If the average Indian family is dysfunctional, at the Big House in Malaysia they’re teetering perilously close to madness. There’s Aasha, who sees ghosts, but did she see a murder happen too? And Uma, who hates Amma, and possibly her grandmother Paati too. Appa, who would change the government, and marries below his class, lost to his mistress and Chindian children. Amma, marrying up, lonely, living in a world of makeup and silk. And Chellamservant, wrongly accused and quietly rebellious.
Preeta Samarasan’s debut novel tingles with brilliance even as it meanders across family secrets on a magical, mystery tour. Read it.
EVENING IS THE WHOLE DAY
Preeta Samarasan
340 pages
Rs 395
HarperCollins