A Fine Balance
Publisher details
Synopsis
In mid-1970s urban India - a chaos of wretchedness on the streets and slogans in the offices - a chain of circumstances tosses four varied individuals together in one small flat. Stubbornly independent Dina, widowed early, takes in Maneck, the college-aged son of a more prosperous childhood friend and, more reluctantly, Ishvar and Om, uncle and nephew tailors fleeing low-caste origins and astonishing hardships. The reader first learns the characters' separate, compelling histories of brief joys and abiding sorrows, then watches as barriers of class, suspicion, and politeness are gradually dissolved. Even more affecting than Mistry's depictions of squalor and grotesque injustice is his study of friendships emerging unexpectedly, naturally. The novel's coda is cruel and heart-wrenching but deeply honest.#25 in ABC My Favourite Book

Books by Rohinton Mistry
Related articles
News | Author Related
I Don't Wait For Inspiration: Q&A with Garry Disher, Author of Peace
News | Author Related
Readers will Love the Remote Tasmanian Setting: Q&A with The Great Divide Author, L.J.M. Owen
News | Author Related
My Dog Listens to me Plotting: Q&A with The Poppy Wife Author, Caroline Scott
News | Author Related
It Would be my Worst Nightmare: Q&A with Dani Atkins, Author of A Million Dreams
News | Author Related
A Celebration of Resilience and Empowerment: Q&A With The Changing Room Author Christine Sykes
Leave a Reply