A Guardian and a Thief
By Megha Majumdar

OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICKSHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONFINALIST FOR THE KIRKUS PRIZEMegha Majumdar's electrifying new novel, following her acclaimedand New York Timesand Bestsellerand A Burning-longlisted for the National Book Award-is set in a near-future Kolkata, India, ravaged by climate change and food scarcity, in which two families seeking to protect their children must battle each other-a piercing and propulsive tour de force.and In a near-future Kolkata beset by flooding and famine, Ma, her two-year-old daughter Mishti, and her elderly father Dadu are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma's husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After procuring long-awaited visas from the consulate, they pack their bags for the flight to America. But in the morning they awaken to discover that Ma's purse, with all the treasured immigration documents within it, has been stolen.Set over the course of one week,and A Guardian and a Thiefand tells two stories: the story of Ma's frantic search for the thief while keeping hunger at bay during a worsening food shortage; and the story of Boomba, the thief, whose desperation to care for his family drives him to commit a series of escalating crimes whose consequences he cannot fathom. With stunning control and command, Megha Majumdar paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of two families, each operating from a place of ferocious love and undefeated hope, each discovering how far they will go to secure their children's future as they stave off encroaching catastrophe.A masterful new work from one of the most exciting voices of her generation. A true literary achievement… Majumdar creates a tense and deeply compassionate portrait of desperation, fear and the combined selflessness and selfishness of parenthood… Detail is the strongest thing inand A Guardian and a Thief. It conveys the nuances of not only love but also wisdom… a true joy to read.'and New York Times