Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens
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Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens
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Narrated by:
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Rachael Tidd
About this listen
WINNER OF THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD
Welcome to Cinnamon Gardens, a home for those who are lost and the stories they treasure.
Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home is nestled in the quiet suburb of Westgrove, Sydney—populated with residents with colourful histories, each with their own secrets, triumphs and failings. This is their safe place, an oasis of familiar delights—a beautiful garden, a busy kitchen and a bountiful recreation schedule.
But this ordinary neighbourhood is not without its prejudices. The serenity of Cinnamon Gardens is threatened by malignant forces more interested in what makes this refuge different rather than embracing the calm companionship that makes this place home to so many. As those who challenge the residents’ existence make their stand against the nursing home with devastating consequences, our characters are forced to reckon with a country divided.
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is about family and memory, community and race, but is ultimately a love letter to storytelling and how our stories shape who we are.
‘An engrossing, urgent, warm, wise and utterly, utterly beautiful novel.’ Emily Maguire, bestselling author of An Isolated Incident and Love Objects
‘Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens filled this reviewer’s heart with both hope and rage at witnessing history repeat itself, while somehow preserving optimism about how communities can be rebuilt.’ Books + Publishing
©2021 Shankari Chandran (P)2022 W. F. Howes Ltd & Ultimo PressWhat listeners say about Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tracy
- 24-02-2022
Powerful, important, relevant, moving!
Amazing, moving story that made
me weep and mourn, rage and regret, love and rejoice. Beautifully rendered characters and places woven into a complex and evocative story of history, love, memories and family, unashamedly poking painfully at some uncomfortable realities of Australian attitudes to migrants. I loved it and think everyone should read it! I want to move into the Cinnamon Gardens nursing home. ❤
Narration was perfect.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Belinda O'Leary
- 01-04-2022
Opened my eyes
Loved this story. The personalities and family mystery drew me in so I did not even realise I was being shown the bigger story about Sri Lanka and its history, the parallels with Australian colonisation. A beautiful, moving story that had me laughing, fascinated, horrified, near tears. A wow book for me.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kiri Armstrong
- 31-08-2023
Fantastic!
One of the best books I’ve listened to. I loved the development of each character through their personal challenges and you could feel their emotions. The brutality of colonialism and racism was so very raw, my jaw dropped in different chapters. Song of the Sun God is next on my list.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 19-08-2023
Ghai Time at Cinnamon Gardens
This novel is a masterpiece of complex, heart, rending, and beguiling connections. I was in chanted by the heartwarming world of the retirement village.. who wouldn’t want to live in such a place for their ageing years? Like many of my generation, I’ve seen far too much of even reasonably good old people’s homes while caring for my mother, and I’m filled with horror at the thought that I might end up in one.. cinnamon Gardens sounds delightful.
Beyond that narrative, the complexity of the stories of the protagonists , the historic and political questions raised and a heartwarming wisdom delivered by mini voices make this one of the most personally available texts. I’ve read for a long time..
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 25-08-2023
Loved it
So many intertwining and varied themes, characters so in depth and a really touching ending.
Loved it, would recommend!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-12-2023
Timely yet heart wrenching read.
A beautifully written fictional story that shines a light on the persecution and massacre of the Tamil people during the Sri Lankan Civil War and the on going erasure and rewriting of indigenous peoples' history by the colonizers across the world. Woven into a poignant naritive of institutionalized and ingrained racism in modern Australia. Timely yet heart wrenching read for all.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kate Morris
- 11-12-2023
Beautifully written and narrated
Wonderful story and characters you feel like you know, an amazing historical account of the Tamil people and Australian identity in the 70’s - present day.
Narrators voice was very easy to listen to and help bring the story to life! Loved this book
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Melissa
- 11-01-2023
Beautiful woven story
I unexpectedly enjoyed this story . It was full of vivid characters and a interesting storyline .
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Isabel
- 13-11-2022
OMG what a wonderful book!!
This is such an epic and tragic tale. A lot of history I was not aware of. Characters are beautifully developed and the narration is absolutely perfect!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Samantha Brown
- 11-11-2022
Engaging, eloquent & moving.
One of the best audio books I've heard. I worried initially I wouldn't remember and distinguish the characters, but very quickly the flow if the book captivated me and the characters stories unfolded and I didnt want it to stop Individuals emerged clearly and memorable. Often I would sit in my car after arriving at my destination to find out what would happen next. Beautiful characters and delightful language, with descriptions that were like music, captivating and vivid.
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