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Book Review By gnash
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

A boy grows up in the northern mountains of India, well cared for. Events cause him to be sent to the city to become schooled.
At the same time, 2 men from a rural, caste-structured area, are terrorized by the owner/bosses of the farm. Treatment of the people in the lower caste is appalling and fully described. The 2 men leave for the city to find a wife for the younger one.
In the city, a woman has left her husband and doesn't want her father to find out so she starts a tailoring business in her apartment, which is against the rules but allows her independence. The boy is related to her and goes to stay with her because the school is terrible to live in. She meets the 2 farm men on the street and hires them to sew for her. She tries to keep it purely business natured but becomes personally involved as their plights become more and more life threatening.
The social struggle occurring at the same time in India plays an important role.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - 1960's-1970's
Ethnic/Regional/Religion
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Identity: - society

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 8 ()
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - India
City? Yes
City: - dangerous
Farm/Ranch? Yes
Farm/Ranch: - farm
Misc setting

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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