At Vittoria Cottage in the village of Ashbridge, since becoming widowed, Caroline Dering has been content to channel her life into raising her children - sanguine, humorous James; pretty, proper Leda; and energetic, impulsive Bobbie. Then the mysterious Robert Shepperton arrives in the village.
A Suitable Boy is Vikram Seth's epic love story set in India. Funny and tragic, with engaging, brilliantly observed characters, it is as close as you can get to Dickens for the twentieth century. The story unfolds through four middle class families - the Mehras, Kappoors, Khans and Chatterjis. Lata Mehra, a university student, is under pressure from...