SHYAM SELVADURAI was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He came to Canada with his family at the age of nineteen.
Funny Boy, his first novel, was published to immediate acclaim in 1994. It was shortlisted for the prestigious Giller Prize, was a national bestseller, won the W. H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Lambda Literary Award, and was named a Notable Book by the American Library Association. In 2020, it was made into a feature film by director Deepa Mehta. His second novel,
Cinnamon Gardens, was shortlisted for the Trillium Award. His third,
The Hungry Ghosts, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award. Selvadurai is also the author of an acclaimed novel for young adults,
Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award. He lives in Toronto.
In this sweeping tale, at once epic and intimate, Shyam Selvadurai introduces us to Siddhartha Gautama-who went on to become 'the enlightened one'-an unusually bright and politically astute young man settling into his upper-caste life after marrying Yasodhara, a woman of great intelligence and spirit. Mansions of the Moon traces the couple's early love and life together, and then the anguished turmoil that descends upon them both as Siddhartha's spiritual calling takes over and the marriage partnership slowly, inexorably crumbles.
Drawing on ancient records and historical sources, and weaving it with fiction and mythology, Shyam Selvadurai creates a vivid portrait of Yasodhara, a remarkable woman on a remarkable journey. Mansions of the Moon is an evocative, thought-provoking novel and a must-read for anyone interested in spirituality, mythology and the power of the human spirit.
