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Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments
- Author
- Hema Sukumar
- Narrator
- Shaheen Khan
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Publish Date
- 27 July 2023
- Run Time
- 10 hours 20 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: displacement, exile, migration, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems, Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Family life fiction / Stories about family
- Rating
- 3.0 (2 reviews)
What to expect
'The most charming, utterly lovely story I've read in ages... this is one of my books of the year' RED
'I loved this heartwarming read' PRIMA
'Warm, gorgeous, tender, hopeful and human' DAISY BUCHANAN
'I loved being transported to the Grand Life Apartments and I was bewitched by the characters, colours and tastes of Chennai. Please can I move in forever?' CLARE POOLEY
Welcome to Grand Life Apartments...
Soon-to-be-retired Kamala spends her days counting down to her daughter's annual visits from abroad.
Thirty-two-year-old engineer, Revathi, is frequently reminded by her mother that she's fast reaching her expiry date in the arranged-marriage market.
And heartbroken Jason is here because he's running away - from London, and from his past.
With nothing in common, they are united only by a love - and a need - for where they live. So when a developer threatens to demolish everything they know, they come together to save their beloved home...
Readers LOVE Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments
'What a delight this book is!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Left me feeling nostalgic' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Lovely characters and warm tales' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
-------
'An enchanting hug of a book' NIKKI MAY
'A super warm and lovely read' KATE SAWYER
'A gorgeous, beautifully written story, full of wonderfully charming characters - and a loveable cat' NICK BRADLEY
'Written with such warmth' SARA NISHA ADAMS
'I was put in mind of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City' GRAEME SIMSION
Critics Review
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The most charming, utterly lovely story I've read in ages . . . With characters you absolutely root for and mouth-watering descriptions of delicious food, this is one of my books of the year
Red Magazine
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From the vibrant setting to its engaging characters, this joyous novel is a feast for the senses, as well as the soul
Joanna Nell
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I was put in mind of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. Just daily life and its 'small disturbances' but rendered with great observational acuity and a distinctive and evocative voice
Graeme Simsion
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It's utterly entrancing - so humane and funny, and so seeped in India that I could smell the cooking and breathe the exhaust fumes. I absolutely loved it from start to finish
Deborah Moggach
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Warm, gorgeous, tender, hopeful and human. I felt so HAPPY when I was reading it
Daisy Buchanan
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An enchanting hug of a book with characters that you'll really root for
Nikki May
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A super warm and lovely read . . . Should have a warning though: WILL MAKE YOU HUNGRY
Kate Sawyer
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Hema Sukumar's debut is an absolute joy. I loved being transported to the Grand Life Apartments and I was bewitched by the characters, colours and tastes of Chennai. Please can I move in forever?
Clare Pooley
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A gorgeous, beautifully-written story, full of wonderfully charming characters - and a loveable cat
Nick Bradley
-
Written with such warmth . . . full of life and love. Hema Sukumar's lovely characters became like friends to me, and I adored spending time with them
Sara Nisha Adams
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I can picture this as a TV series - and I would definitely watch it
Belfast Telegraph
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I loved this heartwarming read
Prima Magazine
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Inspiring
Woman's Own
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This charming debut is an absolute joy
Good Housekeeping
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This is a delightful and warm-hearted story with a cast of characters I immediately fell in love with. Readers will be swept away by Sukumar's beautiful, evocative storytelling, and I defy anyone to read this and not want to move to the Grand Life Apartments! I adored this charming, hopeful book
Freya Sampson
User Reviews
Book 3.0
Narration 4.0
-
5.0 5.0
What a delight this book is. A view of different ages and their thoughts. I highly recommend.
Greenkiwiinlondon 2026-04-20 -
1.0 3.0
2⭐️ = Below Average.
Audio.
Now, don’t get me wrong, this won’t be a below average book for everyone. I think I was just expecting so much more. The characters were okay but it just seemed to go nowhere and I wasn’t really invested in any of them!
As always, I liked learning about other cultures- but there just wasn’t enough of this for me.Julie7 2026-04-06
Details
- Author
- Hema Sukumar
- Narrator
- Shaheen Khan
- Duration
- 10 hours 20 minutes
- Release Date
- 27 July 2023
- ISBN
- 9781399708494
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: displacement, exile, migration, Narrative theme: social issues / social problems, Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Family life fiction / Stories about family
- Rating
- 3.0(2 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.0(2 reviews)
Synopsis
'So humane and funny' DEBORAH MOGGACH'The most charming, utterly lovely story I've read in ages... this is one of my books of the year' RED'I loved this heartwarming read' PRIMA'Warm, gorgeous, tender, hopeful and human' DAISY BUCHANAN'I loved being transported to the Grand Life Apartments and I was bewitched by the characters, colours and tastes of Chennai. Please can I move in forever?' CLARE POOLEYWelcome to Grand Life Apartments...Soon-to-be-retired Kamala spends her days counting down to her daughter's annual visits from abroad.Thirty-two-year-old engineer, Revathi, is frequently reminded by her mother that she's fast reaching her expiry date in the arranged-marriage market.And heartbroken Jason is here because he's running away - from London, and from his past.With nothing in common, they are united only by a love - and a need - for where they live. So when a developer threatens to demolish everything they know, they come together to save their beloved home...Readers LOVE Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments'What a delight this book is!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Left me feeling nostalgic' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Lovely characters and warm tales' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-------'An enchanting hug of a book' NIKKI MAY'A super warm and lovely read' KATE SAWYER'A gorgeous, beautifully written story, full of wonderfully charming characters - and a loveable cat' NICK BRADLEY'Written with such warmth' SARA NISHA ADAMS'I was put in mind of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City' GRAEME SIMSION
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