A darkly funny, sharply observed, and deeply moving novel about the surprises and struggles of life in contemporary Delhi

'Confirms Anjum Hasan as one of the most important writers of our time' WILLIAM DALRYMPLE

Alif is a middle-aged history teacher living in contemporary Delhi. He’s often lost in reveries on India’s past, but it’s the present that presses down on him. His wife is set on a bigger house and a better car while trying to ace her MBA exams; his teenage son wants to quit school to get rich; his colleagues are suspicious of a Muslim teaching Indian history; and his old friend has just reconnected with a childhood sweetheart for whom Alif has always had feelings.

Then one day, while leading a school field trip, the unthinkable happens, and Alif finds his job on the line as his life – and the world around him – rapidly descends into chaos.