A Burning

For readers of Tommy Orange Yaa Gyasi and Jhumpa Lahiri an electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise-to the middle class to political power to fame in the movies-and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary IndiaThis is an electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe. They seek to rise-to the middle class to political power to fame in the movies. One is Jivan a Muslim girl from the slums accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook. The second is PT Sir an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party only to find his own ascent linked to Jivan's fall. And the third is Lovely an irresistible outcast who has an alibi that can set Jivan free-but at the cost of everything she holds dear. Taut symphonic propulsive and riveting right from the outset A Burning has the force of an epic while being so masterfully compressed that it can be read in a single sitting. Majumdar writes with dazzling assurance at a breakneck pace on complex themes that read as the components of a thriller: class fate corruption justice and what it feels like to face profound obstacles while nurturing big dreams in a country spinning towards extremism. Review A Burning is the best debut novel I have come across in a long time. In telling the story of a young Muslim girl whose life is undone by a single social media post it creates a kaleidoscope of contemporary urban India with its Internet-driven hysteria religious fanaticism rampant corruption poisoned air random violence enraged mobs and pervasive misogyny. The interconnected stories seem to leap from the headlines and the picture is often horrifying-yet Majumdar somehow also succeeds in capturing the boundless energy and starry-eyed hopefulness of the country's youth. A Burning signals the arrival of a new voice of immense talent and promise ―Amitav Ghosh author of multiple works including Gun Island and the Ibis Trilogy and Jnanpith awardeeIn her captivating debut novel A Burning Megha Majumdar presents a powerful corrective to the political narratives that have dominated in contemporary India [. . .] Majumdar creates a vivid portrait of India as a polyphonic crowd a patchwork of differences ―TimeCombines fast-paced plotting with the kind of atmospheric detail one might find in the work of Jhumpa Lahiri or Daniyal Mueenuddin . . . A highly compelling read ―VogueMajumdar brings us a glimpse into extraordinary moments in ordinary lives vulnerable lives. ―Hindustan TimesMajumdar is an assured writer with a firm control on plot an enviable restraint of expression and a trust in brevity that is an obvious talent. ―Indian ExpressCarefully sculpted emotionally resonant and replete with telling detailA Burning is the calling card of a significant new voice. ―The HinduMegha Majumdar writes with a hand that is steadied by deep understanding. She is too skilled to fall into hyperbole. Her disquiet with what she sees unfolding in India never reaches the level of rhetoric. ―Open MagazineA Burning is dark eerily real and accurately depicts India's hyper-nationalism and its steady shift to the right. ―The WeekIt's really tough to create something that has both the gut-punch impact of good literary fiction and the sheer kinetic energy associated with genre masters. Megha Majumdar'sA Burning is that rare debut. ―FirstPostThe job of fiction should be twofold: first it should entertain and secondly it should allow readers a glimpse into another's life-to perchance walk the hallways of another's mind. A great piece of fiction always accomplishes these and leaves you with a reading experience that stays with you long after the last page has turned. That is precisely what Megha Majumdar has