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The Days Toppled Over
Malli has an anxiety disorder that renders her unable to speak outside her own home. The highlight of her life is a long-standing weekly phone call with her younger brother, Surya, who is studying in Australia, and whose updates bring colour to her days. When Surya misses their weekly call for the first time, Malli’s quiet life is thrown into disarray.
Seeking answers online, Malli is grateful when a user on a missing persons forum, Nayan, offers to help. As days pass without word from Surya, Malli decides she must travel to Australia to find out what has happened to him, and the unconventional and outspoken Nayan offers to accompany her.
In Sydney, student life is less glamorous and more precarious than Surya had imagined. At the restaurant where he lives and works, Surya feels he can endure the squalid living conditions and the abysmal pay if it will secure him the elusive work visa which will allow him to stay in the country. But when a racist customer up-ends the knife-edge hierarchy at the restaurant, it sets off a chain of events that will see Surya committing a reckless act of love, risking everything for which he has worked so hard.
Set between Bengaluru and Sydney, The Days Toppled Over is a powerful exploration of mental health, family, connecting and how international students live in Australia. With a rich sense of place, a memorable cast of characters, and a good dose of humour, it illuminates how we all need friends and contact with other humans – and how these simple things can result in transformation.
Seeking answers online, Malli is grateful when a user on a missing persons forum, Nayan, offers to help. As days pass without word from Surya, Malli decides she must travel to Australia to find out what has happened to him, and the unconventional and outspoken Nayan offers to accompany her.
In Sydney, student life is less glamorous and more precarious than Surya had imagined. At the restaurant where he lives and works, Surya feels he can endure the squalid living conditions and the abysmal pay if it will secure him the elusive work visa which will allow him to stay in the country. But when a racist customer up-ends the knife-edge hierarchy at the restaurant, it sets off a chain of events that will see Surya committing a reckless act of love, risking everything for which he has worked so hard.
Set between Bengaluru and Sydney, The Days Toppled Over is a powerful exploration of mental health, family, connecting and how international students live in Australia. With a rich sense of place, a memorable cast of characters, and a good dose of humour, it illuminates how we all need friends and contact with other humans – and how these simple things can result in transformation.
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About the author
Vidya Madabushi
2 books10 followersVidya Madabushi is an Indian writer living on the lands of the Darramuragal people. She holds a BA in communicative English from Mount Carmel College and an MA degree in Creative Writing from the University of Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 25, 2023
This is a rich and insightful debut, one that really forced me to think hard about the challenges faced by students I’ve shared classrooms with in the past. I loved Malli’s character, and I also got quite a kick out of several familiar settings featured throughout. I really hope The Days Toppled Over triggers some important conversations about how we treat the people we invite to Australia to work and study.
My full review of The Days Toppled Over is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of The Days Toppled Over is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
September 17, 2023
The Days Toppled Over is the second novel by Indian author, Vidya Madabashi. In Bangalore, at 8pm on a Sunday night, Malli puts aside her proof-reading and medical transcribing to wait for her younger brother, Surya’s regular phone call. When it doesn’t come, at first, she rationalises that there may be any number of reasons for this uncharacteristic omission. When her emails and texts go unanswered, she becomes more concerned.
A week earlier, in Sydney, Surya is excited when attractive Bobby has agreed to go out with him. He works as a delivery driver for Golden Fort Indian restaurant, while she manages another branch. He’s on a student visa (Hospitality Management), but his boss (and landlord) Narsing has promised him a promotion, and he’s hopeful of applying for a 457 visa with a view to permanent residency.
He hasn’t been entirely honest with his sister. He has already completed the Business Management course she thinks he’s doing, but doesn’t want to go back to India: he wants to live a different life, in Australia. Although “He’d thought that leaving behind his old life would replace his grief-filled memories with new, happier ones. But his grief continued to cast its long shadow over the rest of his life, tainting everything.” First, he needs to get out from under his slave-driver boss’s control.
Unusually for a thirty-six-year-old woman, Malli lives in the Vanavan Retirement Village, at the suggestion of her late mother’s good friend, Mrs Munshi. Malli has selective mutism since a young age, only able to speak to family at home. But since her parents died, and Surya went to Sydney, no one except Malli has heard her voice. At Vanavan, she looks after the residents’ needs, but they also keep a caring eye on her.
When no call from Surya is forthcoming, Malli’s concern increases: she ends up agreeing to travel to Sydney with a Missing Persons website administrator who is going to meet his sister. Nayan is a strange combination of worldly and utterly naïve, but she feels she has no choice but to trust him when he manages to track down the place where Surya was working. Can they find Surya before tragedy strikes?
