ŷ������

It is a story of an unlikely friendship in the multilayered cast reality of India. Two taylors, come from a family that broke the rules. In their village, they belong to an untouchable cast, whose traditional occupation is taking care of carcases and living of the remains that the higher casts chose to throw their way. That’s what they are supposed to do, they are not supposed to be taylors��..

In 1969 India, women are not supposed to survive on their own. They are supposed to live of the charity of their families, fathers, brothers and husbands. But in this story Dina is different, she lives alone and supports herself on her own.

Boys are not as dependent as girls, but even they are supposed to follow the path expected of them, by tradition. But Maneck does not follow the rules either, he keeps distance from his family, he chooses univercity instead of following in his father's footsteps��.

Four unlikely characters, that fate brings together, make an attempt to defy the Indian customs and their traditional circumstances. Faith joins them together in the same time and place, and an intricate story of a ’family of choice�� begins.
It is one of those stories where you, glimpse through the eyes of the author, and get an opportunity to view a completely different reality. I felt really close to them, and when I reached the end, and the deterministic conclusion, the conclusion that suggests that in the end, life will happen just as it was originally intended, I almost put the book down before I finished. I felt so angry, at anyone and everyone in the name of the characters, for the futility of their attempt to live a different life, and for having to give up. But then, in the end, this is the final proof of the author's mastery, me feeling this way, despite the fact that my world and theirs are a whole world apart��.. It wasn't just a story, it became personal, and if only for that, the ”A fine balance�� deserves five stars.