All stories are bittersweet, some more than the others. The endings aren’t rounded or neatly tied. These are slice-of-life stories, starting somewhere and ending elsewhere, sharing snippets of the people involved for a brief time. 

Most stories are set in the US, dealing with Diaspora from the subcontinent. Three of them are set in India, with two in Calcutta (not Kolkata, based on the stories’ timelines). Though I’ve read the book years ago, I’m in a much better position to understand them now. The sense of longing for human connection and the yearning to avoid isolation are strong in every story. 

Here’s a list of the stories in the book: 

·       A Temporary Matter – marriage, tragedy, trauma, distance, decisions (4 stars) 

·       When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine – Bangladesh war, immigrant life, friendships (4 stars) 

·       The Interpreter of Maladies – tourists, interpreter, secret, dysfunctional family, unhappy marriage (4 stars) 

·       A Real Durwan – old woman, refugee, changes, realities, loss, accusations 

·       Sexy – affair, infidelity, third-party, parallels, choices and decisions 

·       Mrs. Sen – homesickness, connected with food, alone, lonely, adjustments, yearning 

·       This Blessed House – finding J items, jealousy, disconnect, new marriage with no love 

·       The Treatment of Bibi Haldar – strange malady, when community tries to step in and help, the need to be needed 

·       The Third and Final Continent – moving to another country, new life, learning, Ms. Croft and her influence, life 

One thing I appreciate today is how the author doesn’t resort to stereotyping her characters despite using all the standard stereotypes. She makes them much more than these elements and adds a vital emotion to make then multidimensional (even if some of them are very much 2D).  

However, this isn’t a book you read for fun. There’s nothing lighthearted about it. It will fill you with melancholy that’s hard to be rid of. Pick it up only if you are ready for this.