Written by American author Jhumpa Lahiri, The Lowland (2013) tells the story of two people whose family ties have defined - and in some ways, entrapped - them. Subhash and his brother, for example, were inseparable for most of their lives. In other words, they had deep familial bonds that remained unbroken despite unrest, war, and uncertainty in the world. That is, until a profound tragedy stops the two in their tracks.
A man named Udayan faces a similar problem. Eventually, he gets involved with a socialist rebel group whose goal is to get rid of inequality and poverty. This, however, puts him and his family (his pregnant wife, his brother, and his parents) in grave danger. He thus must live with the consequences of his actions.
When it was released, Lahiri's book received incredibly positive reviews and was a tremendous critical success, reaching #3 on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover editions and #5 for print and eBooks combined. Writes Lev Grossman of Time: "The Lowland [is] a slow burn - thrill-wise, Lahiri is pretty much the anti-Crichton - but it gains tremendous power as it goes on." Maureen Corrigan of NPR thought similarly, saying that this "ambitious" and "beautiful" book "soars." And evidently, it did soar, as it was shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.
