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What the Tongue Remembers
Jealousy, longing, betrayal, and faith simmer in this tantalizing collection of eleven short stories about Malayalee women in Singapore. Each stands at a crossroads in life, stirring a pot of nostalgia and desire as they prepare comforting dishes for those they love.
In the kitchens of the meticulous Anusha Menon, the fearless Chellamma, and the gentle Aysha Rahman, the scent of Kerala’s rich culinary heritage lingers in recipes passed down through generations and in spices carrying whispers of home. In another corner of the city, Lilykutty Mathews holds the last hours of her marriage tenderly, learning that endings have their own kind of hunger.
Across these kitchens and lives, no dish, however lovingly prepared, can quiet their deepest hunger, the hunger to love and be loved.
In the kitchens of the meticulous Anusha Menon, the fearless Chellamma, and the gentle Aysha Rahman, the scent of Kerala’s rich culinary heritage lingers in recipes passed down through generations and in spices carrying whispers of home. In another corner of the city, Lilykutty Mathews holds the last hours of her marriage tenderly, learning that endings have their own kind of hunger.
Across these kitchens and lives, no dish, however lovingly prepared, can quiet their deepest hunger, the hunger to love and be loved.
360 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2026
About the author
Anitha Devi Pillai
18 books20 followersAnitha Devi Pillai (Ph.D) is a Singaporean author, translator, poet, and academic of Malayalee heritage whose work explores memory, food, language, intimacy, inheritance, and the lives of women in Singapore.
She is the author and editor of eleven books, including 'What the Tongue Remembers', published by Penguin Random House SEA. Her English translation of Kamaladevi Aravindan’s Tamil novel Sembawang was the finalist for the Singapore History Prize and the Best Literary Work Prize, and her short story “Lost in Translation” was longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2025.
She teaches creative writing and applied linguistics at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
She is the author and editor of eleven books, including 'What the Tongue Remembers', published by Penguin Random House SEA. Her English translation of Kamaladevi Aravindan’s Tamil novel Sembawang was the finalist for the Singapore History Prize and the Best Literary Work Prize, and her short story “Lost in Translation” was longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2025.
She teaches creative writing and applied linguistics at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 30, 2026
The book is a collection of stories rooted in the lives of Malayalee women in Singapore but has nevertheless created a sense of recognition far beyond its particular cultural setting.
I found myself resonating with these stories through something universal: the complex experience of being a woman and the many ways in which we learn to love.
Across its eleven stories, love is treated with honesty and a deep respect for its many forms, and the descriptions of food are often mouthwatering.
This book is a deeply specific collection, and that is part of its charm. Even if you don't share the exact cultural or geographical experiences, you can still find something of yourself in them. If anything, the collection offers an opportunity to step into these lives and discover the emotional experiences that connect all of us.
Read it for the stories, stay for the food, and perhaps you will close the book with a slightly better understanding of women and the ways they love.
I found myself resonating with these stories through something universal: the complex experience of being a woman and the many ways in which we learn to love.
Across its eleven stories, love is treated with honesty and a deep respect for its many forms, and the descriptions of food are often mouthwatering.
This book is a deeply specific collection, and that is part of its charm. Even if you don't share the exact cultural or geographical experiences, you can still find something of yourself in them. If anything, the collection offers an opportunity to step into these lives and discover the emotional experiences that connect all of us.
Read it for the stories, stay for the food, and perhaps you will close the book with a slightly better understanding of women and the ways they love.
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April 11, 2026A compilation of beautifully crafted short stories that brings warmth to the heart when read. The stories revolve around love, relationships, food, and culture. The author has exceptional writing skills that enable the characters and emotions of the stories to feel tangible to the readers. Food was a very strong aspect of the stories. The description of Kerala food, in particular, creates a very strong sensory appeal for the readers. You can feel the fresh aroma of 'Puttu' and 'Kadala curry' transcending across the words to your space. My favourite short story in this book would be "Expiration Date". An extremely unique take on the topic of marriage, making the readers wonder if marriage is actually the union of two souls till death parts them or simply just a social contract. Very thought-provoking. Reading the stories in this book was like taking a stroll in a garden filled with many different flowers. You experience unique colours, unique smells and eventually unique perspectives. Brilliant writing!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is an UNSETTLING read, and I loved it! I stayed up for the rest of the night, unable to sleep.
The stories stay in your mind because they are something that could possibly happen to us. It does not feel fictional, it feels REAL. It sounds like something that has happened or will happen to any of us. She shows us what can happen behind closed doors in the most ordinary lives. And that is SCARY.
My favourite story in the collection was 'the door between us'. Damn. Mayukhi was a real badass. I can't forget Anusha in 'Touchings' and Mareena in 'Blessings'. I found Chellamma in 'An Unusual Arrangement', another badass. Sajitha in 'Knowing' is every immigrant's worst nightmare.
Lillykutty's and Anand's love story is unforgettable. My heart aches for Lillykutty and Anusha. The modern permutation of cross-border arranged marriages hit close to home in 'How do you want your dumplings?'. 'The Measure of us' is a warning to all of us, on what can happen if we get carried away with perfect compatibility. 'What lies beneath' and 'Lost in Translation' scared me! 'Paper Mountains' made me feel that no matter what one does, at the end of the day, life comes in full circle.
Now, I must add that this book made me so hungry! Her vivid description of food and how food becomes part of the narrative left me craving for my childhood favourites and my childhood memories.