With this tale, Madabushi demonstrates the trap that unsuspecting foreign students can so easily fall into while trying to survive in an unfamiliar environment, especially when there are unscrupulous types waiting to take advantage.
Madabushi gives the reader some wonderful descriptive prose: “isolation is a fertile cesspool, a septic tank around which other maladies congregate like eager summer mosquitoes” and “whenever anyone turned to Malli in anticipation of speech, her heart thumped, her brow creased with fear and her tongue grew heavy and thick, as though a red brick had been placed on it” are examples.
She also gives her characters wise words, insightful observations like: “In her less sentimental hours, Malli scoffs at herself, for the weakness in the human mind that sees it fill up all its cracks with soft and meaningless putty” and “We all just see what we want to see. There is an actual art to not seeing. It is a hard thing to do but we’ve mastered it. Like closing all our inner doors and windows, not letting the dark get in. because if we really looked, it would turn or lives upside down and some of the misery will become ours”. Topical, moving and thought-provoking.
A week earlier, in Sydney, Surya is excited when attractive Bobby has agreed to go out with him. He works as a delivery driver for Golden Fort Indian restaurant, while she manages another branch. He’s on a student visa (Hospitality Management), but his boss (and landlord) Narsing has promised him a promotion, and he’s hopeful of applying for a 457 visa with a view to permanent residency.
He hasn’t been entirely honest with his sister. He has already completed the Business Management course she thinks he’s doing, but doesn’t want to go back to India: he wants to live a different life, in Australia. Although “He’d thought that leaving behind his old life would replace his grief-filled memories with new, happier ones. But his grief continued to cast its long shadow over the rest of his life, tainting everything.” First, he needs to get out from under his slave-driver boss’s control.
Unusually for a thirty-six-year-old woman, Malli lives in the Vanavan Retirement Village, at the suggestion of her late mother’s good friend, Mrs Munshi. Malli has selective mutism since a young age, only able to speak to family at home. But since her parents died, and Surya went to Sydney, no one except Malli has heard her voice. At Vanavan, she looks after the residents’ needs, but they also keep a caring eye on her.
When no call from Surya is forthcoming, Malli’s concern increases: she ends up agreeing to travel to Sydney with a Missing Persons website administrator who is going to meet his sister. Nayan is a strange combination of worldly and utterly naïve, but she feels she has no choice but to trust him when he manages to track down the place where Surya was working. Can they find Surya before tragedy strikes?
With this tale, Madabushi demonstrates the trap that unsuspecting foreign students can so easily fall into while trying to survive in an unfamiliar environment, especially when there are unscrupulous types waiting to take advantage.
Madabushi gives the reader some wonderful descriptive prose: “isolation is a fertile cesspool, a septic tank around which other maladies congregate like eager summer mosquitoes” and “whenever anyone turned to Malli in anticipation of speech, her heart thumped, her brow creased with fear and her tongue grew heavy and thick, as though a red brick had been placed on it” are examples.
She also gives her characters wise words, insightful observations like: “In her less sentimental hours, Malli scoffs at herself, for the weakness in the human mind that sees it fill up all its cracks with soft and meaningless putty” and “We all just see what we want to see. There is an actual art to not seeing. It is a hard thing to do but we’ve mastered it. Like closing all our inner doors and windows, not letting the dark get in. because if we really looked, it would turn or lives upside down and some of the misery will become ours”. Topical, moving and thought-provoking.
October 17, 2023
The Days Toppled Over is the second novel by Indian author, Vidya Madabashi. The audio version is narrated by Zenia Starr and Nickin Alexander. In Bangalore, at 8pm on a Sunday night, Malli puts aside her proof-reading and medical transcribing to wait for her younger brother, Surya’s regular phone call. When it doesn’t come, at first, she rationalises that there may be any number of reasons for this uncharacteristic omission. When her emails and texts go unanswered, she becomes more concerned.
A week earlier, in Sydney, Surya is excited when attractive Bobby has agreed to go out with him. He works as a delivery driver for Golden Fort Indian restaurant, while she manages another branch. He’s on a student visa (Hospitality Management), but his boss (and landlord) Narsing has promised him a promotion, and he’s hopeful of applying for a 457 visa with a view to permanent residency.
He hasn’t been entirely honest with his sister. He has already completed the Business Management course she thinks he’s doing, but doesn’t want to go back to India: he wants to live a different life, in Australia. Although “He’d thought that leaving behind his old life would replace his grief-filled memories with new, happier ones. But his grief continued to cast its long shadow over the rest of his life, tainting everything.” First, he needs to get out from under his slave-driver boss’s control.
