiences of individuals from radically different backgrounds and time periods through the medium of dreams.
Without a doubt, this young author will positively redefine Indian, and indeed, American literature through her risk-taking and her excellent command of figurative language.”—Kiran Rajagopalan, M.A. Bharata Natyam, Chennai, India
