First published 2016
Manju knows his place in the family hierarchy. At fourteen, he plays cricket well but not as brilliantly as his older brother Radha. Their father obsesses over cricket and dominates both boys with his ambitions for their sporting careers. Manju spends his time watching CSI reruns and collecting scientific trivia while nursing both admiration for Radha's talent and resentment toward their controlling father. His world shifts when he meets Radha's main competitor, a boy who possesses all the privilege and self-assurance that Manju lacks. This encounter forces Manju to confront questions about his identity that everyone else seems to have already answered for him. As relationships change and cricket careers hang in the balance, Manju must make choices that will define both how he sees himself and how he understands the world around him.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, sports, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: India
Period: 21st-century
330 pages · Paperback · Picador