Unusually for a thirty-six-year-old woman, Malli lives in the Vanavan Retirement Village, at the suggestion of her late mother’s good friend, Mrs Munshi. Malli has selective mutism since a young age, only able to speak to family at home. But since her parents died, and Surya went to Sydney, no one except Malli has heard her voice. At Vanavan, she looks after the residents’ needs, but they also keep a caring eye on her.
When no call from Surya is forthcoming, Malli’s concern increases: she ends up agreeing to travel to Sydney with a Missing Persons website administrator who is going to meet his sister. Nayan is a strange combination of worldly and utterly naïve, but she feels she has no choice but to trust him when he manages to track down the place where Surya was working. Can they find Surya before tragedy strikes?
With this tale, Madabushi demonstrates the trap that unsuspecting foreign students can so easily fall into while trying to survive in an unfamiliar environment, especially when there are unscrupulous types waiting to take advantage.
Madabushi gives the reader some wonderful descriptive prose: “isolation is a fertile cesspool, a septic tank around which other maladies congregate like eager summer mosquitoes” and “whenever anyone turned to Malli in anticipation of speech, her heart thumped, her brow creased with fear and her tongue grew heavy and thick, as though a red brick had been placed on it” are examples.
She also gives her characters wise words, insightful observations like: “In her less sentimental hours, Malli scoffs at herself, for the weakness in the human mind that sees it fill up all its cracks with soft and meaningless putty” and “We all just see what we want to see. There is an actual art to not seeing. It is a hard thing to do but we’ve mastered it. Like closing all our inner doors and windows, not letting the dark get in. because if we really looked, it would turn or lives upside down and some of the misery will become ours”. Topical, moving and thought-provoking.
A week earlier, in Sydney, Surya is excited when attractive Bobby has agreed to go out with him. He works as a delivery driver for Golden Fort Indian restaurant, while she manages another branch. He’s on a student visa (Hospitality Management), but his boss (and landlord) Narsing has promised him a promotion, and he’s hopeful of applying for a 457 visa with a view to permanent residency.
He hasn’t been entirely honest with his sister. He has already completed the Business Management course she thinks he’s doing, but doesn’t want to go back to India: he wants to live a different life, in Australia. Although “He’d thought that leaving behind his old life would replace his grief-filled memories with new, happier ones. But his grief continued to cast its long shadow over the rest of his life, tainting everything.” First, he needs to get out from under his slave-driver boss’s control.
Unusually for a thirty-six-year-old woman, Malli lives in the Vanavan Retirement Village, at the suggestion of her late mother’s good friend, Mrs Munshi. Malli has selective mutism since a young age, only able to speak to family at home. But since her parents died, and Surya went to Sydney, no one except Malli has heard her voice. At Vanavan, she looks after the residents’ needs, but they also keep a caring eye on her.
When no call from Surya is forthcoming, Malli’s concern increases: she ends up agreeing to travel to Sydney with a Missing Persons website administrator who is going to meet his sister. Nayan is a strange combination of worldly and utterly naïve, but she feels she has no choice but to trust him when he manages to track down the place where Surya was working. Can they find Surya before tragedy strikes?
With this tale, Madabushi demonstrates the trap that unsuspecting foreign students can so easily fall into while trying to survive in an unfamiliar environment, especially when there are unscrupulous types waiting to take advantage.
Madabushi gives the reader some wonderful descriptive prose: “isolation is a fertile cesspool, a septic tank around which other maladies congregate like eager summer mosquitoes” and “whenever anyone turned to Malli in anticipation of speech, her heart thumped, her brow creased with fear and her tongue grew heavy and thick, as though a red brick had been placed on it” are examples.
She also gives her characters wise words, insightful observations like: “In her less sentimental hours, Malli scoffs at herself, for the weakness in the human mind that sees it fill up all its cracks with soft and meaningless putty” and “We all just see what we want to see. There is an actual art to not seeing. It is a hard thing to do but we’ve mastered it. Like closing all our inner doors and windows, not letting the dark get in. because if we really looked, it would turn or lives upside down and some of the misery will become ours”. Topical, moving and thought-provoking.
April 13, 2024
This book is not one I would have found except my book club selected it and I am very glad they did. It is beautifully written with the complex relationships between two siblings as the central theme. In tandem with the relationships it has made me question many things about the Australian immigration system, and what I now fully understand as the vulnerable situation international students are in, where exploitation is so prevalent. So many of these students will be our workforce of the future and we need to do better in supporting them.
