Read this when
The God of Small Things
'The laws that lay down who should be loved, and how. And how much.' A family, a few days in 1969, and the twins who paid for it.
Who it's for
In Ayemenem, Kerala, in 1969, twins Estha and Rahel live through a few days that destroy their family: their cousin Sophie Mol drowns, their mother Ammu's love affair with Velutha, a Dalit carpenter, is exposed, and the adults' fear of caste 'Love Laws' turns.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Arundhati Roy's 1997 debut novel moves between 1969 and 1993, following fraternal twins Estha and Rahel in Ayemenem, Kerala. During the summer their English cousin Sophie Mol visits, their mother Ammu's secret relationship with Velutha, a carpenter from a lower caste who works for the family, breaks the caste rules the book calls the Love Laws.
Where to find it
In print (Random House in the US, Fourth Estate/Flamingo in the UK); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain.
Before you start
Heads up: Child sexual abuse and a child's drowning.
Age: Adult (18+)
Slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women.Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
