Reviews

"Exploring in her study the disparate works of Salman Rushdie, Bharati Mukherjee, and V. S. Naipaul—three writers whose works are nearly never presented or discussed in a contextualized and communitized context—Cristina Dascalu is able to fully, even wholly, explore the displacement and acculturative experience of exile which thousands, if not millions, of fellow world citizens confront in our planetary community today. With considerable aplomb she, in the pages of Imaginary Homelands, explores and demonstrates the relevance of this experience and the full context of its implications. This important work is sure to prove to be perhaps one of the most vital and energetic studies of its kind produced in the forepart of the 21st century and will without question contribute to numerous dissertations and be referenced in scholarly articles yet to be written. Her work, presented here, is sure to become a “must-read” for serious students as well as scholars of postcolonial literary and decolonialization theory for years to come." - Lyle W. Morgan II, Professor of English and Director of English Education, Pittsburg State University

“A fascinating study, and a major contribution to critical discourse on the literature of exile.” – Professor John C. Green, Chair, Department of Theatre, Butler University

“A welcome addition to academic library collections in literacy criticism (especially comparative literature), ethnic and immigrant studies, exile and diaspora literature, as well as cultural studies.” – James Vroom, Librarian, Carnegie Mellon University

“In yoking together with her unsparing research, keen observation, and clearly empathetic stance of three seemingly dissimilar postcolonial writers, Cristina Dascalu has done far more than provide an excellent academic tool and fascinating reading. She has identified and redefined a metaphor for our time.” – Professor Francine Ringold, University of Tulsa; Editor-in-Chief, Nimrod International Journal; and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma

“Cristina Dascalu writes with a fine touch and knowledge a solid book about exile literature that is clarifying without oversimplifying, convincing, intelligent, poignant…an essential, satisfying reading…a compelling book of extensive scholarship and clear, well-expressed thoughts…A must have, must read book.” – Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Poet Laureate of Russia and Distinguished Professor of University of Tulsa

“One of the most lucid and concise examinations of exile that I have ever read. Dascalu’s meticulous theoretical groundwork allows her to articulate her position in the clearest of terms so that any educated and literate scholar could understand her argument.” – Professor G. Matthew Jenkins, Director of the Writing Program, English Department, University of Tulsa

“This book holds solid, extensive documentation with an impressive bibliography…the author’s daring, courage, and the freshness of her approaches as well as the originality demonstrated in her superb analysis of the texts from Rushdie, Mukherjee and Naipaul is outstanding.” – Prof. Dr. Odette Blumenfeld, Chair, Department of English, Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi, Romania

“This book contains fascinating research that will be appreciated by those studying in the fields of post-colonial criticism, exile literature, cultural and gender studies. …It is a great contribution to the agenda of post-colonial studies.” – Assist. Prof. Dr. Aytül Özüm, Specialist Postmodern English Literature, Cultural Studies and Literary Theory, Hacettepe University, Turkey

“A most informative scholarly work in the exile, immigration and Diaspora studies fields.” – Prof. Dr. Rodica Albu, Department of English, Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi, Romania

“The book has a very good theoretical and critical content, at the same time demonstrating the remarkable interpretative and research abilities and knowledge of the author. The academic rigor of the work is also most remarkable.” – Prof. Dr. Codrin Liviu Cutitaru, Department of English, Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi, Romania and Consul General of Romania at Vancouver

“Beautifully written, with sophistication and understanding, Dr. Cristina Emanuela Dascalu’s book clearly and compassionately addresses the condition of the exile, focusing on the dialectic between a person’s identity and the discourse and ideology that made the individual.” – Natalija Sulciene, Professor of English, Educational Center, Lithuania