Nariman Vakeel, a seventy-nine-year-old Parsi widower, beset by Parkinson's disease and haunted by memories of the past, lives in a once-elegant apartment with his two middle-aged stepchildren. When his condition worsens he is forced to take up residence with Roxana, his own daughter, her husband, Yezad, and their two young sons. The effect of the new responsibility on Yezad, who is already besieged by financial worries, pushes him into a scheme of deception. This sets in motion a series of events - a great unravelling and a revelation of the family's lovetorn past - that leads to the narrative's final outcome.

Prizes

Winner of Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize - Fiction 2002. Shortlisted for Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2002 and James Tait Black Memorial Prize (Fiction) 2002 and Booker Prize for Fiction 2002.

'One of the finest novels that most of us will ever read. It certainly is a masterpiece.' Irish Times; 'Mistry skilfully manipulates a diverse cast of characters... [in] this wry and richly perceptive novel.' Times Literary Supplement

Rohinton Mistry was born in Bombay in 1952, and has lived in Canada since 1975. He is the author of a collection of short stories. Tales from Firozsha Baag, and two novels, Such a Long Journey and A Fine Balance, both of which were shortlisted for the Booker Prize.