20 November: Publication Day in the US and Canada.
The pre-publication reviews have been wonderful, and the book has featured in several lists of essential reading, including TIME and WASHINGTON POST. It has also been listed in Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, The Millions, LitHub, Afar, and Shelf Awareness, among others. Book Riot's quirky Horoscopes and Book Recommendations for November recommends it especially for Librans!
"Roy’s skillful blending–of fact and fiction, of personal and political, and of suspense and reward–creates a rich and layered read. But the modern resonances of rising nationalism, in India and beyond, ensure that Roy’s story of what happened in Muntazir transcends its own pages. “Once the letter was read,” Myshkin says, “it would be over and I would have to start waiting again.” It’s a feeling readers may well share."
Naina Bajekal, Time
"Lyrical, subtle, [and] finely observant... A novel of history, both global and personal, gracefully wrought."
"Roy’s skillful blending–of fact and fiction, of personal and political, and of suspense and reward–creates a rich and layered read. But the modern resonances of rising nationalism, in India and beyond, ensure that Roy’s story of what happened in Muntazir transcends its own pages. “Once the letter was read,” Myshkin says, “it would be over and I would have to start waiting again.” It’s a feeling readers may well share."
Naina Bajekal, Time
"Lyrical, subtle, [and] finely observant... A novel of history, both global and personal, gracefully wrought."
Kirkus Reviews
"[A] moving tale... Roy (Sleeping on Jupiter, 2016) peppers her novel with intricate descriptions of small-town India and weaves an eloquent and tragic story of straitjacketed lives upended when history and personal ambition intersect." Booklist (starred review)
"A lush and lyrical fusion of history and storytelling... This mesmerizing exploration of the darker consequences of freedom, love, and loyalty is an astonishing display of Roy’s literary prowess."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This novel has an epic feel but also portrays the feelings of an abandoned child and captured woman while strongly evoking the sounds, scents, plants, people, and social structures of India at the time."
Library Journal
"Already published in Britain, the novel has been called 'elegiac,' compelling, and powerful, among other things. Conceived during a time Roy spent in Bali, this is an affecting novel."
The Millions
"Spanning World War II Germany to present-day India, Anuradha Roy's latest novel presents a powerful portrayal of love as a son goes in search of the truth about his mother."
MyDomaine
"Historical details make this work truly shine, and readers will become deeply invested in the Rozario family."
Bookish
"A sweeping novel set against the backdrops of the Second World War and India’s struggle for independence, All the Lives We Never Lived narrows in on a son’s quest to make sense of his mother’s choices. Weaving in both fictional and historically accurate characters, the book highlights the impact of imperial powers, as well as the oppression that dictated women’s lives in the early part of the 20th century."
"[A] moving tale... Roy (Sleeping on Jupiter, 2016) peppers her novel with intricate descriptions of small-town India and weaves an eloquent and tragic story of straitjacketed lives upended when history and personal ambition intersect." Booklist (starred review)
"A lush and lyrical fusion of history and storytelling... This mesmerizing exploration of the darker consequences of freedom, love, and loyalty is an astonishing display of Roy’s literary prowess."
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This novel has an epic feel but also portrays the feelings of an abandoned child and captured woman while strongly evoking the sounds, scents, plants, people, and social structures of India at the time."
Library Journal
"Already published in Britain, the novel has been called 'elegiac,' compelling, and powerful, among other things. Conceived during a time Roy spent in Bali, this is an affecting novel."
The Millions
"Spanning World War II Germany to present-day India, Anuradha Roy's latest novel presents a powerful portrayal of love as a son goes in search of the truth about his mother."
MyDomaine
"Historical details make this work truly shine, and readers will become deeply invested in the Rozario family."
Bookish
"A sweeping novel set against the backdrops of the Second World War and India’s struggle for independence, All the Lives We Never Lived narrows in on a son’s quest to make sense of his mother’s choices. Weaving in both fictional and historically accurate characters, the book highlights the impact of imperial powers, as well as the oppression that dictated women’s lives in the early part of the 20th century."
Afar
"Roy zeroes in on small moments of connection, showing how even in the midst of great national upheaval, it's those moments that ultimately prove the most profound... Anuradha Roy's All the Lives We Never Lived paints a thoughtful portrait of family and freedom in the midst of the political upheaval of the Indian independence movement."
Shelf Awareness