If I loved god if small things...

[Ibelieveicanfly]

What else would I like?

I, too, adored The God of Small Things. It's wonderful, isn't it? (still cross with the silly book group people who didn't like it )

Some other books which I loved with a similar setting and strong authorial voices are: Midnight's Children by Rushdie, The White tiger by Aravind Adiga and Q & A by Vikas Swarup. The Bone People by Keri Hulme is another powerful story with a touch of magic realism but a different setting (New Zealand and the Maori community)

A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman. A bit like A Thousand Splendid Suns but much better IMO.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Some readers find this book too harrowing but I finished it with admiration for the strength of human spirit evinced by the main characters.

Brick Lane by Monica Ali. Different in that most of the novel is set in England. The story of a Bangladeshi girl in an arranged marriage to an older man.

Small Island by Andrea Levy. Set just after the war - Gilbert and Hortense are Jamaican immigrants trying to make a new life in London.

Have you read anything by Rumer Godden? Kingfishers Catch Fire or The Peacock Spring have similar settings and a similar emotional tone. Love them.

A Suitable Boy, second A Fine Balance. Midnight's Children but it took me about four goes and three years to get into it

Thank you!!!!! Disobedient girl and fine balance sound lovely! Have to see if I can get hold of it in time for my vacations. I'll check out the others now.

I have read small island and liked it too! A suitable boy seems massive, I once owned it but gave it to charity before I had the chance to read it. Is it hard to get into?

Thanks again.

Oh, I meant to say Q & A is the story Slumdog Millionaire was based on. They did change it quite a bit for the film but it is very good.

Tiny sunbirds far away, Christie Watson

A Fine Balance is amazing, one of my favourites.

My recommendation: The Inheritance of Loss, by Kirin Desai.

Oops, should be Kiran Desai. Sorry Kiran.