June 26, 2023
I had been eagerly waiting for Vidya Madabushi's big Australian debut—The Days Toppled Over, ever since I heard about it. Growing up as an Indian, I had a lot of privileges, including reading books by Indian authors. However, reading an Australian author of Indian origin hits entirely differently.
Vidya Madabushi's debut novel, ‘The Days Toppled Over,’ explores the intricate tapestry of sibling relationships, mental health prejudices, the complexity of international students and, most importantly, the strength of the human spirit. Through vivid storytelling and well-drawn characters, Madabushi presents a poignant exploration of personal growth in the face of adversity.
The story centres around the protagonist, Malli, a young woman who can't speak outside her home. Her life revolves around a weekly phone call with her younger brother, Surya, who is studying in Australia. When Surya misses their call for the first time, Malli's calm life gets turned upside down. Deeply plagued by her brother's absence, Malli decides to take matters into her own hands and is set to do everything to uncover the truth—even if it means travelling to Sydney.
The strength of the novel lies in its portrayal of sibling dynamics. Through Malli and Surya, Madabushi skillfully captures the essence of sibling bond—the unspoken understanding, the shared memories, and the fierce protectiveness. The novel also excels in shedding light on the complexities of an immigrant navigating a foreign land while striving to achieve academic and personal success. It allows readers to broaden their understanding of the challenges faced by those who leave their home country to pursue a better future.
Being an Indian, an expat and above all, an elder sister, I could closely relate to all the themes involved. Readers who appreciate stories of love, determination and the power of connections will be captivated by this heartfelt narration of a sister's unwavering pursuit of the truth. ✨✨
Vidya Madabushi's debut novel, ‘The Days Toppled Over,’ explores the intricate tapestry of sibling relationships, mental health prejudices, the complexity of international students and, most importantly, the strength of the human spirit. Through vivid storytelling and well-drawn characters, Madabushi presents a poignant exploration of personal growth in the face of adversity.
The story centres around the protagonist, Malli, a young woman who can't speak outside her home. Her life revolves around a weekly phone call with her younger brother, Surya, who is studying in Australia. When Surya misses their call for the first time, Malli's calm life gets turned upside down. Deeply plagued by her brother's absence, Malli decides to take matters into her own hands and is set to do everything to uncover the truth—even if it means travelling to Sydney.
The strength of the novel lies in its portrayal of sibling dynamics. Through Malli and Surya, Madabushi skillfully captures the essence of sibling bond—the unspoken understanding, the shared memories, and the fierce protectiveness. The novel also excels in shedding light on the complexities of an immigrant navigating a foreign land while striving to achieve academic and personal success. It allows readers to broaden their understanding of the challenges faced by those who leave their home country to pursue a better future.
Being an Indian, an expat and above all, an elder sister, I could closely relate to all the themes involved. Readers who appreciate stories of love, determination and the power of connections will be captivated by this heartfelt narration of a sister's unwavering pursuit of the truth. ✨✨
April 17, 2024
An engaging story about the special bond between a girl and her younger brother. He is an overseas student barely able to make ends meet as an exploited employee of a restaurant chain. When his sister in India loses contact with him, she ventures to Sydney to find him.
April 20, 2024
5-Word Review:
Cultural exploitation, selective mutism, quirky
Memorable Quotes
Cultural exploitation, selective mutism, quirky
Memorable Quotes
"Malli has come to understand that isolation is a fertile cesspool, a septic tank around which other maladies congregate like eager summer mosquitoes."
"When you work in an Indian restaurant, turmeric coats everything, even the sunshine."
"There was a strange notion held by many that brown people came to a country to work hard and seek a better life, while white people went to quench their wanderlust."
"Hard work was the price they were willing to pay. Exploitation was the real price exacted from them."
"She remembers how the silver weighted drops came together. Like pools of grief."
"It was only love that had the ability to move things that seemed immovable."
"All the people he loves line up one after another, a conga line in his mind's eye. We are a caravan making our way through wild and unknown terrain..."
July 30, 2024
A slow read for me due to a reading slump but finally finished my June read for Birds of a Feather Book Club.
Malli, a young Indian woman is unable to speak outside of her home. The highlight of her week is a phone call from her brother Surya, who is studying and working in Australia. When Surya misses their weekly phone call, Malli fears something has happened. Despite her communication barriers, she enlists the help of a stranger on the internet to help her travel to Australia to find Surya.
The story is an endearing tale of a bond between a brother and sister against all odds and the pride of a man whose life in Australia transpired very differently to what he imagined.
