"The Chinese Knot offers the reader a realistic view of the Chinese immigrant, making it a great resource as either a study guide or a way to find a sympathetic voice for anyone who has ever moved their entire life to new surroundings.  Heartfelt and provocative, it opens the way for discussions on multicultural issues and racial stereotypes."
—carp(e) libris

"[A] delightful novel. . . . With Cycle of the Moon, Winnipeg's Uma Parameswaran has added yet another fascinating piece to the rich field of Indo-Canadian literature."
—Winnipeg Free Press

"[Parameswaran] writes most beautifully and philosophically but in a simple and clear register. . . . The author does not just write from within herself, she writes from within her characters inner worlds, in a variety of voices that all sound authentic. The poet in Parameswaran also shines through in this novel. . . . With the complex issues it presents, the deep reflections it provokes and Parameswaran’s simple yet evocative writing style, A Cycle of the Moon is definitely worth reading."
—Maple Tree Literary Supplement

These haunting stories beautifully evoke the oppressive lives of modern women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Anis, a computer programmer, is at the end of her rope, putting up with the bullying criticism of a no-good, unemployed lout of a husband; Azar is a young divorcee, and the only person she can talk to is Reza; but she can see him only late at night when “they” are not around; Sharmin has Down’s syndrome and hopelessly loves Azad; he loves Kazhal, beautiful and blessed; but Kazhal is married off and is divorced at twenty and now awaits a hopeless future . . . For these and other characters the weight of traditional attitudes, the harassment of the religious establishment make for a frustrating, confining, and sometimes unlivable existence.

These poignant stories finely depict the lives of immigrants, through the themes of family adjustment, loss, and starting afresh in a new place. Set in suburban Toronto, New Jersey, Texas, and India, they draw out the conflicts in three generations of Indians whose lives interconnect even as
they straddle the old and the new. What we sense is both the anguish of loss and the thrill of discovery.

Viswanathan's quiet prose imparts powerful emotions that ring true, and her rendering of cultural clash is truly skillful and nuanced. The depiction of her characters’ interior lives is so full and vital that they breathe and walk off the page. The reader is drawn in and completely absorbed into her world of transitions.

"Shoba Srinivasan, in the story "Cool Wedding". . . is an Indian woman transplanted to Houston where she is a wife, a mother to two teenagers , and a matchmaker with her own website. The writing sparkles in this story . . . Don’t miss this story about assimilation, immigration, culture clash, and women in the 21st century."
—Augusta Russel Scattergood, Deep South Reviews

Meet Mary Fellows, a sex-worker organizing a demonstration on St Catherine Street; how can she make the Anglican dean support it? . . . Disappointment follows disappointment as Margaret tries to find a suitable man; her latest folly is the suave younger man she brought over from Jamaica; . . . Greta, a domestic help, proudly holds up her son’s high school diploma; but can he read it? . . .

These stories from Montreal present a gallery of characters, Caribbean immigrants desperate and triumphant, always struggling against the odds, as they make their way through the maze of urban life.

Lives breaks the stereotypes to give us a side of Canada rarely acknowledged.

"In Thomas’ hands the interior monologue becomes a powerful tool for voicing character and experience.  Time and again he demonstrates his skill at reproducing the speech patterns of characters with Caribbean origins to mesmerizing effect. . . . the stories contained in Lives Whole and Otherwise are all about shaking one frame or another. H. Nigel Thomas gives voice to a hard social reality that refuses the glib formulas of traditional narrative form." 
—The Rover

“I will never see my own country quite the same again. I thank Sheema Khan for lending me her eyes and giving all Canadians the precious and welcome gift of her words. Her insight into everything from religion to hockey—often thought to be the same thing in this country!—is blessed with intelligence and humour.” 
—Roy MacGregor, author of Canadians: A Portrait of a Country and Its People

“From women's issues to terrorism to Islamophobia, Of Hockey and Hijab takes the reader on a journey to explore many contemporary issues affecting Muslims in Canada and abroad. Khan's book is a must read for all.”
—Monia Mazigh, author of Hope and Despair