Reviews
"A rich, engaging, thought-provoking read from a gifted new voice. The inhabitants of Esperanza Street get under your skin and will not leave until they have told their story." Vanessa Gebbie, author of The Coward's Tale "Joseph is a keen observer and a reluctant hero on the brink of adulthood. His measured and incisive voice, an encapsulation of love, curiosity and hesitant wisdom, brings to life the community he loves and already senses he will one day be forced to mourn." Joanna Luloff, author of The Beach at Galle Road "A port town in the Philippines is an evocative setting for this gentle, mesmerising novel which artfully tells a story that is both intimate and important. The rhythm of the prose is like waves rolling: narratives overlap, a whole community is painted, and stories knit, weave and feed into one another to create a whole of perfect harmony." Suzanne Joinson, author of A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar "Set outside Manila in pre-EDSA Revolution Philippines, Esperanza Street is a brilliant glimpse of a small community in the crux of change and upheaval. What brings its people together is bound to tear them apart." Jim Pascual Agustin, author of Alien to Any Skin "A quiet and patient coming of age story ... Keni's book is densely populated with lively, engaging characters who all see their world (and its rapid changes) differently, but who are united through the singular lens of Joseph's critical and curious eyes." Joanna Lullof (author of The Beach at Galle Road ), Memorious Mag "Niyati Keni is compelling at capturing the atmosphere of 1960s and '70s Philippines, with its Spanish influences, its heat and humidity, its street food and market vendors." Booktrust "The pungent smells, sounds, and flavors of Esperanza Street stand out (from the spare and slow-to-unfold plot in Keni's debut) ... What takes readers' attention beyond each characters' mundane particulars is Keni's vivid portrayal of a crumbling yet vibrant barrio ... It's the fight between those who support the town's revitalization and those who rally against it despite the risks that turns pages." Publishers Weekly "[A] tender coming-of-age story in this contemplative debut novel ... In this luminous, revelatory study on the connection between person and place, Keni knits a delicate tale of an entangled and endangered community." Kirkus Review "Esperanza Street is a wonderfully evocative novel, richly populated with curanderos, sorcerers, psychic surgeons, street vendors, illegal gamblers, Catholic priests and villains ... and is filled with humour, young love and sadness. [T]he novel and its characters will linger long in the reader's mind. Another success from the publishers And Other Stories." Jo Harding, We Love This Book "... very engaging and supremely well-written book about a changing community. Niyati Keni gives us many vivid pen-portraits of the people Joseph meets." Margaret Fancy, The Lancaster Guardian & The Visitor, "A rich, engaging, thought-provoking read from a gifted new voice. The inhabitants of Esperanza Street get under your skin and will not leave until they have told their story." Vanessa Gebbie, author of The Coward's Tale "Joseph is a keen observer and a reluctant hero on the brink of adulthood. His measured and incisive voice, an encapsulation of love, curiosity and hesitant wisdom, brings to life the community he loves and already senses he will one day be forced to mourn." Joanna Luloff, author of The Beach at Galle Road "A port town in the Philippines is an evocative setting for this gentle, mesmerising novel which artfully tells a story that is both intimate and important. The rhythm of the prose is like waves rolling: narratives overlap, a whole community is painted, and stories knit, weave and feed into one another to create a whole of perfect harmony." Suzanne Joinson, author of A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar "Set outside Manila in pre-EDSA Revolution Philippines, Esperanza Street is a brilliant glimpse of a small community in the crux of change and upheaval. What brings its people together is bound to tear them apart." Jim Pascual Agustin, author of Alien to Any Skin "A quiet and patient coming of age story ... Keni's book is densely populated with lively, engaging characters who all see their world (and its rapid changes) differently, but who are united through the singular lens of Joseph's critical and curious eyes." Joanna Lullof (author of The Beach at Galle Road ), Memorious Mag "Niyati Keni is compelling at capturing the atmosphere of 1960s and '70s Philippines, with its Spanish influences, its heat and humidity, its street food and market vendors." Booktrust "The pungent smells, sounds, and flavors of Esperanza Street stand out (from the spare and slow-to-unfold plot in Keni's debut) ... What takes readers' attention beyond each characters' mundane particulars is Keni's vivid portrayal of a crumbling yet vibrant barrio ... It's the fight between those who support the town's revitalization and those who rally against it despite the risks that turns pages." Publishers Weekly "[A] tender coming-of-age story in this contemplative debut novel ... In this luminous, revelatory study on the connection between person and place, Keni knits a delicate tale of an entangled and endangered community." Kirkus Review "Esperanza Street is a wonderfully evocative novel, richly populated with curanderos, sorcerers, psychic surgeons, street vendors, illegal gamblers, Catholic priests and villains ... and is filled with humour, young love and sadness. [T]he novel and its characters will