Boo 25-50

I'm surprising myself as to how often I'm amazed that these are all describing real people and real events. The author did an excellent job compiling this all to read as smoothly as it does. Also consider how it's sorted by character, yet the stories don't feel abruptly interrupted when the subject is changed. I need to read the author's notes and biography, because I'm really curious as to how much time she's spent in India, and how she was able to get these people to open up to her so indiscriminately. Some of these thoughts and feelings are deeply personal, did she learn these directly from the people involved or was it observed? Also, I wonder if, as the novel continues, will all of these characters continue to be directly involved with each other as their situations develop? We will see. Particularly interesting is the story of Asha and her daughter, Manju. Asha exhibits the personality of a cutthroat American businesswoman. She's doing everything she can to provide better lives for herself and her family, but at what cost to the people around her?