'Beautifully and simply written … the characters emerge in all their humanity, frailty and humour. Gardner's approach is refreshingly honest … [she] neither patronizes nor glamourizes the people of Talukpar but repays their trust by conveying their lives and experiences with dignity and respect. Songs At The River's Edge is a jewel of a book and the memory of it will stay long in the reader's mind.' New Internationalist
'In reading [it], you experience a profound sense of entering another community and seeing it from the inside. Gardner’s evocative description[s] and her ability to convey the emotional intensity of its people make this a memorable book.' Literary Review
Katy Gardner’s account of her fifteen-month stay in the small Bangladeshi village of Talukpur has become a classic study of rural life in South Asia. Through a series of beautifully crafted narratives, the villagers and their stories are brought vividly to life and the author’s role as an outsider sensitively conveyed in her descriptions of the warm friendships she makes. Above all Songs at the River's Edge is written from a deep respect of Bangladesh and its country.
