Family Matters BY ROHINTON MISTRY At a time when so many of the novels being published are the result of literary gymnastics, Mistry writes with elegance and clarity that make him, along with others such as Amit Choudhuri and Kazuo Ishiguro, one of the finest writers in English.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali What can you say that has not already been said about this utterly crystalline series of aphorisms? It has 195 short and utterly perfect lines that penetrate existence, absolutely.
Running in the Family BY MICHAEL ONDAATJE This is both biography and autobiography. Ondaatje has lifted memoir up to another level by knitting together generations of his own family in Sri Lanka, and giving us characters so bright and mad that they imprint themselves in a way that becomes almost the stuff of legends.
Speaking Peace: Womens Voices From Kashmir EDITED BY URVASHI BUTALIA It was this book that made me realise that only voices from within a society in conflict can put in place the foundation of any real peace process. When it came out in 2002, I had already been writing about Kashmir for more than a decade, but this opened a door into the heart of the Valley.
The Little Prince BY ANTOINE DE SAINT- EXUPÉRY This was the first book I remember being stunned by, becoming wholly immersed in the planets and stars of the boy prince. When I came back to it as an adult, it opened itself up one more time as a graceful parable, and example of how powerful writing can be when it is addressing all age groups.
