The Sleeping Dictionary

By: Sujata Massey

Narrated by: Sneha Mathan

The term "sleeping dictionary" was coined for young Indian women who slept with British men and educated them in the ways of India. Set between 1925 and the end of World War II, The Sleeping Dictionary is the story of Kamala, born to a peasant family in West Bengal, who makes her way to Calcutta of the 1930s. Haunted by a forbidden love, she is caught between the raging independence movement and the British colonial society she finds herself inhabiting. This portrait of late Raj India is both a saga and a passionate love story.

©2013 Sujata Massey (P)2013 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

" The Sleeping Dictionary, an utterly engrossing tale of love, espionage, betrayal, and survival, is historical fiction at its best, accessible to all audiences." ( Booklist)

"A love story richly woven with India's history and struggle for independence, The Sleeping Dictionary took me on captivating journey through one woman's devastation, resilience, truth and triumph." (Lisa Genova, New York Times best-selling author of Still Alice and Love Anthony.)

" The Sleeping Dictionary is the book that Sujata Massey was meant to write - an ambitious story of suspense and love and identity, rendered in lush, captivating language. To read it is to step into a fast-moving time machine that delivers us to places and events that will be new to many readers. An exciting, bold work." (Laura Lippman, New York Times best-selling author of And When She Was Good)

Best of S. Massey

I’ve read two other books by this author, and enjoyed this one most of all. While telling the story of a young girl’s survival following a hurricane, Massey tells the history of India’s quest for self rule.

Engrossing

Riveting historical/political fiction. I am looking forward to reading more Sujata Massey books. The performance is brilliant. Sneha Mathan astounds every time.

Wonderful, gripping historical saga

I loved the rich descriptions of the people, places and food. It was a moving story with joy and heartache, educational and honest. I couldn't put it down.

I love the history and beauty of India.

The reader was excellent! It adds so much to the story to hear the Indian language spoken so beautifully!

Loved this book and the performer

I was literally swept away by this book. What a grand narrative development told from the perspective of a young girl whose world expands in tandem with the great historical events in India and the world in the first half of the twentieth century.

You will love the way the author plus performer brings these characters to life. You will experience a full range of emotions from family love, passion, grief, curiosity, terror, resilience, self-reliance, and the height of joy.

A very satisfying ending.

life within history.

I liked the historical setting with the story of survival and how that history may have affected lives of different kinds of people

very interesting book

Loved the narration and the story. The story does drag a little bit for some time and I wished the author had spent more time on the ending because the build-up was several chapters and the ending seemed rushed and unconvincing. I love every single books narrated by Sneha! She is phenomenal at what she does. I look forward to listening to all of Sujata Massey's audiobooks.

Great story and superb narrator

wow...what a great story and great narration. Sneha did a great job once again....loved the story and her voice.
Tinga

Story kept my interest. Excellent narration.

Set in Bengal the years before and up to Indian Independence (Pom, Sarah, Pamela, Camilla,) this is a tale about Kamala's search for safe haven. The characters, while not as rich or well developed, were interesting enough to keep me listening to the book. The story is about Kamala, so perhaps the other characters did not need to be as well developed.

Liked it well enough to look up other books by Sujata Massey.

The narration by Sneha Mathan was fabulous. Will need to look for books that she has narrated.

One of her best yet

Wow, what a great story. This will keep you on the edge of your seat. There are many twists and turns in the life of the main character but Sujata Massey writes with such great character detail, you really develop empathy for the main characters. Their lives are both tragic and redemptive. You will cry with them and cheer when they succeed. Ms Massey has a talent for exploring the many challenges faced by women of the period, but written in a way that female readers of today can identify with.