Malli, a young Indian woman is unable to speak outside of her home. The highlight of her week is a phone call from her brother Surya, who is studying and working in Australia. When Surya misses their weekly phone call, Malli fears something has happened. Despite her communication barriers, she enlists the help of a stranger on the internet to help her travel to Australia to find Surya.
The story is an endearing tale of a bond between a brother and sister against all odds and the pride of a man whose life in Australia transpired very differently to what he imagined.
August 15, 2024
It’s not that I disliked this book, but it just felt too long for what it was, and I don’t know if that’s because I was reading it on my phone or if it was just the story.
Very little was happening in the first half, the stories were chronologically misaligned (which isn’t a problem so much as it’s something that I found irksome) and everything seemed to get resolved very quickly.
Very little was happening in the first half, the stories were chronologically misaligned (which isn’t a problem so much as it’s something that I found irksome) and everything seemed to get resolved very quickly.
August 15, 2023
- thanks to @penguinbooksaus for a #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I read because I am endlessly curious and because I want to learn and think about the world we live in. Books gift us limitless opportunities to understand other people, other realities, other worlds. Call me a literary romantic, but I keep picking up different books incessantly, no matter previous disappointments, because I always hope to find stories that force me to think profoundly, have uncomfortable and necessary conversations and become closer to understanding the lived experiences of my fellow human beings.
And that is precisely what Vidya Madabushi gave me.
The Days Toppled Over is about many things: profound loss, migration, unusual friendships, anxiety, familial love and above all, kindness and compassion. I must admit this story had a significant impact on me mainly because it was effortless to relate to the migration process to Australia on a personal level. However, I was extremely fortunate, and my experience was far from Surya's, yet I have heard his story many times before.
It is very taxing and almost impossible to win the right to live in Australia, yet one of the only possibilities nowadays is to do so as a student. The truth is, international students NEVER had it easy in this country, but after COVID-19, the financial and emotional independence necessary to survive became unattainable for anyone trying to migrate through studying. Luckily, Vidya wrote Malli and Surya's story, thus enabling us to think critically about this issue.
What I loved the most about this novel is not only the respectful and authentic way in which Vidya explored complex issues like mental health struggles and migration, but also how beautifully crafted the story of these siblings is. There is love, and kindness, and bravery. And we all need a little bit more of those in our lives.
Overall, The Days Toppled Over is a beautiful, warm, timely and thought-provoking exploration of Australian social issues that we must discuss. 100% recommended.
I read because I am endlessly curious and because I want to learn and think about the world we live in. Books gift us limitless opportunities to understand other people, other realities, other worlds. Call me a literary romantic, but I keep picking up different books incessantly, no matter previous disappointments, because I always hope to find stories that force me to think profoundly, have uncomfortable and necessary conversations and become closer to understanding the lived experiences of my fellow human beings.
And that is precisely what Vidya Madabushi gave me.
The Days Toppled Over is about many things: profound loss, migration, unusual friendships, anxiety, familial love and above all, kindness and compassion. I must admit this story had a significant impact on me mainly because it was effortless to relate to the migration process to Australia on a personal level. However, I was extremely fortunate, and my experience was far from Surya's, yet I have heard his story many times before.
It is very taxing and almost impossible to win the right to live in Australia, yet one of the only possibilities nowadays is to do so as a student. The truth is, international students NEVER had it easy in this country, but after COVID-19, the financial and emotional independence necessary to survive became unattainable for anyone trying to migrate through studying. Luckily, Vidya wrote Malli and Surya's story, thus enabling us to think critically about this issue.
What I loved the most about this novel is not only the respectful and authentic way in which Vidya explored complex issues like mental health struggles and migration, but also how beautifully crafted the story of these siblings is. There is love, and kindness, and bravery. And we all need a little bit more of those in our lives.
Overall, The Days Toppled Over is a beautiful, warm, timely and thought-provoking exploration of Australian social issues that we must discuss. 100% recommended.
August 5, 2023
Wow fantastic read and almost a 4. This story is not about the model minority it is not about Australia being this wonderful place and it felt like an authentic and different voice that I was captivated by.
May 14, 2025
‘Malli walks around her apartment, methodically sealing it off from the outside world.’
Malli, who lives in Bangalore, has an anxiety disorder which prevents her from speaking outside her own home. Malli is a selective mute who communicates with others through notes and agreed signs. The highlight of Malli’s week is when her younger brother Surya phones from Australia. Surya is studying in Australia and Malli enjoys his updates. When Surya misses a scheduled call, Malli is concerned. She consults a missing persons forum, and a user named Nayan offers to help her. Malli and Nayan travel to Sydney to try to find Surya.