linger long in the reader's mind. Another success from the publishers And Other Stories." Jo Harding, We Love This Book, "A rich, engaging, thought-provoking read from a gifted new voice. The inhabitants of Esperanza Street get under your skin and will not leave until they have told their story." Vanessa Gebbie, author of The Coward's Tale "Joseph is a keen observer and a reluctant hero on the brink of adulthood. His measured and incisive voice, an encapsulation of love, curiosity and hesitant wisdom, brings to life the community he loves and already senses he will one day be forced to mourn." Joanna Luloff, author of The Beach at Galle Road "A port town in the Philippines is an evocative setting for this gentle, mesmerising novel which artfully tells a story that is both intimate and important. The rhythm of the prose is like waves rolling: narratives overlap, a whole community is painted, and stories knit, weave and feed into one another to create a whole of perfect harmony." Suzanne Joinson, author of A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar "Set outside Manila in pre-EDSA Revolution Philippines, Esperanza Street is a brilliant glimpse of a small community in the crux of change and upheaval. What brings its people together is bound to tear them apart." Jim Pascual Agustin, author of Alien to Any Skin, "A rich, engaging, thought-provoking read from a gifted new voice. The inhabitants of Esperanza Street get under your skin and will not leave until they have told their story." Vanessa Gebbie, author of The Coward's Tale "Joseph is a keen observer and a reluctant hero on the brink of adulthood. His measured and incisive voice, an encapsulation of love, curiosity and hesitant wisdom, brings to life the community he loves and already senses he will one day be forced to mourn." Joanna Luloff, author of The Beach at Galle Road "A port town in the Philippines is an evocative setting for this gentle, mesmerising novel which artfully tells a story that is both intimate and important. The rhythm of the prose is like waves rolling: narratives overlap, a whole community is painted, and stories knit, weave and feed into one another to create a whole of perfect harmony." Suzanne Joinson, author of A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar "Set outside Manila in pre-EDSA Revolution Philippines, Esperanza Street is a brilliant glimpse of a small community in the crux of change and upheaval. What brings its people together is bound to tear them apart." Jim Pascual Agustin, author of Alien to Any Skin "A quiet and patient coming of age story … Keni's book is densely populated with lively, engaging characters who all see their world (and its rapid changes) differently, but who are united through the singular lens of Joseph's critical and curious eyes." Joanna Lullof (author of The Beach at Galle Road ), Memorious Mag, "A rich, engaging, thought-provoking read from a gifted new voice. The inhabitants of Esperanza Street get under your skin and will not leave until they have told their story." Vanessa Gebbie, author of The Coward's Tale "Joseph is a keen observer and a reluctant hero on the brink of adulthood. His measured and incisive voice, an encapsulation of love, curiosity and hesitant wisdom, brings to life the community he loves and already senses he will one day be forced to mourn." Joanna Luloff, author of The Beach at Galle Road "A port town in the Philippines is an evocative setting for this gentle, mesmerising novel which artfully tells a story that is both intimate and important. The rhythm of the prose is like waves rolling: narratives overlap, a whole community is painted, and stories knit, weave and feed into one another to create a whole of perfect harmony." Suzanne Joinson, author of A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar "Set outside Manila in pre-EDSA Revolution Philippines, Esperanza Street is a brilliant glimpse of a small community in the crux of change and upheaval. What brings its people together is bound to tear them apart." Jim Pascual Agustin, author of Alien to Any Skin "A quiet and patient coming of age story … Keni's book is densely populated with lively, engaging characters who all see their world (and its rapid changes) differently, but who are united through the singular lens of Joseph's critical and curious eyes." Joanna Lullof (author of The Beach at Galle Road ), Memorious Mag "Niyati Keni is compelling at capturing the atmosphere of 1960s and '70s Philippines, with its Spanish influences, its heat and humidity, its street food and market vendors." Booktrust "The pungent smells, sounds, and flavors of Esperanza Street stand out (from the spare and slow-to-unfold plot in Keni's debut) … What takes readers' attention beyond each characters' mundane particulars is Keni's vivid portrayal of a crumbling yet vibrant barrio … It's the fight between those who support the town's revitalization and those who rally against it despite the risks that turns pages." Publishers Weekly "[A] tender coming-of-age story in this contemplative debut novel … In this luminous, revelatory study on the connection between person and place, Keni knits a delicate tale of an entangled and endangered community." Kirkus Review "Esperanza Street is a wonderfully evocative novel, richly populated with curanderos, sorcerers, psychic surgeons, street vendors, illegal gamblers, Catholic priests and villains … and is filled with humour, young love and sadness. [T]he novel and its characters will linger long in the reader's mind. Another success from the publishers And Other Stories." Jo Harding, We Love This Book
