If you enjoy reading books by Amitav Ghosh then you might also like the following authors:
Salman Rushdie is a writer known for blending history, storytelling, and culture in ways that draw readers into vivid and complex worlds. One of his most celebrated books, “Midnight’s Children,” centers on Saleem Sinai, a boy born at the exact moment India gains independence.
As Saleem grows up, his life gets tangled with the history of the country, and he discovers he has a mysterious connection to other children born at the same time. The story explores family, identity, and the sweeping changes in post-colonial India.
Fans of Amitav Ghosh may enjoy Rushdie’s ability to weave personal lives with historical shifts, creating narratives that feel deeply rooted in their settings.
Arundhati Roy is known for her powerful storytelling and vivid characters. Her debut novel, “The God of Small Things,” is set in Kerala and explores the lives of fraternal twins, Estha and Rahel, and their family.
The book moves between their childhood and adulthood, weaving together moments of love, betrayal, and loss. At its core, the story reveals how a single tragic event shapes their lives forever.
Roy captures the beauty of the Indian setting while portraying complex family dynamics and the societal structures that bind them. It’s a beautifully written book that stays with you long after you read it.
Jhumpa Lahiri writes stories that focus on the experiences of Indian immigrants and their families, exploring the connections between home, heritage, and identity. Her book, “The Namesake,” tells the story of Gogol Ganguli, a boy born in America to Bengali parents.
Gogol struggles with his unusual name, which ties him to his parents’ past while he tries to create his own life in a place that feels far removed from their traditions. The book moves through his life as he navigates love, family expectations, and his cultural identity.
Lahiri’s writing draws you into the everyday lives of her characters, making them feel real and relatable.
Rohinton Mistry is an Indian-Canadian writer known for his rich storytelling and unforgettable characters. His novel, “A Fine Balance,” is set in 1970s India during a time of political unrest.
It follows four strangers who are brought together in an unpredictable way—a widow trying to make a living as a seamstress, two tailors fleeing their troubled past, and a young student forced to board with them.
Their lives intertwine, and the story shows their struggles, hopes, and fragile bonds while facing harsh realities. Mistry paints a vivid picture of a country in turmoil and the resilience of ordinary people trying to survive.
Kiran Desai is an author with a rich storytelling style that captures the intersection of personal lives and larger societal shifts. Her novel, “The Inheritance of Loss,” is set in a small Himalayan village.
It focuses on Sai, a young girl living with her grandfather, and explores how globalization and cultural clashes shape the lives of those around them. The story weaves through themes of migration and identity.
One of the most memorable parts is the journey of Biju, a cook’s son, who struggles to find a better life abroad but faces alienation and displacement. Desai creates a vivid sense of place and human vulnerability in a world undergoing constant change.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an author known for stories that bring Indian culture, mythology, and history to life. One of her captivating books is “The Palace of Illusions.” It reimagines the Mahabharata through the eyes of Draupadi, a central figure in the epic.
The story portrays her journey, from her magical birth to her marriage to the Pandava brothers and the events that follow. Draupadi is portrayed as strong, thoughtful, and deeply human, navigating a world shaped by power, love, and betrayal.
The book gives voice to a character often overshadowed in traditional retellings of the epic, offering fresh insight into her emotions and choices.
Vikram Chandra is an acclaimed author known for blending rich storytelling with cultural depth. One of his standout books, “Sacred Games,” is an epic tale set in Mumbai.
It follows Sartaj Singh, a weary police officer, as he gets drawn into the world of a notorious crime lord named Ganesh Gaitonde. The story unravels through layers of mystery, weaving together the personal and the political.
It paints a vivid picture of the city’s underworld, its corruption, and its humanity. With its mix of crime, history, and drama, it’s a book that grips your attention from the start.
R.K. Narayan is an Indian author known for creating relatable characters and everyday stories that feel deeply real. His book “The Guide” is a great example of his storytelling.
It follows Raju, a tour guide in a small town, who unexpectedly becomes a spiritual leader after a series of twists in his life. The story moves through his transformation, his struggles with his past, and the way the people around him see him.
Narayan’s writing gently explores human behavior and the quirks of small-town life. His world feels grounded and alive, giving readers a sense of connection to the characters and their choices.
Kamila Shamsie is a British-Pakistani author known for her rich storytelling rooted in history and cultural connections. Her novel “Home Fire” is a modern reimagining of Sophocles’ Antigone, set against the backdrop of contemporary geopolitics.
It follows three siblings—Isma, Aneeka, and Parvaiz—whose lives are shaped by family loyalty, personal desires, and the shadow of their father’s extremist past.
The story takes readers from London to Istanbul and examines the way love and duty collide with identity and belonging.
Rabindranath Tagore was an Indian author and poet known for his nuanced storytelling and vivid descriptions of human emotions and relationships.
One of his most well-known works, “The Home and the World,” explores the tension between personal desires and political ideals during India’s independence movement.
The story revolves around three characters: Nikhil, a kind and principled man; his wife, Bimala, who begins to question her role as a devoted wife; and Sandip, a passionate nationalist leader who brings a spark of excitement but also danger into their lives.
The book captures how the personal and political can collide and create unexpected challenges, all within the setting of a socially changing India.
Shashi Tharoor is a writer and politician with a gift for storytelling that blends history and culture. His book “The Great Indian Novel” is a creative retelling of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, set against the backdrop of India’s modern history.
The book reimagines key figures from Indian politics as characters from the ancient tale, weaving together mythology and the events of India’s independence movement.
The wit and depth in Tharoor’s writing make it a memorable read, especially for those who enjoy historical narratives with a twist.
Anuradha Roy is an Indian author known for her evocative storytelling and ability to bring places and characters to life.
Her novel “Sleeping on Jupiter” is set in a coastal temple town and follows the intertwined lives of three women visiting the area and a young woman shadowed by a painful past.
The story pulls together themes of violence, memory, and survival while contrasting the beauty of the landscape with the hidden realities of the people within it. Roy creates a world that feels vivid and deeply human, filled with emotions that linger long after reading.
Anita Desai is an author who writes beautifully about people, their emotions, and the worlds they inhabit. Her book, “The Village by the Sea,” follows two children, Lila and Hari, who live in a small Indian fishing village.
Their family is struggling—an absent father and a sick mother leave them to fend for themselves. Lila stays behind to manage things at home, while Hari ventures to Bombay to find work. The story captures the challenges they face and how they hold on to hope in difficult times.
Desai’s writing brings the village and its people to life, making it easy to picture their world and their struggles.
Manil Suri is an author who blends storytelling with themes rooted in Indian culture and history. His book “The Death of Vishnu” takes place in a crumbling apartment building in Mumbai. The story begins with Vishnu, a man stuck between life and death, lying on the stairs.
Through him, the lives of the residents unfold, revealing their struggles, secrets, and connections. The narrative explores family tensions, religion, and the intricacies of human relationships, all woven into the daily life of the city.
If you enjoy stories filled with rich detail and complex characters, this might be worth a read.
Neel Mukherjee is an author whose work often explores family dynamics against larger social and historical backdrops.
His novel, “The Lives of Others,” is set in 1960s Calcutta and follows the lives of the Ghosh family, a wealthy household slowly unraveling under personal and political stresses. One of the family members, Supratik, secretly joins a radical communist movement.
His choices create ripples that clash with the pressures and traditions of the family’s world. Mukherjee’s writing brings to life the tensions between generations and the weight of societal expectations.