List $29.99

Written by Manil Suri - Audio book performed by Josephine Bailey - Unabridged Fiction - 2 RETAIL EDITION MP3 COMPACT DISCS - 15.5 hours

Publisher, Tantor Media (March 2008)

NOTE: Tantor RETAIL MP3 COMPACT DISC EDITIONS are packaged in durable DVD Slimline cases.

ALERT! YOUR CD PLAYER MUST BE MP3 COMPATIBLE! MP3 audiobooks on compact disc can be played on newer CD players that support MP3 technology and accept a 4.75" diameter disc, and on any personal computer that has Microsoft's Media Player or similar software.

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"A finely conceived, absorbing and powerful book." ---Kirkus

“Exchanging sentimentality for clear vision, Suri reveals an immense humanity, and a tenderness for women making their way in a world of men.” ---Kiran Desai, author of The Inheritance of Loss, recipient of the Man Booker Prize

“Suris vivid portrait of a woman in post-independence India engages timeless themes of self-determination.” ---Publishers Weekly

Following his spectacular debut novel, The Death of Vishnu, Manil Suri returns with a mesmerizing story of modern India, richly layered with themes from Hindu mythology. The Age of Shiva is at once a powerful story of a country in turmoil and an extraordinary portrait of maternal love.

Meera, the narrator, is seventeen years old when she catches her first glimpse of Dev, performing a song so infused with passion that it arouses in her the first flush of erotic longing. She wonders if she can steal him away from Roopa, her older, more beautiful sister, who has brought her along to see him.

When Meera’s reverie comes true, it does not lead to the fairy-tale marriage she imagined. She escapes her overbearing father only to find herself thrust into the male-dominated landscape of India after independence. Dev’s family is orthodox and domineering, his physical demands oppressive. His brother Arya lusts after her with the same intensity that fuels his right-wing politics. Although Meera develops an unexpected affinity with her sister-in-law Sandhya, the tenderness they share is as heartbreaking as it is fleeting.

It is only when her son is born that Meera begins to imagine a life of fulfillment. She engulfs him with a love so deep, so overpowering, that she must fear its consequences.

Meera's unforgettable story, embodying Shiva as a symbol of religious upheaval, places The Age of Shiva among the most compelling novels to emerge from contemporary India.

About the Author: Manil Suri's first novel, The Death of Vishnu, won the 2002 Barnes and Noble Discover Prize and was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Manil earned his Ph.D. from Carnegie-Mellon University and is now a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He lives in Maryland.

About the Performer: Publishers Weekly named Josephine Bailey "Best Female Narrator" in 2002. Her native British accent has been used in many audio books and voice over including "The Wild Thornberries", "Uncle Gus", and Disney-Dreamworks projects. In additions to her award winning voice, Josephine is also involved in television, film, and theatre. On television she has played parts in "Robin Hood", "Tale of Two Cities", and "Sword of Freedom". In film she was featured in "Shadow Hours", "Life's a Circus" and "Corridors of Blood". Her theatre experience includes lead roles in "Betrayal", "Otherwise Engaged" and "Blithe Spirit". Josephine received her training from Corona Stage School in London and Tracy Roberts Actors Studio in Los Angeles. Josephine currently resides in South Carolina.