Author and butterfly
Ernest van der Kwast was born in Mumbai, India. Mama Tandoori (2010), his breakthrough novel, enjoyed huge success in the Netherlands and Italy, selling over 100,000 copies. In 2012 he produced the novella Giovanna’s Navel, which entered the Der Spiegel bestseller list immediately after publication in Germany in spring 2015. His fluid, sensual style has charmed critics everywhere. As German daily FAZ put it ‘Ernest van der Kwast flutters around his storyline like a butterfly and his playfulness delights the reader.’ He works in his hometown Rotterdam as a programme-maker and presenter.
“Van der Kwast tells his multigenerational tale with great sensitivity, demonstrating through powerful observations the long-term effect of one person's decision upon others throughout the generations. A delightful read; smooth as ice cream on a hot summer day.”
Kirkus Reviews
“A series of amusing set pieces, tinged with the kind of poignancy that comes from finding the humour in incidents that must have hurt deeply at the time.”
Sunday Herald