A review by misspalah
The Village By The Sea by Anita Desai

4.0

A story of overcoming adversities and hardships of one family from one small village called Thul in india. The story was written solely for young adult hence I don't really mind that the plot is a bit lackluster and the characters in the story are lacking in depth. I did enjoyed the story afterall. Both Hari and Lila was forced to grow up quickly so that they can fend for themselves. Hari ran away to Mumbai in a hope of getting a job. He hoped to make enough money so that he can comes back to his village quickly. He finds living in Mumbai very suffocating. Lila, on the other hand, had to step up and be in charge of her family's affair. Her good for nothing father is always drunk and her mother is bedridden for a long as she can remember. Her only loyal friend is Pinto, her dog who's always by her side. Besides Pinto, she's also need to take care of her younger siblings, Bella and Kamal. A short and light reading I must say, there are few political bits here and there in the book but it was necessary for what Hari and Lila go through in their daily life. Overall, this is an enjoyable reading.