Renu Parmar

The Colour of Snow Renu Parmar

An immigrant Indian family adjusts to life in Canada. Two sisters learn that snow doesn't always stay white, and you can't use it to bury all the terrible things that happen to you. Cynical and hard-edged, Maya seeks comfort in food and eighties music to cope with her childhood trauma and her loveless marriage. After discovering the power of diet pills, she creates a brand new identity for herself. That's not her only secret. Her sister Sarika, a rebellious new-age dreamer, lives from her heart and her tarot cards - no arranged marriage for her. Starved for attention as a child, Sarika learns the power of cleavage and red lipstick, and moves to London to pursue acting. There, she enters a world of addiction to hide from demons of her own. This modern coming-of-age story spans three decades and casts a glow on the frailties and vulnerabilities of surviving a difficult childhood. This is a story about choices, and the peace we make with the choices we are not given. Quirky, funny, and painfully awkward, the alternating narrative voices of Maya and Sarika inspire the courage and wisdom it takes to liberate ourselves from the heartbreaking stories of our past.