pappaji wrote poetry in a language i cannot read
Rajinderpal S. Pal’s first, acclaimed collection, pappaji wrote poetry in a language i cannot read is an exploration, a search not only for a place in the world, but for a sense of one’s self.
TSAR, 1998
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About the book
Winner of the 1999 Writer’s Guild of Alberta (WGA) Henry Kreisel Award for Best First Book.
The poems in this book form a narrative whole that leaps between past and present, between childhood and adulthood, and between languages. Issues of cross-cultural politics and relationships are addressed, and loss across generations and migration across continents. All of this is entwined with the search for the poet-father and the attempt to come to terms with the past. — TSAR Publications.
Reviews
Omar El Akkad, Giller Prize–winning author of What Strange Paradise.
“However Far Away is a restrained and precise exploration of the fragile threads that hold so much of life together. Rajinderpal S. Pal expertly wields a fractured narrative of a looming wedding and its constellation of guests and participants to show how often love and duplicity intersect. What results is a beautiful debut novel about the calamitous aftereffects of decisions made and unmade, secrets kept and spilled.” — Omar El Akkad, Giller Prize–winning author of What Strange Paradise.
PUBLICATION, WRITER
“Empathy runs like a current through this rich debut novel about family drama, complicated emotions, and the power of community. There’s a big Sikh family wedding happening in Canada, and everyone’s attending, including Devinder, his wife Kuldip… and his lover Emily. Author Rajinderpal S. Pal plays with time, giving us glimpses into the past through the perspectives of all three. Each of them has a plan to survive the day, but as things go wrong and tensions rise, those plans begin to go out the window. Pal builds this tale around stunningly realistic depictions of sticky relationships and uncomfortable, sometimes heart-wrenching emotions. He also has a sensitive eye for detail when it comes to the setting of Canada itself, filling in the spaces between broken promises and tense dialogue with glorious descriptions of the natural scenery and unique wildlife. However Far Away is a bold look at the consequences of making—and not making—important decisions.” — Apple Books.
Sesay Arts Magazine
“However Far Away (House of Anansi Press, 2024) is an achingly beautiful and deeply resonant debut novel that explores themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of home – in an elegantly telescoped and richly nuanced way.” — Arpita Ghosal, Sesay Arts Magazine
REVIEW
“Review text goes here” — Writer of review, Context.
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