I put the chocolate in my mouth, letting it soften until the last possible moment, and then as I chewed it slowly, I prayed that Mr. Pirzada's family was safe and sound. I had never prayed for anything before, had never been taught or told to, but I decided, given the circumstances, that it was something I should do. That night when I went to the bathroom I only pretended to brush my teeth, for I feared that I would somehow rinse the prayer out as well. I wet the brush and rearranged the tube of paste to prevent my parents from asking any questions, and fell asleep with sugar on my tongue.

I've been recommended Lahiri's works for a long time, repeatedly assured that I would love her writing, but I wasn't entirely sure on where to start. In the end, I opted for this short story collection, and, I'm happy to say, adored it.

Short stories are slippery things - they're very hard to get right. You either skim over them, never truly becoming invested, or you become too invested and resent letting them go to move onto the next one. Lahiri has a true gift for transporting her readers very swiftly into each individual situation and then resolving or closing them in a way that is satisfying and, often, very poignant. Each one could easily have been expanded into a novella or novel; I would happily read any of these stories in a longer format but I truly think they're perfect as they are.

By far, my favourite story in this collection is When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine, which follows an Indian family living in America who invite a lonely man named Mr. Pirzada, who is also from India, to dinner to watch the news. It is told from the perspective of the daughter, a young girl who has grown up in the U.S and is coming to understand the history of India through the presence of this man, a Muslim from Dacca, who is desperate to hear news of his wife and daughters. Simple in concept, the story is a wonderful depiction of humanity in all of its varying hues - it captures despair, displacement, and grief, but also the little moments of genuine joy and compassion, made all the more touching due to its being seen through the eyes of a child.

I can't wait to experience Lahiri's gifts in novel form, and I will ruminate on these stories for a long time.