In this quietly compelling collection, Jhumpa Lahiri, author of The Namesake, returns to her first love: short stories. This collection explores the experience of living between worlds, of never quite fitting in just one place. Lahiri wonderfully evokes the cold beauty of Massachusetts, Seattle and New York; the powder of first snow, the crackle of autumn leaves. Amidst the lakes and the brownstones, there is the generous aroma of Indian cooking, the murmur of Bengali community gossip, and the swish of saris alongside jeans and sandals. There is a strong undercurrent of loss throughout these stories: a pregnant daughter mourns the loss of her mother during a routine operation; a promising young student, labouring under the weight of great expectations, dissolves into alcoholism; and three interlinked stories centred on a girl and boy who briefly shared a house as children explore death, grieving and the nature of love. Beautiful and engrossing.