Author: Arundhati Roy
Publisher & Date: Random House, 16 Dec 2008
Page Count: 333 pages
ISBN: 978-0812979657
Age/Reading Level: 14-18+/Grades 9-12+
Representation: Indian main characters, culture, caste system
Other Information:
Book Information
Compared favorably to the works of Faulkner and Dickens, Arundhati Roy’s modern classic is equal parts powerful family saga, forbidden love story, and piercing political drama. The seven-year-old twins Estha and Rahel see their world shaken irrevocably by the arrival of their beautiful young cousin, Sophie. It is an event that will lead to an illicit liaison and tragedies accidental and intentional, exposing “big things [that] lurk unsaid” in a country drifting dangerously toward unrest.
Challenges & Bans
The book has been challenged for its depiction of sexual relationships, particularly the affair between characters of different castes. It has also been criticized for its explicit language and graphic content, with some arguing it was obscene simply for breaking Indian caste taboos.
Specific Challenges*:
Lemont High School District 210, Cook County, Illinois (2017): Challenged for it’s inclusion in Academic English II classes (sophomore-level) because the book “contains subject matter in some sections that is not appropriate for our students,” according to the school’s principal.
Gardendale High School, Gardendale, Alabama (2020): An incoming Gardendale High School Freshman chose this book from the school’s recommended “Advanced World Literature” summer reading list. Upon reading, the student complained to their father about its “inappropriate content”, at which time the father reviewed it for himself. The father claimed the book contained graphic sexual content that he, quote, “absolutely didn’t want his children knowing about.” A school review committee recommended its withdrawal from all schools; additionally, the principal who had immediately removed the list from the school website will now review all reading lists in the future.
*Source: Marshall University Library Banned Books webpage
Awards & Accolades
Booker Prize for Fiction (1997)
