Kiran Desai: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Hamish Hamilton, 9780241770848, C format

Rarely do I feel the way I did when I finished Kiran Desai's masterpiece " The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny". It left me stunned, I felt this way the last time when I read "Love in the time of Cholera" by Marquez and in my view she is the Indian equivalent. 

 My book of the year without a doubt, such beautifully crafted sentences and an absolutely magnificant story . 688 pages  took me away into a world of magic, Indian family madness, each a cosmos of their own, overbearing mothers and fathers, with Sonia and Sunny trying to fork out a life of their own,  both sharing the experience of feeling alien in the USA and India, their love for each other doomed or suffocated by family expectations or their secret past relationships.  Mystical experiences give the narration a surreal, magical edge. I could go on and on singing praises for this absolutely gem of a novel but buy a copy and find out for yourself.  

I hope Kiran Desai wins the Booker prize on Monday. She has my vote, 5 stars plus!