A Suitable Boy

Vikram Seth''s novel is, at its core, a love story: the tale of Lata - and her mother''s - attempts to find her a suitable husband, through love or through exacting maternal appraisal. At the same time, it is the story of India, newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis as a sixth of the world''s population faces its first great general election and the chance to map its own destiny.