I don't know about you. Some books I have on my shelves I get really excited about, and really look forward to reading. Sometimes these books let me down, admittedly, but usually they live up to my expectations. But I also have other books on my shelves that I can't remember why or how I acquired them, and I'm not convinced I still want to read them, but then when I do they blow me away with how good they are. This falls into the latter category.

Ostensibly, Mistress is the story of the bored Indian housewife, Radha, who is excited by the thrill of the young American man, Chris, who arrives to interview her Uncle about his kathakali dancing career, and the two have an affair. But this book is so much more than that. Interweaved with this story are various histories of her parents and grandparents, and it is this rich tapestry of history and storytelling, as well as the vivid setting of India and the cultural details about the kathakali dancing, that make this book what it is. Its quite a fat book, and could be quite daunting, but I would highly recommend it.