The elements which make up The Moonstone--a purloined Indian jewel which carries with it a mysterious curse, a stolid British police sergeant, a drama of theft and murder in a spacious country home--have been repeated, in slightly varying guises, throughout much of the detective fiction to which Wilkie Collins' popular 1868 novel gave birth.

"Ranjit Singh, a former Indian Army Captain trying to escape a shameful past, lives with his family among the migrant workers of Martha's Vineyard, working as a caretaker of the vacation homes of the rich and powerful. Needing a place to stay, Ranjit moves his family into an empty Senator's home. Happily, but illegally ensconced in the house, he tries to forget his brief affair with Anna, the wife of an African-American senator, and focus on providing...

"Revolves around Basharat and his family, Indian Muslims forced to relocate to Pakistan during Partition. Through one absurd anecdote after another, Basharat-- awash in nostalgia, half-baked schemes, and sorrow-- emerges as a holy fool. A uniquely authentic portrait of postcolonialism and homesickness" -- page 4 of cover.

In this expansive story collection, acclaimed writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala expresses her lifelong meditation on East and West. Set in India, England, and New York City, "A Lovesong for India" reveals what unites us across oceans, cultures, and lifetimes.

Sona Sharma's house is full of people who joke often and argue sometimes. Relatives come unannounced, the phone rings frequently and friends drop in all the time. Then one day Amma tells Sona she is going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn't sure -- she has always enjoyed being an only child -- and straight away she has a word with her best friend, Elephant. When Sona learns that there will be a baby naming ceremony, she is determined to find...

When Zimdalamashkermishkada starts a new school, he decides to shrink his name to the shorter, simpler Zim, but when his new friend Elly sees him for who he truly is, Zimdalamashkermishkada finds the confidence to step proudly into his long name.

Hassan is a culinary ingenue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, his family settles in a quaint village in the south of France. They plan to open an Indian restaurant, that is, until Madame Mallory, the owner of a classical French restaurant, gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant so near her own escalate to all out war; until Hassan's cooking talent and love for Mme. Mallory's...

Vikram, a successful first-generation Indian immigrant, invites three of his college friends to his son's graduation from MIT--an event where real life collides with unmet expectations.

Aarav loves his grandfather very much, but they're as different as water and molasses. Where Aarav runs and races, Thatha likes to saunter and stroll. Every day at five o'clock, Thatha makes masala chai for the family, and no matter how much Aarav urges him to hurry, Thatha insists on taking his time. "Masala chai cannot be rushed," says Thatha. "It must be made carefully." One day, when Thatha sprains his ankle and must rest on the couch, Aarav eagerly...