by Manu Joseph (Get the Book)Joseph's sublime new novel takes place in early 1990s Madras, India, where Ousep Chacko has reinvigorated his pursuit for the truth about his son Unni's inexplicable death three years ago. An aspiring cartoonist well known in the community, Unni was mere weeks from his eighteenth birthday when he deliberately lept from his family's third-floor balcony. The question that no one can answer, of course, is why. Ousep, a journalist and neighborhood drunk, obsessively pours through Unni's drawings, searching for clues his son may have left behind, and relentlessly hounds his son's former classmates and fellow cartoon enthusiasts for information. Meanwhile, Ousep's fixation impacts his wife, Mariamma, a fiercely protective woman who has long-suffered Ousep's nightly alcohol-induced obstreperousness. Also affected is their young son, Thoma, who is drawn to the older girl next door, who holds her own secrets about Unni. As Ousep's investigation continues, the fissures in Unni's story are slowly revealed. Joseph's witty narrative adds depth and vigor to the Chacko family's tale and assuredly explores the complexity of self-perception amidst present-day life. --Booklist
