Author Parini Shroffâs first novel, The Bandit Queens, was a dream debutâlauded by book clubs and critics alike, longlisted and shortlisted for multiple prizes, including the Womenâs Prize for Fiction. It tackled a serious subjectâwomen in the patriarchal world of rural Gujaratâwith humour and relatability. Her second novel, Some People, then, is equal parts similar and dissimilar to her first. Like The Bandit Queens, itâs marked by a nuanced portrait of love and relationships, but the two books are worlds apart when it comes to characters and setting. Set in Silicon Valley, Some People grabs your attention at the get-go for the complicated relationship it portraysâthat of a mother-in-law and her son-in-law who are to be estranged soon. Sounds complicated? It is. Add in the chaos of an unfortunate fall and living in close quarters for a week and you have the premise for a compelling novel. Scroll for more on Parini Shroff, and other top reads for the month, on The Nod.Â