Surya’s life in Sydney is nowhere near as successful as Malli has imagined. He lives above the restaurant he works in, enduring squalid conditions in the hope that he can obtain a work visa. Surya, and others, are aware that they are being exploited by the restaurant’s owner, Narsing, who holds their passports and pays very little, but obtaining a work visa is critical.
‘Hard work was the price they were willing to pay. Exploitation was the real price exacted from them.’
A series of events involving a fellow worker place Surya at risk. He loses his job and has nowhere to stay. He no longer has his ‘phone and can neither contact his sister nor respond to her messages.
Malli’s search for Surya, with Nayan’s help, unfolds slowly. The reader learns some uncomfortable truths about the lives of some international students in Australia, about the unscrupulous and exploitative practices of some employers. One of Surya’s co-workers has an infected tooth but cannot afford time off or the expense involved to see a dentist. Another co-worker is in an abusive relationship with Narsing and cannot escape.
I kept reading, wanting a happy ending, feeling uncomfortable with the situation Surya is in and hoping that Malli could find her voice again. Several important but uncomfortable issues are covered, and this is the type of novel that lingers in my mind long after the final page is read.
This is Ms Madabushi’s debut Australian novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Malli, who lives in Bangalore, has an anxiety disorder which prevents her from speaking outside her own home. Malli is a selective mute who communicates with others through notes and agreed signs. The highlight of Malli’s week is when her younger brother Surya phones from Australia. Surya is studying in Australia and Malli enjoys his updates. When Surya misses a scheduled call, Malli is concerned. She consults a missing persons forum, and a user named Nayan offers to help her. Malli and Nayan travel to Sydney to try to find Surya.
Surya’s life in Sydney is nowhere near as successful as Malli has imagined. He lives above the restaurant he works in, enduring squalid conditions in the hope that he can obtain a work visa. Surya, and others, are aware that they are being exploited by the restaurant’s owner, Narsing, who holds their passports and pays very little, but obtaining a work visa is critical.
‘Hard work was the price they were willing to pay. Exploitation was the real price exacted from them.’
A series of events involving a fellow worker place Surya at risk. He loses his job and has nowhere to stay. He no longer has his ‘phone and can neither contact his sister nor respond to her messages.
Malli’s search for Surya, with Nayan’s help, unfolds slowly. The reader learns some uncomfortable truths about the lives of some international students in Australia, about the unscrupulous and exploitative practices of some employers. One of Surya’s co-workers has an infected tooth but cannot afford time off or the expense involved to see a dentist. Another co-worker is in an abusive relationship with Narsing and cannot escape.
I kept reading, wanting a happy ending, feeling uncomfortable with the situation Surya is in and hoping that Malli could find her voice again. Several important but uncomfortable issues are covered, and this is the type of novel that lingers in my mind long after the final page is read.
This is Ms Madabushi’s debut Australian novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 4, 2023
The characters, plot and settings felt very real. Although I found his whole arc odd, Nayan was just quirky enough to be real in a "truth is stranger than fiction" way. The plight/exploitation of international students here is an important issue and whilst the beautiful parts of Sydney are often showcased, The Days Toppled Over shows the ugly side of migration to the city. As someone else's review pointed out, this is a rare immigrant novel that doesn't paint Australia as a complete paradise where nothing ever goes wrong. It's refreshing to see and feels true to life.
Excellent characterisation as well and a great sense of emotion. Malli's feelings about her anxiety disorder resonated with me as someone who has gone through some similar issues.
However, this is not my usual genre or style and this realism also made it a bit slow paced at times, especially throughout the middle. Real life doesn't zip along with plot twists at every turn and neither did this novel for the most part. It did start to pick up towards the end but was mostly a slice of life/literary fiction type of book. If you are a fan of this genre you will be hooked.
Excellent characterisation as well and a great sense of emotion. Malli's feelings about her anxiety disorder resonated with me as someone who has gone through some similar issues.
However, this is not my usual genre or style and this realism also made it a bit slow paced at times, especially throughout the middle. Real life doesn't zip along with plot twists at every turn and neither did this novel for the most part. It did start to pick up towards the end but was mostly a slice of life/literary fiction type of book. If you are a fan of this genre you will be hooked.
August 14, 2024
Vidya Madabushi’s *The Days Toppled Over* is a tender, arresting, and ultimately uplifting exploration of mental health, family, and the precarious lives of international students in Australia. The novel follows Malli, a young woman who struggles with selective mutism, whose life is upended when her brother, Surya, studying in Australia, misses their weekly call.
