Product Description

Set in mid-1970s India, a subtle and compelling narrative about four unlikely characters who come together in circumstances no one could have foreseen soon after the government declares a 'State of Internal Emergency'. It is a breathtaking achievement: panoramic yet humane, intensely political yet rich with local delight.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1264 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 624 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
In 1975, in an unidentified Indian city, Mrs Dina Dalal, a financially pressed Parsi widow in her early 40s sets up a sweatshop of sorts in her ramshackle apartment. Determined to remain financially independent and to avoid a second marriage, she takes in a boarder and two Hindu tailors to sew dresses for an export company. As the four share their stories, then meals, then living space, human kinship prevails and the four become a kind of family, despite the lines of caste, class and religion. When tragedy strikes, their cherished, newfound stability is threatened, and each character must face a difficult choice in trying to salvage their relationships.

Review
"'One of India's finest living novelists.' Observer"

Customer Reviews

Fabulous!
Excellent book. The best read I have had for many years - couldn't put it down.

My favourite book
This is the book I recommend to every one of my friends. It is utterly beautiful, tragic and yet hopeful. I grew to love the characters and found the way Mistry conveys the complexity of human relationships wonderfully satisfying.

What the Dickens
As another reviewer has already said, Rohinton Mistry has echoed Dickens in this book. It is a social commentary about how well-meaning political decisions have a huge impact on the ordinary people. I read this after being badgered to by my godmother, and I am really glad that she kept on at me until i did.
It is at times an uncomfortable read - it highlights caste violence, government-backed brutality and extreme poverty, without ever sensationalising any of it. It is also, believe it or not, humourous, gentle and touching at the same time as being absolutely tragic and harrowing. the characters are beautifully fleshed-out, and the sights, smells and tastes of India are there as you read. I was so engrossed in the characters that I desperately wanted a happy ending for them all.

Whilst reading, it was sometimes hard to believe that this book is set in relatively modern times - the 70s - so cruel and astonishing are some of the incidents it relates. When I finished, I looked around at my home and children and realised exactly how fortunate I am. Not life-changing perhaps, but profoundly moving and unforgettable.