A Guardian and a Thief: The sensational new novel from the author of A Burning

(Paperback, ANZ Only)

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In a near-future Kolkata beset by flooding and famine, Ma, her two-year-old daughter Mishti, and her elderly father Dadu are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Mas husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After procuring long-awaited visas from the consulate, they pack their bags for the flight to America. But in the morning they awaken to discover that Mas purse, with all the treasured immigration documents within it, has been stolen.

Set over the course of one week,A Guardian and a Thieftells two stories: the story of Mas frantic search for the thief while keeping hunger at bay during a worsening food shortage; and the story of Boomba, the thief, whose desperation to care for his family drives him to commit a series of escalating crimes whose consequences he cannot fathom. With stunning control and command, Megha Majumdar paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of two families, each operating from a place of ferocious love and undefeated hope, each discovering how far they will go to secure their childrens future as they stave off encroaching catastrophe.

A masterful new work from one of the most exciting voices of her generation.

Author Bio

MEGHA MAJUMDAR was born and raised in Kolkata, India. She moved to the United States to attend college at Harvard University, followed by graduate school in social anthropology at Johns Hopkins University. She works as an editor at Catapult, and lives in New York City.A Burningis her first book. Follow her on Twitter @MeghaMaj and Instagram @megha.maj