I adored this cover so just had to pick it up and it did not disappoint!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

An informative, moving and thought provoking read! Although I do think that the cover design and title pass this book off as a nice cosy read when it should come with TW’s for police brutality and racism. Very well written and an important book to read!

Well written and an emotional read.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is an incredibly enjoyable story, following a mix of characters centred around a nursing home in Australia.

Run by a family of Sri Lankan heritage, the nursing home is famously popular with those looking for a place of diversity, hosting a hugely multicultural clientele.

The novel explores the lives of these characters, covering topics such as adultery, bereavement, culture and most importantly, race and the prejudice faced by the majority of non-white Australians.

A lot of the events of this story, whilst perhaps a little melodramatic, are realistic and wouldn't be too out of place to occur in reality. Particularly, the focus on social media as a boiling pot for the hostility, escalating the furore as the hate speech escalates into vandalism, violence, and worse.

This novel truly had my blood boiling with rage because so much rings true, for Australians but also for myself as many parallelism can be drawn with the situation in the UK also.

I highly recommend reading this book, the characters are so real they almost walk off the page and there are so many threads of the story, that all flow beautifully and tie up nicely at the end. A brilliant and poignant feat of storytelling.

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens earns a solid 5 stars. This literary work boldly addresses the heart-wrenching atrocities faced by the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and as refugees in Australia. The narrative is masterfully written, evoking powerful emotions and drawing attention to important social issues. Shankari Chandran's willingness to delve into difficult themes is commendable. Highly recommended for its impactful storytelling and the courage to address uncomfortable subjects.

An absolutely beautiful read that really explores what is important in life. I read it in one small sitting because I didn't want top stop reading

It's heartbreaking, thought provoking and compelling. A story about inclusivity and division, hate and acceptance.
A story about stories and history. There's a lot we don't know and there's a lot to learn.
The author is an excellent storyteller and kept me hooked till the end.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. I found this book a really interesting, emotional read. There’s tons of detail, depth, powerful descriptions. It leaves a lasting impression.

This is not the book that I thought it was going to be. I expected a light, feel good story of nursing home residents, their antics and perhaps stories of their youth. This is a gritty look at racism in Australia, and a look at the struggles in Sri Lanka, that caused so many people to flee. The story is set in Australia but reflects the racism faced by people arriving all over Europe. It uncovers the racism in people who don't think they are racist because they "have brown friends." It also taught me about a part of history about which I knew nothing. I knew that there had been a civil war in Sri Lanka but didn't actually know anything about it. I found the book challenging, intelligent and educational, and, although not a cheery read, it is uplifting and I would definitely recommend it.

Not what I expected at all, but all the better for that. From the blurb this sounded like a cosy story about a nursing home, with a little bit of politics thrown in; what it actually is is a well crafted indictment of racism, colonialism and the rise of populism, and the impact these issues have on the lives of ordinary people. Throw in some flashbacks to the civil war in Sri Lanka and you have a powerful story about migration and immigration and the importance of making sure all voices are heard and stories are told.

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens explores how Maya and Zakhir came to be in Sydney and how they made the care home a sanctuary for all in the community.

However, I feel the synopsis “ Welcome to Cinnamon Gardens, a home for those who are lost and the stories they treasure” is rather misleading as it’s NOT a cutesy read where all the members of the community are sat drinking tea! There’s some terribly graphic scenes of racism and police violence right at the start of the novel which were really disturbing to read.

The captivating but hard hitting novel is told through two timelines: the first in the present day where a member of staff, Reuben, is the victim of regular incidences of racial violence, Zakhir is missing, presumed dead and the local councillor is accusing Cinnamon Gardens of racism and lodges a complaint with the Human Rights Commission; and the second is through flashbacks to the Sri Lankan civil war.

Whilst there are numerous triggers to be aware of - racism, the loss of a child, family violence; torture and displacement, it’s a really thought-provoking and powerful read - so much so that I find myself still thinking about the characters - the sign of a very good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ultimo Press for the opportunity to read and review this captivating read

I was really looking forward to reading this and, to start with, I did enjoy it. But I found there were too many stories, characters and too much exposition to get my head around and I found myself quite literally losing the plot. I think it would make a better film as at least you can see who is who then. The writing was good though.

Don’t be fooled by the title and cover of this novel. It is a raw examination of racism. Beautifully written it tells the story of various characters and their experiences with prejudice in both their home countries and the place they have emigrated to, in this case Australia.

I first saw this book about a year ago but it had only been published in Australia at the time so I wasn't able to get a copy. So you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered it on NetGalley recently.
I’ll definitely be getting a physical copy as well because this beautiful cover needs to be on my bookshelf.

Speaking of the cover - even if it’s the most beautiful cover and the title sounds like a cozy and light story, this book deals with some very serious issues.

The story takes place in Cinnamon Gardens, a nursing home in a quiet suburb of Sydney. Run by a Sri Lankan family, it is a safe home to a diverse mix of residents. At least it was a safe place until serious allegations cast the Nursing Home in a bad light and it becomes a target.

There is a main storyline set in the present and flashbacks for each of the main characters. The flashbacks take place mainly in Sri Lanka and are marked by terrible events. Although the story is fictional, it is based on real events that happened in Sri Lanka. To be honest, I didn’t know much about the history of Sri Lanka before reading the book. While reading, I took frequent breaks to google the events mentioned and learn more about them.

It took me a while to get into the story as the beginning is quite slow. But as the story progresses and events take a turn for the worse, I found myself absolutely captivated by the story.

It‘s a powerful book, very thought-provoking and beautifully written.

A nursing home ìs at the centre
of a bittersweet tale of family life and the hardships of immigration. The reality of people from Sri Lanka aspiring to succeed in Australia and the racism on their new doorstep.
An extremely thought provoking
and well written book.

Beautiful storytelling, rich characters and a bold message.
Contrary to the impression the cover may give, this book is not a fluffy, cozy story about geriatrics. But a challenging novel exposing the violent past of Sri Lanka and the colonialist echos still raging in Australia. I enjoyed this. The storylines were mostly compelling, although maybe there were just a couple too many narrative perspectives at times, making it feel a little straggly and distracted. But there was a very powerful discussion about colonialism, nationalism and racism which was interesting and passionate. And the backdrop of the nursing home Cinnamon Gardens provided quirky, beautiful characters which were impossible not to fall in love with.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Surprising and well written book, touching many topics: the violence of the Sri Lankan civil war, racism, colonialism and old age. Memorable characters and a lesson on the power of social media in Australia today.

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran.

Not what I was expecting from this book , but I enjoyed it neither the less.
Quite hard hitting at times and I occasionally had to put it down to gather my emotions for the characters the author has wrote about.
As another reviewer has mentioned Rubens story was very well executed with the time slips giving the info to the past to present day.
Also gave a brilliant insight to an area and culture I knew nothing about.

This is a powerful and at times disturbing novel. It is very well written and not a difficult read, the characters are likeable and relatable and it has light feel good moments, however it tackles some serious subjects. Very graphic descriptions of the civil war in Sri Lanka and episodes of upsetting racism towards the refugees from the war. The stories are necessary and need telling. The book is on the whole a serious piece of literature, and I will read and recommend this author. My only concern is that the marketing of this book, which makes it look like a new "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" will mean word of mouth will have to do a lot of heavy lifting. It is an enjoyable book with a serious heart.

I lure by the cover and hope for heartwarmer story and get heavy story. Sadly this is really happend to refugees, force to leave their country to better life and the better life have many side.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

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