Kavita Khanna is a sparkling new voice in fiction. This book is almost lyrical. It captures your attention from the get-go, and sustains it. The writing is well paced, and the characters seem very real indeed. I was delighted to come across this book, and I look forward to other works by Ms. Khanna.

Gerald Boyd, the first African-American to serve as managing editor of The New York Times, died of lung cancer yesterday. He was a terrific journalist, and a good man at heart. My prayers and sympathies for his wife Robin Stone, and 10-year-old son Zachary.

My 10 favorite books on India? Humbly submitted (but not in any order of preference): 1. The Discovery of India, by Jawaharlal Nehru (nonfiction). 2. India Unbound, by Gurcharan Das (nonfiction). 3. The Devil’s Wind, by Manohar Malgaonkar (fiction). 4. Freedom at Midnight, by Dominic Lapierre and Larry Collins (nonfiction). 5. On the Grand Trunk Road, by Steve Coll (nonfiction). 6. May You be the Mother of a Thousand Sons, by Elizabeth Bumiller (nonfiction). 7. Arrow of the Blue-Skin...

Professor Arvind Panagriya, who holds the Bhagwati Chair at Columbia University, is one of the most astute observers of the Indian scene. Besides being a stellar economist, he's a writer and speaker of great felicity. I strongly recommend his new book, "India: The Emerging Giant," published this month by Oxford University Press. Professor Panagriya offers a solid study of how India is being transformed from a giant country handicapped by long years of socialist policies to one of the world's ...

The single most significant aspect of this book is that it's under the byline of Kamal Nath, arguably India's most talented and resourceful politician since Independence. In fact, he's 61 years old -- just a year older than Modern India, which was carved out of the British Raj in 1947. There are those who predict that he will some day be the country's prime minister, and, indeed, some of his friends are already canvassing in his behalf. Mr. Nath's intrinsic decency and good nature make hi...

Sachin of Shivaji Park By PRANAY GUPTE I’ve lived away from my birthplace of Mumbai since I was 17 years old, but whenever I’m back I always make it a point to visit Shivaji Park. Each visit is always nourishing because each visit always r einforces in my mind how much Mumbai’s Maharashtrian culture shapes its cricket. It’s a culture that, above all, emphasizes the work ethic, and it’s a culture – anchored in one’s family – that deman...