Super Short Summary

The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka, set in 1920s South Asia, follows Lakshmi, a Malaysian woman forced into an arranged marriage at fourteen. As she navigates deception, poverty, and the challenges of raising six children, the novel portrays her struggles against war and familial dysfunction, underscoring themes of fate, trauma, and the effort to reclaim family history. The book includes incidents of sexual violence and wartime atrocities.