Burnt Sugar

Shortlist for the Booker Prize 2020!

This is a story about love, misunderstanding, and betrayal between a mother and daughter. Avni Doshi tackles a sharp and painful topic that is still somewhat taboo in society.
The main characters are separated by years and completely different life experiences, but are united by a natural connection that ultimately becomes destructive for them.

Avni Doshi is a true cosmopolitan. An ethnic Indian, she was born in the American state of New Jersey and now lives in Dubai.
«Burnt Sugar» is her debut novel, published in over 20 countries and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. A screen adaptation of the book is planned.


«Avni Doshi spent seven years writing her first novel, which was nominated for the Booker Prize. Congratulations. A good start». — Euronews

«Avni Doshi is not just a talented writer; she is a creator. Her phrases are sharp, incredibly precise. This is a story without embellishments». — New York Times Review

«Delightful and exquisite, impossible to put down». — Observer

«A troubling debut, striking with its poison and disarming with its humor». — Guardian


«Sometimes I talk about my mom in the past tense, even though she is still alive.
It's a pity that there is no euthanasia in India like in the Netherlands. Not only for the dignity of the patient but also for the dignity of everyone involved.
I should grieve, not be angry.
Sometimes I still cry when no one is looking at me.
Yes, I grieve, but it is still too early to burn the body».