In the past, I have found the author's writing a hit or a miss. This one falls closer to the former category. A story about contemporary India from the viewpoint of the minority community. A good read

I was not able to finish this book. I can see it appealing to loyal Anjum Hasan fans, though. For me, the pace and plot unfold rather slowly.

Alif's struggles serve as a canvas for the history of Muslim-Hindu conflict in modern India, He's a teacher who loses his job for twisting the ear of a Hindu student. His wife is working on her MBA and she's less interested in him than she is in their son. And he's contemplating all of it against the backdrop of life as a Muslim. It's meandering and at times slow but the language is wonderful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.