
Loved it. Heartbreaking story.

My 6th #10beforetheend book
This was Kunzru‘s debut and while I think it shares themes with his later work regarding identity, race, and class, it‘s more conventional.
Moving from India to England to Africa, the story is Dickensian in scope. Pran is an Anglo-Indian boy who can pass for white. Circumstances put him on the streets, forcing him to adopt new identities to get by. He‘s always chasing after belonging, but underneath he is hollow.

#weekendreads
Unfortunately I have a (for me) busy four day weekend. Tis the season…ugh 😂 Nonetheless I should be able to finish at least two of my currently reading books.
The Library Book - #Roll100
The Impressionist and Home - #10beforetheend
Impossible Fortune because my library hold came in, though it could also work for #ChristmasCrimeChallenge

Two 5⭐️ reads and two more that were very close! But the tagged book is in the running for my favorite book of the year. I feel it‘s a very important book.
5 ⭐️= Loved It, would recommend to others. A+
4 ⭐️= Liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3.5 ⭐️ = Close to either pick or so-so
3 ⭐️= Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2 ⭐️=Nope D
1 ⭐️=DNF F

Overall, 8.5 out of 10 stars! I love thick books that take time to develop the characters and storyline. It‘s not a book of intense action but of thought, conflict, character development and family.

The Malayi family lives with a condition that makes in each generation different members to die by drowning. We see their stories and the story of India as a background during the 1900s while they try to live with this condition and with the grief that sometimes causes. A wonderful book, so descriptive and interesting I had to stop to google some places. You can tell the author is a doctor because of how well the medicine is explained, and ⬇️

Somehow, this book manages to be both a really great story but also one that sets out to pose moral conundrums, almost guaranteeing readers will place themselves in the shoes of the guardian and the thief. BUT: which character is which? Aren‘t we all at times the guardian and others the thief. Or even in the same moment, depending on the perspective of who‘s being guarded/stolen from? Near future India, climate ravaged—the perfect setting. Great!

This book has one of those endings that I will be thinking about for a long time to come. It is BRUTAL!
In similar circumstances I‘m sure that everyone would behave in ways that don‘t always aline with our values when desperately trying to do what‘s best for our loved ones, trying to survive. This book highlights that there is good and bad in most people and a fine line between right and wrong. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️