One thing I must confess. I had the privilege of reading the advance copy of this book. And boy, I was in for a surprise. This writer, whom I know for wearing pink and cutesy dresses, is able to see such darkness in the people around us. (P.S. I say this in a good way. ) :p
The stories stay in your mind because they are something that could possibly happen to us. It does not feel fictional, it feels REAL. It sounds like something that has happened or will happen to any of us. She shows us what can happen behind closed doors in the most ordinary lives. And that is SCARY.
My favourite story in the collection was 'the door between us'. Damn. Mayukhi was a real badass. I can't forget Anusha in 'Touchings' and Mareena in 'Blessings'. I found Chellamma in 'An Unusual Arrangement', another badass. Sajitha in 'Knowing' is every immigrant's worst nightmare.
Lillykutty's and Anand's love story is unforgettable. My heart aches for Lillykutty and Anusha. The modern permutation of cross-border arranged marriages hit close to home in 'How do you want your dumplings?'. 'The Measure of us' is a warning to all of us, on what can happen if we get carried away with perfect compatibility. 'What lies beneath' and 'Lost in Translation' scared me! 'Paper Mountains' made me feel that no matter what one does, at the end of the day, life comes in full circle.
Now, I must add that this book made me so hungry! Her vivid description of food and how food becomes part of the narrative left me craving for my childhood favourites and my childhood memories.
One thing I must confess. I had the privilege of reading the advance copy of this book. And boy, I was in for a surprise. This writer, whom I know for wearing pink and cutesy dresses, is able to see such darkness in the people around us. (P.S. I say this in a good way. ) :p
August 31, 2026
What the Tongue Remembers felt intimate to me from its first pages. Across these stories of Malayalee women in Singapore, food carries what families cannot always say aloud, about longing, inheritance, and the desire to be loved.
The story that stays with me most is “How Do You Want Your Dumplings?” because it touched me differently. I grew up in China, where dumplings belong to family tables, festivals, and the particular taste of home. Encountering them within an Indian-Singaporean story made the food feel familiar and new. A dumpling can travel across cultures, but every filling holds a different family history. Living and writing in Singapore, I often experience this kind of recognition as I encounter part of myself in another culture’s food, while remaining attentive to the distance between our memories.
I found this collection emotionally resonant in the way it understands the kitchen as an archive. Our tongues remember flavours, silences, and the people we once were when we first tasted home. We also remember the hands that prepared those meals, and the forms of love expressed through feeding rather than pale speech. Long after the final page, these stories return like a familiar and familial taste, carrying traces of places and people we thought we had left behind.
The story that stays with me most is “How Do You Want Your Dumplings?” because it touched me differently. I grew up in China, where dumplings belong to family tables, festivals, and the particular taste of home. Encountering them within an Indian-Singaporean story made the food feel familiar and new. A dumpling can travel across cultures, but every filling holds a different family history. Living and writing in Singapore, I often experience this kind of recognition as I encounter part of myself in another culture’s food, while remaining attentive to the distance between our memories.
I found this collection emotionally resonant in the way it understands the kitchen as an archive. Our tongues remember flavours, silences, and the people we once were when we first tasted home. We also remember the hands that prepared those meals, and the forms of love expressed through feeding rather than pale speech. Long after the final page, these stories return like a familiar and familial taste, carrying traces of places and people we thought we had left behind.
October 4, 2026
Dr Anitha writes with such care and precision. Each of the stories in this collection of short stories are tenderly crafted and the worlds Dr Anitha's characters carry are rich and nuanced.
Sculpted around food, recipes, longing and love, this book comes alive in the most colourful of ways, bringing cultures and traditions together through everyday themes.
Pair it with your morning coffee, or evening dessert because Dr A's magic makes you think about the significance of the meals you're having, the history and story behind each dish.
The characters feel like friends I could turn to, and reading their stories made me feel like I was sitting across from them, listening to their thoughts.
Sculpted around food, recipes, longing and love, this book comes alive in the most colourful of ways, bringing cultures and traditions together through everyday themes.
Pair it with your morning coffee, or evening dessert because Dr A's magic makes you think about the significance of the meals you're having, the history and story behind each dish.
The characters feel like friends I could turn to, and reading their stories made me feel like I was sitting across from them, listening to their thoughts.
September 3, 2026
A beautiful read! What the Tongue Remembers is such a beautiful and meaningful book. I remember reading it and being deeply touched by the way the words, stories, and emotions come together so thoughtfully. I’ve always been a huge admirer of Dr. Anitha’s writing, and this book is yet another wonderful piece of work. There is something so heartfelt about her writing that stays with you even after you’ve finished reading. I truly believe this is a book everyone should take the time to read. I’m sure every reader will take away something special from it. A beautiful book, beautifully written, and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend. ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Unexpected turn of events in the stories. It is an unusual way of a study of the human psyche.
It is quite a dark set of stories.
As a male reader, I found this collection of short stories with female protagonists rather a compelling collection of short stories. My favorite story was 'Knowing' and 'The Measure of us' which was set in a fictional university.
I strongly recommend this collection of short stories.
It is quite a dark set of stories.
As a male reader, I found this collection of short stories with female protagonists rather a compelling collection of short stories. My favorite story was 'Knowing' and 'The Measure of us' which was set in a fictional university.
I strongly recommend this collection of short stories.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews