Clear Light of the Day

A rich, Chekhovian novel by one of the most gifted of contemporary Indianwriters - The New Yorkerthe youngest, Tara - now a mother of two - has returned from America to thescene of her unusual, lonesome childhood.Here, as always, is her sister Bim, doggedly single college lecturer andcaretaker of all. In her presence, Tara sinks into the blissful torpor of home, atonce her dreamy old self, but careful as ever around her older sister. For at theheart of this reunion are numerous tensions: their autistic brother Baba isincreasingly unquiet; Bim has not spoken to their other brother, Raja, for yearsand refuses to go to his daughter s wedding; Tara feels the persistent guilt ofhaving, like the others, abandoned her. Spanning the post-independence yearsfrom the 40s to the 80s, the sisters recall the death of Gandhi along with thoseof their parents, Raja s infatuation with their neighboring Muslim family andthe violence of Partition. For here is the tale of both modern India and onefamily s struggle against disintegration. Clear Light of Day is vintage AnitaDesai, a novel as wonderfully contemplative as a cup of afternoon tea.