What is this book?

[mineallmine]

It was an amazing book set in India. It told three stories which intertwined. One was the story of a young widow who defied her family and tradition and lived alone in an apartment and sewed? for a living. Then there was an uncle and nephew and their story. They ended up living on the balcony of the woman. I can't remember the third story.

It didn't have a happy ending and I was glad when I read it because that would have been ridiculous. The woman ended up having to go and live with her brother, I think, and I can't remember the rest.

I thought at the time it was the best book I'd ever read and now that I've forgotten lots of it, I'd like to read it again.

Bumping this for you, as it sounds familiar but I can't remember the title.

Was it A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry?

If so, the widow with the sewing business has a nephew who comes to live with her and the third intertwining story is his.

One of my all-time favourite novels .. if you haven't read it I thoroughly recommend it.

That's it, hightlandcoo thanks a million. It would be in my top 5 books that I've ever read. Sad without being sentimental.

It's in my top 5 too....thank you for mentioning it, I'm now off to retrieve it from the bookshelf and read it again!

Can I also recommend God of Small Things and Shantaram? If you like A Fine Balance you might like those too.

I read that book about 5 years ago and can't remember all the details of the plot but do remember how upset it made me! Don't read if feeling emotionally fragile (though beautifully written and very absorbing).

I offer the excuse of a post holiday fug for not remembering it - I too adored it & will now re read it.

I really enjoyed the first part of Shantaram but hated the second part.

I LOVED The God of Small Things.