Words on Wednesday: "The Lowland"

Epic in its canvas and intimate in its portrayal of lives undone and forged anew, Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland is a deeply felt novel of family ties that entangle and fray in ways unforeseen and unrevealed, of ties that ineluctably define who we are.

From Subhash's earliest memories, at every point, his brother was there. In the suburban streets of Calcutta where they wandered before dusk and in the hyacinth-strewn ponds where they played for hours on end, Udayan was always in his older brother's sight. So close in age, they were inseparable in childhood, and yet, as the years pass—as U.S. tanks roll into Vietnam and riots sweep across India—their brotherly bond can do nothing to forestall the tragedy that will upend their lives.