'It wasn't uncommon in my childhood for roti to be off the menu because the rolling pin was broken again.'

Ernest van der Kwast's childhood is peopled by an array of colourful characters: from his strait-laced Dutch father, to Bollywood star Uncle Sharma, and talented heptathlete Aunt Jasleen.

But it is his overbearing yet loving Indian mother who is at the centre of this big-hearted, hilarious family saga. Veena van der Kwast is a woman with an iron will, hilarious directness, and a talent for haggling. When she is armed with her trusty rolling pin, every man she meets is eventually beaten to submission - especially her husband and three sons.

Intriguing, surprising, and moving in equal measure, this novel inspired by a very unusual family will make you smile from beginning to end.

A big-hearted, hilarious family saga from an award-winning Dutch author -- based on his own childhood experiences.

His father is positive: it's a girl. The birth announcement cards for Eva van der Kwast are at the printer's. So when Ernest is born in Mumbai, India, in 1981, the consternation is immense. From that moment on, Ernest will have a fraught relationship with his parents.

Ernest van der Kwast's breakout novel-in-stories is peopled by an array of colourful characters, from Bollywood star Uncle Sharma to talented heptathlete Aunt Jasleen. But it's van der Kwast's overbearing yet loving mother who's the beating heart of these funny stories: a woman with an iron will, hilarious directness, and intense sorrow about her disabled son Ashirwad. Intriguing, surprising, and moving in equal measure, Mama Tandoori will make you smile from beginning to end.

'Let's hope there will be more books like this.'