First published 1991
Various characters across India confront the tensions that divide their society. Religious believers struggle with faith amid contradictions that force difficult compromises. Each person responds differently to the frictions that permeate Indian life. Some adapt to the conflicts around them while others resist the pressures to conform. The characters wrestle with questions of identity and belonging in a nation pulled between tradition and change. Their stories reveal how ordinary people cope when their beliefs clash with reality. Naipaul shows how individuals find ways to survive in a society marked by division and uncertainty.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, cultural, asian-american
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, social-commentary
Setting: India
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
521 pages · Hardcover · Viking