{"product_id":"9781805337904","title":"Half Light","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor: Rao, Mahesh\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eModern \u0026amp; contemporary fiction (post c 1945)\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublished on 2 July 2026 by PUSHKIN PRESS in the United Kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaperback \/ softback | 288 pages\u003cbr\u003e198 x 129\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'In this remarkable novel, Mahesh Rao gives voice to the forgotten and the ignored, and my lord, what a voice it is. \u003ci\u003eHalf Light \u003c\/i\u003eis steeped to a sublime perfection, an astonishing literary achievement'\u003cb\u003e Rabih Alameddine, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Wrong End of the Telescope\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHigh in the mountains of Darjeeling, a landslide traps the guests and staff of a crumbling hotel. Cooped up inside, two men exchange lingering glances. For Neville, this is one of many thrilling encounters - urgent kisses in stairwells and parked cars. But for hotel employee Pavan, their connection threatens to unravel everything he has kept hidden.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYears later, their paths collide once more, surrounded by the towering skyscrapers and ghostly smog of Mumbai. Neville is now a restless graduate, adrift in the city, while Pavan has started a new life, away from the hills. When Neville strides into his workplace demanding a meeting, their flirtation turns fraught, and long-buried secrets threaten to tumble into the light.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet on the cusp of India's landmark ruling to decriminalise homosexuality, this is a tender, richly atmospheric and elegantly wry story of outlawed desire - and the fragile hope for a life beyond concealment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eHalf Light\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A stunning novel, gorgeously written' \u003cb\u003eKamila Shamsie, author of \u003ci\u003eBest of Friends\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A searing tour de force of shame, sex, love and identity. I was enchanted' \u003cb\u003eThomas Stewart, author of \u003ci\u003eReal Boys\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Tender and timeless. A quiet story of hope and survival that took my breath away' \u003cb\u003eSoula Emmanuel, author of \u003ci\u003eWild Geese\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 'More than meets the expectations aroused by his debut' \u003cb\u003ePatrick Gale, author of \u003ci\u003eMother's Boy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rao, Mahesh","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53578439196856,"sku":"9781805337904","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0509\/1953\/8872\/files\/9781805337904.jpg?v=1781107419","url":"https:\/\/octoberbooks.org\/products\/9781805337904","provider":"October Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}