Father forgive them Book

Another very impressive family story in two unequal parts. The first, set in a small provincial Indian city, tells the story of Uma, a woman with neither brains nor beauty, reduced to acting as a virtual servant for her parents after they have failed to find her a husband. The shorter second part covers the experiences of her younger brother Arun in a university vacation period in New England, where he struggles to fit in to the dysfunctional family with whom he is boarding.

Desai captures the frustrations of both characters very well, and her language is a pleasure to read. The only previous one of her books I have read was Clear Light of Day, and this one covers similar ground, though it dates from much later in her career.