A Fine Balance

Review

This was an eye-opening and frankly quite distressing portrait of four Indians in Bombay during the Emergency. Exploring each of the characters' backstories to illuminate a wide range of issues was well done, but in general I found the writing weaker than the setup of the novel.

In that optimistic first light, the promise of transformation shone down upon the sleeping city. He knew the feeling wouldn't stay more than a few minutes—he had experienced it before, it always faded under stronger light.