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Four people share a small apartment in 1970s India during a time of political upheaval
1995Slow paceMelancholic
What it is about
In 1975, India declares a state of emergency. A widow named Dina Dalal takes in two tailors and a student as boarders in her small Bombay apartment. Their lives, which were very different, become intertwined as the world outside grows darker.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who like long and serious historical fiction.
What you will get
A major novel about hardship and friendship. It is heavy, but very rewarding.
A Fine Balance Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Literary Fiction · India · Emergency · Friendship
Length
603 pages · ≈ 17 h
More about this book
Characters
Dina Dalal, the tailors Ishvar and Omprakash, and the student Maneck.
Setting
Bombay and the Indian countryside in the 1970s.
What makes it different
An epic family-like story set in a small apartment.
Feel
Moving, humane and heavy.
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