Interpreter of Maladies
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Summary: Navigating between the Indian traditions they've inherited and the baffling new world, the characters in Jhumpa Lahiri's elegant, touching stories seek love beyond the barriers of culture and generations. In "A Temporary Matter," published in The New Yorker, a young Indian-American couple faces the heartbreak of a stillborn birth while their Boston neighborhood copes with a nightly blackout. In the title story, an interpreter guides an American family through the India of their ancestors and hears an astonishing confession. Lahiri writes with deft cultural insight reminiscent of Anita Desai and a nuanced depth that recalls Mavis Gallant.
Little Thoughts: This book is the January recommendation from Amanda. I couldn't agree more with the summary that this collection of short stories is elegant and touching; they were beautiful yet very heartbreaking stories. Before I started this book, someone mentioned that it was really sad, and I was hesitant, but while the stories were sad, they were sad in the way of someone pointing out the injustices of life that we all know exist. She shines a light on them and makes you acknowledge them.
Comments
Post a Comment