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Rose and the Burma Sky
Rose and the Burma Sky
Dec 8, 2025 5:14 PM

Author:Rosanna Amaka

Rose and the Burma Sky

An Independent Best Books for Summer Pick

'Powerful, lyrical, and with a central character so wracked with love, he goes to war, deeply relatable' ANN NAPOLITANO, author of Hello Beautiful

'Wholly beguiling and spirited' THE TIMES

'Emotionally resonant and lyrical story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart' IRISH TIMES

'Stunning. Both an unrequited love story and a mystery. It will live with me for a long time.

JENDELLA BENSON

Most Anticipated Books 2023: COSMOPOLITAN, GLAMOUR, THE FLOOR, HUFFINGTON POST, THE BLACK BRITISH LIST and BRITTLE PAPER

For readers of Toni Morrison, Richard Flanagan and BURMA BOY - gripping and intimate historical novel of a black soldier's experience in the Second World War - a rare and moving tale of love and sacrifice by the acclaimed author of THE BOOK OF ECHOES.

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One war, one soldier, one enduring love

1939: In a village in south-east Nigeria on the brink of the Second World War, young Obi watches from a mango tree as a colonial army jeep speeds by, filled with soldiers laughing and shouting, their buttons shining in the sun. To Obi, their promise of a smart uniform and regular wages is hard to resist, especially as he has his sweetheart Rose to impress and a family to support.

Years later, when Rose falls pregnant to another man, his heart is shattered. As the Burma Campaign mounts, and Obi is shipped out to fight, he is haunted by the mystery of Rose's lover. When his identity comes to light, Obi's devastation leads to a tragic chain of unexpected events.

In ROSE AND THE BURMA SKY, Rosanna Amaka weaves together the realities of war, the pain of first love and how following your heart might not always be the best course of action. Its gritty boy's-eye view brings a spare and impassioned intensity, charging it with universal resonance and power.

___________

'Refreshing. Vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate' GUARDIAN

Reviews

Part love story, party mystery. Superb

—— GLAMOUR, Best Books for February

[H]er narrative soars ... Amaka's perspective is refreshing. She vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate down the decades.

—— OBSERVER

An emotionally resonant and lyrically written story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart

—— IRISH TIMES

Tackling themes of war, colonialism and first love, this novel follows a boy from a Nigerian village on the cusp of the Second World War.

—— COSMOPOLITAN, The Best New Books Out in February 2023

Amaka's evocation of Nigeria's part in the war is wholly beguiling and this spirited novel animates some shamefully unknown history

—— THE TIMES

An elliptical, enigmatic book . . . Han's style creates mystery

—— The Economist

Han Kang's hypnotic Greek Lessons probes the limits of language

—— The Straits Times

Han Kang is what most writers spend their lives trying to be: a fearless, unsentimental teller of human truths . . . Han Kang is a genius

—— Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies

Another stunning gem: quiet, sharply faceted, and devastating

—— Kirkus

A swift-paced telling of the story of Clytemnestra, the fierce but loving princess of often-brutal Sparta . . . The easy-to-follow storytelling and well-rounded characters in the novel really draw in the reader

—— i

Ablaze with moments of deep tenderness and visceral ferocity, Casati's Clytemnestra gives the phrase 'fight like a girl' its rightfully heroic and empowering meaning! Beautifully told in a style that pays nimble homage to classic Greek mythology, Clytemnestra is a rich and compelling read, and even more so for every woman who has ever had to fight to reclaim her power. A must-read!

—— Buki Papillon, author of AN ORDINARY WONDER

Bold and elegant, this novel deconstructs Clytemnestra's infamy and then, with tremendous empathy and wisdom, reconstructs her into an enthrallingly complex figure filled with passion and spirit. This fiery tale of revenge and desire really is the stuff of legend

—— Sarah Priscus, author of the critically-acclaimed GROUPIES

Powerful and sympathetic, Clytemnestra shines a light on Helen of Troy's overshadowed sister. Crafted with page-turning suspense, Casati spins a mesmerizing story of an ambitious warrior queen who must use all her skill to protect herself and those she loves from men who view women not as equals, but as pawns to be sacrificed upon the altars of lust, greed, and fame. An ancient and intriguing tale made fresh for today's 21st century battles

—— Liz Michalski, author of DARLING GIRL: A NOVEL OF PETER PAN

A thrilling reimagining of an infamous Greek figure

—— RED

A thrilling tale of power and prophecies, and the fierce Queen who fought back at those who wronged her

—— COSMOPOLITAN, 'The best books to look forward to in 2023'

If magical mythological books call your name, Clytemnestra is the one for you

—— Glamour UK

Swift-paced, straightforward storytelling, richly imagined characters. Timeless

—— Scotsman

Wonderful characters

—— Candis

This slender book is a powerful tribute to its author's 'hero': her clever, undaunted mother.

—— Harper's Bazaar

I absolutely loved it. A moving portrayal of daughterhood, achingly precise on memory and grief, and suffused with warmth and love.

—— Megan Hunter, author of The Harpy

Wonderful... Through The Hero of This Book, McCracken extends her mother's heaven to our memories. I'll be thinking about her with great affection for a very long time.