As Malli embarks on a journey to find Surya, aided by the unconventional Nayan, the narrative shifts between Bangalore and Sydney, revealing the harsh realities Surya faces as an international student. Living in squalid conditions and enduring poor treatment in pursuit of a work visa, Surya’s world unravels after a racist incident leads him to a reckless act.
Madabushi's portrayal of these challenges is both vivid and heart-wrenching, balanced by moments of warmth and humour. With its rich sense of place and memorable characters, *The Days Toppled Over* is a compelling read that highlights the power of human connection and the possibility of transformation in even the most difficult circumstances.
As Malli embarks on a journey to find Surya, aided by the unconventional Nayan, the narrative shifts between Bangalore and Sydney, revealing the harsh realities Surya faces as an international student. Living in squalid conditions and enduring poor treatment in pursuit of a work visa, Surya’s world unravels after a racist incident leads him to a reckless act.
Madabushi's portrayal of these challenges is both vivid and heart-wrenching, balanced by moments of warmth and humour. With its rich sense of place and memorable characters, *The Days Toppled Over* is a compelling read that highlights the power of human connection and the possibility of transformation in even the most difficult circumstances.
March 10, 2025
A book about love, in infinite formations.
A book about family, and the awkward, sometimes clumsy love between siblings.
A book about friendship, and the lengths we will go to for those we love. Some of the depictions of friendship, especially upholding male friendships that are full of wholehearted care, made me tear up a little.
A book about cruelty, power and exploitation.
This book is quirky, but grounded. As I read about Suryas experience of exploitation as an international student (in a restaurant in a suburb I used to live in), it made me reckon with my own naivety about what is going on behind wide open doors in my own city.
The ending had some really beautiful moments, but was a little neat.
——
“We all just see what we want to see. There is an actual art to not seeing” Ramana continues “it’s a hard thing to do but we’ve mastered it. Like closing all our inner doors and windows, not letting the dark get in. Because if we really looked, it would turn our lives upside down and some of that misery will become ours.”
A book about family, and the awkward, sometimes clumsy love between siblings.
A book about friendship, and the lengths we will go to for those we love. Some of the depictions of friendship, especially upholding male friendships that are full of wholehearted care, made me tear up a little.
A book about cruelty, power and exploitation.
This book is quirky, but grounded. As I read about Suryas experience of exploitation as an international student (in a restaurant in a suburb I used to live in), it made me reckon with my own naivety about what is going on behind wide open doors in my own city.
The ending had some really beautiful moments, but was a little neat.
——
“We all just see what we want to see. There is an actual art to not seeing” Ramana continues “it’s a hard thing to do but we’ve mastered it. Like closing all our inner doors and windows, not letting the dark get in. Because if we really looked, it would turn our lives upside down and some of that misery will become ours.”
May 1, 2024
I was searching in BorrowBox for my next e-book and settled on this story about an international student caught up in a manipulative circumstance whilst trying to study and work to support himself, all the while with the elusive promise of attaining permanent residency in Australia.
Meanwhile back in India, his sister is struggling with her own challenges, including selective mutism, social anxiety and isolation. She works from home assessing written reports, and spends time assisting the elderly in her residential community.
Her brother calls regularly from Australia, at the same time and day each week, but when a call is missed and contact is lost, concern sets in. Both the main characters are trying to cope outside of their comfort zones.
I enjoyed this story which flowed well and had interesting sidebars and was satisfactorily resolved. It did make me wonder how close it was to real international student experiences today.
Meanwhile back in India, his sister is struggling with her own challenges, including selective mutism, social anxiety and isolation. She works from home assessing written reports, and spends time assisting the elderly in her residential community.
Her brother calls regularly from Australia, at the same time and day each week, but when a call is missed and contact is lost, concern sets in. Both the main characters are trying to cope outside of their comfort zones.
I enjoyed this story which flowed well and had interesting sidebars and was satisfactorily resolved. It did make me wonder how close it was to real international student experiences today.
June 28, 2023
I started reading this with a bit of trepidation, as I wasn't quite sure how the plot was going to be engaging; another story about a missing brother. But how I was wrong. The Days Toppled Over is so much more than just a lost sibling story - it exposes the ugly underbelly of human trafficking and exploitation that is happening under our noses. At times I was worried, other times scared, sometimes hopeful, always engaged. Vidya Madabushi has done a wonderful job of combining a story of lost communication with a statement about the frailty of the human condition. I gave it 4.5 stars but where are the half stars on Goodreads??
