Families are at war in the new India, in a novel raising complex questions about patriotism, nationalism and how the country is changingIn Delhi the seasons are “human-fucked”, explains Tara Saxena, the narrator-protagonist of The Tiger’s Share. Autumn is the “season of smogs and mellow murderousness”; once the smoke arrives in October, “we could no longer see the sky”. Over summer the Loo, a dry “caramelising” wind, slurs through the city, while inside their flats people “lived as cheese and chocolate do in India, refrigerated”. Now and then comes the brief respite of rain. In its aftermath, people head out into the parks to enjoy the momentary cool, the only time when the air is “useably fresh, like a banana that is only one-third rotten”.Food-related imagery abounds in Keshava Guha’s second novel; you are never allowed to forget that all things – produce, people, every species – are perishable, that from the moment of our birth the decay is inbuilt, and that such a truth is all t...
Keshava Guha's novel, "The Tiger's Share," explores family dynamics in a polluted New Delhi, focusing on the Saxena family. Brahm Saxena, the father, announces his intention to dedicate his life to environmental activism, relinquishing his obligations to his children, Tara and Rohit. The story follows the impact of Brahm's decision on Tara, a successful lawyer, and Rohit, who struggles in her shadow, as they navigate their changing family and a country grappling with environmental and social issues.
