A short but multi-layered novel of an Indian immigrant
family told by Ajay, the youngest of two sons.
Ajay and his brilliant older brother, Birju, finally receive the
important airline tickets that will allow them and their mother to leave Delhi
and join their father in America. There,
despite the newness of the culture of Queens, NY, and through dint of hard
work, Birju earns admittance to the prestigious Bronx High School of Science. But at the end of the summer before high
school, Birju dives into a pool, hits his head, remains underwater for some
minutes, and emerges a blind, helpless invalid.
Their hopes for their firstborn are dashed, but the parents care for him
at home with little help. His father slips into alcoholism
and his mother allows various charlatans to raise her hopes of recovery for
Birju. Ajay struggles
with his love for his brother, his own difficulties in fitting into his new culture, and hatred for what this tragedy has done to the
entire family. A moving and beautiful book. 218 pp.
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