First published 1984
Mohun Biswas loses his father to drowning as a child and spends the next four decades moving from house to house, never belonging anywhere. At 46, he still dreams of owning his own home. His marriage brings him into the powerful Tulsi family, but this connection becomes another form of dependence. The Tulsis control where he lives and how he earns money. Biswas refuses to accept this arrangement quietly. He tries job after job, searching for work that will free him from their influence. Each new occupation represents another attempt to break away from the family that shelters him but also suffocates him. The battle between Biswas and the Tulsis plays out over years of small rebellions and temporary defeats. His quest centers on one simple goal that proves surprisingly difficult to achieve: finding a place where he can live on his own terms.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: India
Period: 20th Century
531 pages · Hardcover · A. Deutsch