Unaccustomed Earth

I found this book in a forgotten crate, stacked beneath many other crates, in the back of a warehouse in Italy. There were two books in English in that crate, and this was one of them. Of course I bought it.

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The cover said that the author had won a Pulitzer, but I bought it because it’s thick and was written by a woman.

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The writing is like butter; very smooth and silky, a pleasure to read.

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The five stories in the first half are about couples in which one party is Bengali and the other is caucasian.

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The longer story in the second half is about a couple in which both parties are Bengali. It allowed me to get a peek into the cultural practices of Bengalis, which I appreciate.

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The final page holds a plot twist that left me feeling sad, but I appreciate books and films that are like life: No one is guaranteed a happy ending.

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