Summary from Novelist Plus: Exploring the secrets and complexities lying at the heart of family life and relationships, a collection of eight stories includes the title work, about a young mother in a new city whose father tends her garden while hiding a secret love affair.
8 comments:
I loved this book. It interweaves the lives of its characters, ends sadly, but beautifully.
rich. lovely.
Each short story in this collection has deep character development that educates you about Indian culture, but also contains universal truths. I felt physical pain in my heart for some of the characters' experiences. This book reads as if the characters are personal friends who call you on the phone and tell you their daily woes and experiences. Ms. Lhari is as poignant a speaker as she is a writer and would enrich our lives if we chose one of her books.
The writing is beautiful, but I had trouble relating to the characters, who all seemed rather bleak and disconnected.
Certainly the stories would generate discussion, but I wondered about the book's appeal to a broad audience.
I read this book awhile ago and remember being so impressed with Lahiri's writing. I like the idea of RARI choosing a book of short stories, especially stories like these that are so complex and multi-layered. I think there would be a lot to talk about since Lahiri's stories are wonderful windows into the human psyche and experience. Also, a bonus feature of this book is that Lahiri is a Rhode Island native.
fabulous writer who interweaves stories beautifully. you really get to know the characters and keep thinking of the them long after you've put down the book. any book by lahiri is great. you can't go wrong reading her
A collection of eight stories, Unaccustomed Earth is beautifully written and lets us glimpse at the lives of people who have moved from India to the United States.
I loved the book because it deals with intercultural themes and also much more. In one story, a young Indian-American woman sees a whole new side to her father when he visits her and her husband and bonds immediately with their three-year-old son. Her father had always seemed quite distant and remote. Had he changed? Had her ability to see the qualities in other people changed?
In another story, a young Indian-American woman enjoys sharing an occasional six-pack with her (underage) teenage brother when he is home from school. It creates nice bonding memories – until she realizes he has become a serious alcoholic.
This book would lend itself to discussions of Indian culture, the challenges of moving to a new culture, family relationships, substance abuse, and the short story as a genre. It would appeal to both men and women. It is available in paperback and audio CD.
The author, who is of Indian heritage, was born in London and grew up in Rhode Island. She lives in New York City.
I read all the great selections in the running for our next RI book. I believe Unaccustomed Earth will appeal to a wide audience. Lahiri's writing is beautiful. The story Hell - Heaven -- how many times can you say you have gasped out loud while reading? And, after all, she did win the Pulitzer Prize for Interpreter of Maladies!
The character development and the discriptive writing are what endear me to Ms Lhari's writing. I think her ties to RI and her award winning writing would make this book a wonderful choice for RARI 2010.
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