Jhumpa Lahiri, one of the much-acclaimed authors of this century, is soon going to come up with her new book - ‘Unaccustomed Earth’. The novel is a collection of short stories, the second collection to be written by the author, with the first one being ‘Interpreter of Maladies’. The eight stories narrated in the Unaccustomed Earth take on a journey of the world, right from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand. However, their basic essence is the same – family life. The novel is due to be released in April 2008.
The Book
Through her newest novel ‘Unaccustomed Earth’, Jhumpa Lahiri has tried to explore more about family, its relationships and the secrets that lie at its very base. The title story of the novel revolves around Ruma, a young mother who comes to live in a new city. She is visited by her father, who spends a considerable amount of time tending her garden. It’s only later that she comes to know about the budding love affair that her father is hiding from her and the evidence of the affair comes from the same garden. The story titled ‘A Choice of Accommodations’ is about a couple who go on a romantic holiday.
However, a late night party attended by them changes their life forever. Then, there is ‘Only Goodness’, the story of a woman who is struggling hard to give her brother the perfect childhood she never had. When the same brother becomes an alcoholic, she becomes plagued by myriad emotions, ranging from guilt to agony and rage. ‘Hema and Kaushik’ is a trio of linked stories, in which a girl and a boy have to share a house in Massachusetts for one winter. The innocence turns into experience, as they get separated, walking on independent agonizing paths, and then get united once again - this time in Rome.
The Author
Jhumpa Lahiri is a contemporary author of Indian descent, born in London and raised in South Kingstown. Presently a resident of USA, the author shot to fame with her debut novel ‘Interpreter of Maladies’. It was a collection of short stories, which later won her the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Her second book, and first novel, was published in 2003 by the name of ‘Namesake’. In both her books, one can easily get a feel of her Indian background. Her second book was made into a film, under the same name, by Mira Nair and released in US in 2007. With the releasing date of her third book coming closer, expectation are definitely on the rise.