September 9, 2023
Malli is 36 years old and lives alone in a retirement village in India. She helps the residents attend their medical appointments, does shopping for them and just makes their life easier. She also has selected mutism, meaning she can speak but only when she is alone. In public her vocal chords seize up and she can’t make a sound. Her brother, Surya, lives in Sydney and calls one a week to tell Malli of his life. But then he doesn’t call for 3 weeks in a row, she becomes worried and decides to come to Australia to find him.
This was a strong story, about subculture I’ve not heard much about. The book is easy to read and I kept wanting to know what would happen next.
This was a strong story, about subculture I’ve not heard much about. The book is easy to read and I kept wanting to know what would happen next.
October 22, 2023
A beautifully written novel that explores family ties, and in particular those between sister and brother Malli and Surya, and what happens when those ties are tested. Madabushi deftly evokes the siblings' two worlds in Bangalore and Sydney, where each is trapped in different ways. Surya protects his sister from the reality of his life in Sydney as an exploited international student. But when he goes missing, Malli is desperate and takes the momentous decision to travel to Australia to find him. The novel explores ideas of trust and loyalty, power and exploitation. A terrific and thought provoking read.
July 27, 2024
I listened to the audio book and started it with no real idea of the plot or the characters. The audiobook was amazing!!!! I loved listening to it and wished it wouldn’t end. The author showed me a side of India I knew nothing about and included the “disability” of the main character with both ease and respect. The twists and turns were not predictable, the characters were clearly defined, you felt real love towards some and rage towards others. So well written and I’m so glad to have read this. Would love to see this made into a movie.
June 17, 2024
The Days Toppled Over by Vidya Madabushi is centred around siblings Malli and Surya. Surya has moved from India to Australia to try his luck becoming a businessman, and calls his sister dutifully every Sunday night. One Sunday night, Malli waits and waits for his call, in her small flat in Banglaore... but it doesn't come.
What comes next is a wonderful journey exploring the two vastly different countries and their connections with other people as Malli searches for her brother.
What comes next is a wonderful journey exploring the two vastly different countries and their connections with other people as Malli searches for her brother.
November 13, 2025
Really loved this book. It was emotional, easy to connect with, and made me think a lot about what life is like for international students in Australia. Knowing the author went through it herself made it even more interesting. And Malli’s relationships with her elderly neighbours, plus Surya’s friendships, and the way their own relationship was represented, were my favourite parts. I’d happily read it again just to really soak it all up. A beautiful, thoughtful read.
July 21, 2023
This is such a beautifully written work. It explores relationships, loss and mental health, and offers nuanced insight into the struggles and exploitation faced by international students seeking Australian visas. The characters are wonderfully crafted, and it’s a book that’s hard to put down once started.
April 25, 2024
Beautiful and captivating story
"The Days Toppled Over" is a captivating read, brimming with relatable characters. Malli's courageous journey with selective mutism, Surya's challenges as an international student, and the heartwarming bond between siblings are beautifully depicted. Nayan's role as Malli's supportive friend adds an extra layer of depth to the narrative.
"The Days Toppled Over" is a captivating read, brimming with relatable characters. Malli's courageous journey with selective mutism, Surya's challenges as an international student, and the heartwarming bond between siblings are beautifully depicted. Nayan's role as Malli's supportive friend adds an extra layer of depth to the narrative.
May 17, 2024
Thoroughly excellent. What a powerful insight into an Indian immigrants experience in Sydney Australia. What an insight into selective mutism. What a resounding manifesto about the all conquering power of love ( note this is not only about romantic love but sibling and friendship and parental love). More please more.
July 17, 2023
I couldn’t put this book down, it’s so heartbreakingly beautiful. I love the way Madabushi has created such rich and nuanced characters who, despite facing great tragedy, are lovingly depicted as so much more than the hardships they face.
I highly recommend!
I highly recommend!
August 17, 2023
This book deeply saddened and infuriated me, but it was so insightful. It opened my eyes to the struggles of international students living in Australia and especially hit home because they were Indian. I would highly recommend reading this touching story. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking.
September 17, 2023
An engaging read that provided insight into the conditions faced by many student-visa holders in Australia, tied together by familial love and searching. This former Sydney sider also appreciated the local references too.
May 15, 2024
This book really made me feel sympathy for Malli, Nayan and Surya and gave an insight into what life is like for some of our Indian immigrants even at the hands of their own countrymen. A really good read.
June 22, 2024
The thing I love about book clubs is that you read books you may never have picked up.
I enjoyed this story with insights into international student life, mental health, families and friendship. With some humour sprinkled in, I found it an enjoyable read.
I enjoyed this story with insights into international student life, mental health, families and friendship. With some humour sprinkled in, I found it an enjoyable read.
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