Dive into a world of vibrant colours, intricate relationships and compelling commentaries on India’s political, cultural and economic climate in these five highly recommended books written by South Asian authors.
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Set in the 1950s, The Henna Artist shares a journey of self-reliance, heartbreak, family and so much more. Refusing to be shackled by her abusive arranged marriage, Lakshmi Shastri flees to Jaipur, Rajasthan where she builds a life as a highly sought after henna artist to the women of the upper class elite. Juggling social norms and caste-based stereotypes, Lakshmi’s quest for independence becomes even more difficult when she is suddenly thrust with the responsibility of a younger sister she never knew existed.
Vivid and rich in details and colour, Joshi captures your attention from Page 1. Lakshmi makes for a relatable protagonist– one that you can truly root for the entirety of the book as she embodies what it means to be self-made. The Henna Artist is part of a trilogy with the second book, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, having already been released, and the third book coming soon.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
With great ambition, sharp wit and questionable morals, Balram Halwai shares his transformation from servant and driver for a wealthy family to a successful entrepreneur in The White Tiger. There are two sides to India, Balram muses–the Darkness in which he was born in and the Light in which those with the luxury cars and mansions thrive. Driving the rich gives Balram an inside look into the way the world of the Light works and what it takes to make the unexpected journey from the Darkness to the Light.
Examining the stark contradictions in Indian society, Adiga’s writing is clever, fast-paced and a must-read. If The White Tiger sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve heard of or seen its highly regarded film adaptation, starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Adarsh Gourav and Rajkummar Rao.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal
With strikingly different personalities and goals, Rajni, Jezmeen and Shirina Shergill were never close growing up and the sentiment remained even as they became adults. However, when their mother makes a dying wish for them to travel across India together and perform her final rites, the sisters are forced on an unlikely family holiday. Years of mistrust, secrets and hurt come unraveling, leading the Shergill sisters to see themselves, each other and their mother in new lights.
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a heartwarming, emotional story definitely worth reading and one that you for sure can relate to especially if you have siblings.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls by Anuja Chauhan
For stories full of humour, heart and warmth, Anuja Chauhan’s novels are sure to appeal to you. Set in New Delhi, Those Pricey Thakur Girls tells the story of Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur’s five alphabetically named daughters–Anjini, Binodini, Chandrakanta, Debjani and Eshwari–with a particular focus on naive yet fiery Debjani. Though the highlight of the story is Debjani’s love story with rebel journalist Dylan Singh Shekhawat, Chauhan explores the trials and tribulations of all of the Thakur Girls set against the political climate of India in the 1980s.
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara
Drawing on the grim realities of daily child disappearances in India, Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line tells of nine-year-old Jai’s search for his missing classmate. Taking cues from the crime shows he loves to watch, Jai enlists the help of his friends on his investigation but quickly learns that the reality is nothing like an episode of Police Patrol. Instead, Jai encounters incompetent and corrupt police officers, gang members and a bewildering djinn or spirit as he races against time and increased disappearances.
Anappara describes the lives of community members of the slums with vibrant details in a necessary commentary on modern India’s continued economic, social and cultural inequalities. But it is seeing the tragedy unfold through the eyes of a child that makes Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line so impactful.