While celebrating America this Fourth of July, anyone looking for a great read should pick up Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies. The Pulitzer Prize winning book is a collection of short stories that emphasize universal themes as Lahiri paints, a beautiful portrait of the lives of both Indians and Indian Americans. The stories remind American readers an important principle of their country--that all people are akin and connected, no matter how different they may appear. Each of the nine stories, set in New England and India, manages to capture the true essence of human interaction in few pages. The collection offers stories from different perspectives, as Lahiri writes first-, second- and third-person tales with characters as different as their origins.
Interpreter of Maladies gets its name from one of the stories set in India. Lahiri describes an American family visiting India and their interactions with their tour guide, Mr. Kapasi. Although they are of Indian descent, the Das family is completely American and viewed as "foreigners" while on their vacation; Mr. Das carries a guidebook and camera, as the three children bicker and ask to go to the bathroom. Mrs. Das, who spends time painting her nails and snacking, wears a skirt and blouse rather than the traditional garb of Indian women.
