“What exists, exists so that it can be lost and become precious.” – Leisel Mueller I found both Chetna Maroo’s debut novel, Western Lane, and Tan Twan Eng’s novel The Gift of Rain via the Longlist for the Booker Prize. While Eng’s was nominated in 2007 (when it was his debut), Maroo’s novel is from 2023 – and the differences between the two do not end at their year of publication. Maroo’s slim novel is spare where Eng’s novel is more epic in nature. In […]