Unaccustomed Earth is the third jewel to Jhumpa Lahiri's diadem.
The author of two acclaimed books-The interpreter of Maldies, her debut collection of Short Stories that won her the O' Henry Award (for SS's) and The New Yorker's bestdebut of the year- and The Namesake, made into a Motion Picture by Mira Nair (although it didn't do wonders) and bringing home the Pulitzer Prize for fiction (among others)- is ready to set the stage on fire by her yet another collection of Short Stories. Her narration remains equally poignant, the added ingredients to her stories are close to life settings.
The subjects she chose declines sumlimity, as they continues to get deeper and darker.
Revolving around the situations a family edges through in the process called life, a middle aged man discovers that the death of his wife opens up his world in unexpected way-his daughter worries that she will now have to look after him but finds the tables have turned, to everyones dismay (Unaccustomed Earth) ; a housewife falls in love with a younger family friend-her child ascertains her secret many years on (Hell-Heaven); a son is revulsed by his father's second marriage to a young woman who seconds his mother in sophistication or elegance (A Choice of Accommodations) ; a sister trying to save her brother form alcoholism and finds herself rejecting him like everyone else (Only Goodness); A young man and woman whose lives cross over the years, finally and fatedly fall in love (Hema and Kaushik). A couple of plots have not been dispensed here
Speaking of how Jhumpa might have arranged the array , she is the mistress of details. Spelling out the miniscule details (necessary or not) in a quite order, she never misses out on the tone of the character, even his/her appearance and attire. She sets the stage right from the backdrop till where it meets its audience!
She, however might not appeal to the hurried reader, who judge on the matter and the theme, (both being the soul and blood of a short story) she might come across with little disappointment.
The book nevertheless is a definite grab for the SS savours (if they are not in a hurry), April onwards.
