The Days Toppled Over

A powerful Australian debut.

Melanie Kembrey, The Booklist

I so enjoyed this book. It's packed full of heart and beautiful writing and characters i'll never forget.

Hayley Scrivenor

An engaging and thought-provoking novel with a strong sense of place, memorable characters and poignant examination of connection. Madabushi’s prose is sprinkled with humour, providing moments of light-heartedness amid profound themes. The dialogue between characters feels genuine, capturing their voices and relationships authentically. The narrative unfolds at a pace that keeps readers engrossed until the end.

Manuela Barry, Arts Hub

Vidya Madabushi’s lively debut flits between Surya and Malli’s narration as we follow her journey to Sydney to find him – and learn from him what has happened. With vivid characters and big heart, it speaks to the precarious existence of international students: a skyrocketing demographic seen as cash cows by a country which is leaving them hungry, homeless and at risk.

Steph Harmon, The Guardian, Best Australian Books in June

Its explorations of what constitutes success – and the price we pay for it – are likely to remain with you long after you’ve read the last page. It’s intelligent and warm, and punchy where it needs to be, reminding us all that we’re shackled to some sort of system, and that life is just a “competition of who can roam the most inside the cage”.

Sarah Ayoub, The Guardian

Madabushi shines a light on the hidden world of migrant exploitation on the streets of modern Sydney, painting characters that are at once both memorable and tragic. This is a book that grows on you with every page.

Saman Shad

A tender exploration of anxiety, alienation and our yearning for connection. Madabushi takes us from Bangalore to Sydney to the place called home. The novel is arresting and bold in its interrogation of the way migrant workers are treated in this country; and heartbreaking in its depiction of their vulnerability and desperation. Madabushi’s characters are utterly beguiling. Malli won my heart from the first chapter and in the final one, I cried and cheered out loud for this unforgettable heroine. Ultimately, this uplifting novel felt like the warm embrace of the family created within its wise and beautiful pages. Tender, arresting and uplifting.

Shankari Chandran

This remarkable novel both captures the present moment and speaks to the trials that migrants have faced for decades. Madabushi writes with great precision and warmth about the lives of precarious workers.

Andrew Pippos

It’s an eye-opening read that encourages reflection on the lives of international students and the chasm that develops between them and the family they leave behind.

Vyshnavee Wijekumar, The Saturday Paper

This is an Australian novel that has been missing for a long time. For Sydneysiders, the sense of place is likely to resonate. But most significantly, the novel provides a deeper understanding of those who work in the smaller restaurants of our hospitality sector. But in the end, it is also about connection and love and the importance of a safe place.

Sanchana Venkatesh, Newtown Review of Books