The House of Blue Mangoes

"The House of Blue Mangoes" tells the story of the Dorai family in south India during a time of tremendous political and social upheaval. Sophisticated and filled with brilliant historical and emotional insight, it is enlivened by touches of humor and deeply felt tragedy that draw on the author's own family history.In 1899, in the south Indian village of Chevathar, Solomon Dorai is contemplating the imminent destruction of his world and everything he holds dear. As the thalaivar, or headman, of Chevathar, he seeks to preserve the village from both catastrophe and change, and the decisions he makes will mark his family for generations to come.A gripping family chronicle, The House of Blue Mangoes spans nearly half a century and three generations of the Dorai family as they search for their place in a rapidly changing society. The novel brings vividly to life a small corner of India, while offering a stark indictment of colonialism and reflecting with great poignancy on the inexorable social transformations of the subcontinent.