Family Planning

by Karan Mahajan

First published 2010

Mr Ahuja serves as Delhi's Minister of Urban Development while managing thirteen children at home, with number fourteen on the way. His sprawling household creates constant chaos that leaves him feeling disconnected from his own family. Desperate for connection, he turns to Arjun, his oldest son, hoping to find wisdom and companionship. Arjun faces his own challenges as a teenager trying to figure out how to approach the girl he likes on his school bus. The father and son navigate Delhi's complex network of flyovers and streets while stumbling through their respective problems. Their journey through the massive city mirrors their attempts to understand each other and their place in their oversized family. This debut novel captures the comedy and confusion of modern Indian family life through their bumbling adventures across the urban landscape.

Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: father-son-relationship, found-family

Setting: Delhi, India

Period: 21st-century

272 pages · Paperback · Vintage Books

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