—— Washington Post

Gorgeous... Not a word is wasted.

—— Jack Edwards on YouTube

There is a welcome levity to his prose here as he riffs on myth-making, culture clashes or the nature of storytelling itself.

—— Daily Mail

Victory City has the tone of mischief Rushdie is always able to channel into his bright, fluid storytelling. Amid all the courtly intrigue and fantastic realism woven through the extensive cast of characters, fleeting dashes of wicked humour sit up and pierce the tale delectably. Rushdie's sharp, camouflaged satire speaks to everything, from religious extremism to greed to patriarchal misogyny. It all just seems to unspool from him without effort.

—— Irish Independent

The best thing Salman Rushdie has written in years... One of the richest and most exuberant books he has given us.

—— Scotsman

Rushdie's creation is vivid, compelling, and entirely his own.

—— Daily Mirror

Salman Rushdie is a genius and I wish he could read me a story - or a chapter of his book - every night before bed. The scale and scope of his intellect and his imagination is googolplex.

—— A.M. Homes, author of THE UNFOLDING

It does not resemble any other novel I could name. A major accomplishment by one of our greatest living writers.

—— Michael Cunningham, author of THE HOURS

No one, and I mean no one, can bring an entire world to life... like Salman Rushdie.

—— Gary Shteyngart, author of OUR COUNTRY FRIENDS

Mesmerising and soul-stirring. Victory City is an epic tribute to the power of words as well as the resilience of women. Rushdie is without a peer in proving that literature soars above tyranny and bigotry, and imagination roars louder than censorship

—— Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees

This is Salman Rushdie at his most virtuosic.

—— Hari Kunzru, author of THE IMPRESSIONIST

It will show you the adult world in a whole new light. Only a master storyteller can do that.

—— Jarvis Cocker, author of GOOD POP, BAD POP

A storyteller who reminds that death may take away a lot of things, but never the power of our words.

—— Colum McCann, author of LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN

A capacious and sweeping telling in which writing about the past is a way of also staring dead on at the present.

—— Natasha Trethewey, author of NATIVE GUARD

Victory City stands out as one of the year's literary highlights... that feels like an instant classic.

—— Bea Carvalho, Head of Fiction at Waterstones

Rushdie is an assured storyteller at the height of his powers, revealing once again how important India is as a fount of his imagination.

—— Conversation

Victory City is one of Rushdie's very best novels. It is also a luminous, italicised, vibrant reminder of the possibilities of free expression and of the untrammelled imagination. In this instance, the medium is indeed the message.

—— Tortoise Media

Victory City can, in many ways, be read as an entertaining jaunt through Indian history, though it is history through the kaleidoscopic and sweeping lens of a fairy tale... this brilliantly magical tale.

—— Irish Independent

This sweeping, intricately crafted fairy tale is underscored by very human characters and Rushdie's signature wit.

—— Culture Whisper, *Books to Look Out For 2023*

A grand entertainment, in a tale with many strands, by an ascended master of modern legends.

—— Kirkus Review

Rushdie's magical style unfurls wonders.

—— Washington Post

Rushdie's Victory City is another fabulous novel set in his native India... He's a master who never forgets that the main goal of a storyteller is to entertain rather than educate or pontificate.

—— New York Journal of Books

Rushdie is, above all else...one of the most powerful defenders of story we have... Victory City is a victory for Rushdie - and for every reader who enters its gates.

—— Harper's Bazaar

Rushdie succeeds in creating a kind of incantatory prose that befits the fabulist nature of the story... he can enchant readers like few other writers.

—— Literary Review

This is a man at his full-strength, high-tar best - with his deeply humane worldview, his brilliance at set-pieces and, above all, the thrilling wildness of his imagination on irresistible display.

—— Reader's Digest

With its carousel of shifting politics and history, Victory City is Rushdie's most textured and triumphant wonder tale yet.

—— Hindu

Utterly enchanting.

—— Eastern Eye

Rushdie's return to magic, myth, and India's ancient stories is dazzling. With mercurial prose and vivid renderings, Rushdie never loses us in Victory City's convolutions, but instead builds our trust to travail the many grand events of Pampa's imagined empire.

—— Esquire

A rich, dramatic saga... The many moments of comedy...show Salman Rushdie's storytelling skills and his endearing sense of playfulness... the main feeling the reader gets is of a storyteller enjoying himself.

—— Tablet, *Novel of the Week*

Rushdie is an expert at mixology; he's the DJ Shadow of text with references and allusions to high and low culture from Finnegans Wake to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... a well-told tale that gets bums on seats.

—— National

There's a magical thread of storytelling running through the veins of each character we meet in this book... a joy to read.

—— UK Press Syndication

A work of great imagination... In Victory City the power of the written word and of the storyteller remain triumphant.

—— NB

Rushdie’s sheer love of fiction is irrepressible.

—— Daily Telegraph, *Books of the Year*

A wonderfully entertaining literary hybrid

—— The Times, *Books of the Year*

Victory City is Salman Rushdie at his imaginative best… sweeping the reader on a journey that feels epic in a mere 320 pages

—— i, *Books of the Year*
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