One Amazing Thing
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
2010 (although the ARC was out in 2009)
220 pages
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FTC disclosure: This is an ARC, and it was sent to me by a fellow reader (thanks Diane!). The publisher and me? We never talked, we never met.
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Nine strangers are sitting in the basement of a building (the Indian visa office) when an earthquake strikes, leaving them cut off from the world. As the group alternately bickers and struggles to survive, one young woman challenges them each to share a story, “one amazing thing” from their lives. It is these stories that will bring the group closer together as their situation becomes more precarious.
The characters are all very different. Their only common denominator is they were there to obtain a visa to travel to India (or were Indian, and working in the office). There are the proper Pritchetts, whose marriage is obviously strained. Cameron, the natural leader of the group, struggles with health issues and emotional trauma. Young Uma is questioning her ability to love. Tariq is angry at just about everything. Punky Lily and her quiet grandmother Jiang remain largely in the background, but share compelling stories. And the office workers, Mangalam and Malathi teeter on the brink of an affair.
In a way, this is a bit like The Canterbury Tales, in the sense that we have a group of strangers telling stories. But this is a very diverse group, made up of a Muslim-American, an Indian-American, two Indians, two white Americans, one black American, one Chinese-Indian and one American-Chinese-Indian, if that makes any sense. Their different experiences and world views all factor into the group dynamics, as well as the stories they tell.
The stories were wonderful, and along with the group’s interactions, made for a fascinating story. Until the end. I wasn’t too fond of the end. I should go to the bookstore and check out the end in the published book…I suspect it’s the same, though.
Because the author is a native of India, this counts towards the South Asian Authors Challenge.
Because Diane kindly shared this ARC with me, I’d like to pass it on to one of you. Please let me know in the comments if you’re interested and I’ll draw a name later this week.
I’d love to be entered! I really like stories where people are trapped in one place and have to deal with each other. Like manor house murder mysteries without the murders.
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Best. Day. Ever. =-.
LOL…no murders here.
I have this already, and am interested in reading it, but keep feeling like I should re-read Bel Canto first because they sound similar and of course I have forgotten it. Did you read Bel Canto?
.-= rhapsodyinbooks´s last blog ..Women’s History Month: What Did Susan B. Anthony Read? =-.
Aha! I know my library has this one because I saw it on the website’s new books section. I had no idea what it was about until now, but as usual, you are a horrible (wonderful!) enabler.
.-= Andi´s last blog ..The Sunday Salon – A Hedgehog Bites the Dust =-.
Pot calling the kettle black.
I saw a review of this on Aarti’s blog and thought it looked really good. And, now you’ve confirmed that. I’d love to be entered into the drawing. Thank you!
.-= Helen´s last blog ..It’s Monday! What are you reading? =-.
Consider yourself entered.
This is the FTC here and I would like you to support your claims that you received this book from a fellow blogger. Did you retain the envelope? LOL! Your disclaimers crack me up.
I would love to read more South Asian literature. I know I’ve bought plenty of it over the past few years. It’s too bad about the ending of this novel, though.
I hope whoever you pass this along to enjoys it and keeps a copy of the envelope and the email exchange making this reader to reader transfer possible. LOL!
.-= Literate Housewife´s last blog ..#239 ~ Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel =-.
Damn! I knew I was forgetting something!
Well, you’ve got me really curious about the ending now.
It’s just open-ended. Sometimes that works for me, sometimes it doesn’t.
I agree with Kathy…the way you were describing up ’til that point made it sound great! I also would like to read more works by South Asian authors (hmm, maybe I should join that challenge)!
(Enter me too, plz!
.-= bookwanderer´s last blog ..Review: Black Water =-.
You should join!
Really liked your FTC line on this one. : )
And every time I hear about this book, I always try to think of what my amazing thing would be. So far I’ve got nothing.
.-= Jenners´s last blog ..Show Me 5 Saturday: "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See =-.
I’ve got nothing, too…hopefully we’re never stuck in a basement together. We’d be so boring.
So happy you enjoyed this one; make me smile, reading your thoughts
.-= Diane´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday – March 8, 2010 =-.
Thanks again for passing it my way!
I would love to read this one – I have seen great reviews for it so far. I am sure it is fascinating to see what stories and tensions unfold when strangers are trapped in a crisis.
I am doing the SAAC too!
.-= Colleen (Books in the City)´s last blog ..The Book Oscars =-.
I’ve read Arranged Marriage by the same author and also done a review on my blog. Would love if you could come visit.
Please count me in for this book.
.-= Mystica´s last blog ..Review – Colin Dexter’s The Daughters of Cain =-.
Love your reviews; yes I would like to win. One question only because I’m curious but shouldn’t matter so I don’t know why I need to know, but: is this set in the US or India? I’m guessing US; which state?
.-= Care´s last blog ..Love Begins in Winter =-.
Great review! No need to add my name, I’ve got it on hold at the library! I can’t wait to see what you think of Wolf Hall…
.-= Gavin´s last blog ..Sunday Salon – Challenge Check-In =-.
I don’t know if I should enter…I already have too many TBR….but I liked her “Queen of Dreams” novel. Ok, go ahead and enter me
.
.-= Valerie´s last blog ..Three Awesome Books by Danny Gregory =-.
The comparison to The Canterbury Tales sold me. Not that I’ve actually read them, but I’ve always loved the *idea* of them
.-= Nymeth´s last blog ..Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers =-.
This reminds me of a YA novel I read once. There were all these high schoolers working at one of those phone marketing places, and then an earthquake hit and they were trapped in the building. Long story short, they wound up discovering their boss was scamming people.
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..Novels & Gender =-.