A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness

Stories

By: Jai Chakrabarti

Narrated by: Sharmila Devar, Shawn K. Jain

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • “As impeccable as [the] title story is, every entry astonishes” (The New York Times), from the National Jewish Book Award-winning author of A Play for the End of the World

"Whether in Brooklyn, Kolkata, upstate New York or elsewhere, these characters captured my heart and endure in my memory like loved ones.”—Mia Alvar, author of In the Country

In the fifteen masterful stories that make up this collection, Jai Chakrabarti crosses continents and cultures to explore what it means to cultivate a family today, across borders, religions, and race.

In the title story, a closeted gay man in 1980s Kolkata seeks to have a child with his lover’s wife. An Indian widow, engaged to a Jewish man, struggles to balance her cultural identity with the rituals and traditions of her newfound family. An American musician travels to see his guru for the final time—and makes a promise he cannot keep. A young woman from an Indian village arrives in Brooklyn to care for the toddler of a biracial couple. And a mystical agent is sent by a mother to solve her son’s domestic problems.

Throughout, the characters’ most vulnerable desires shape life-altering decisions as they seek to balance their needs against those of the people they hold closest. The stories in A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness capture men and women struggling with transformation and familial bonds; they traverse the intersections of countries and cultures to illuminate what it means to love in uncertain times; and they showcase the skill of a storyteller who dazzles with the breadth of his vision.

©2023 Jai Chakrabarti (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A Good Housekeeping Book Club Pick of the Month

“The first story in Jai Chakrabarti’s exquisite collection, A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness, is hard to top . . . As impeccable as that title story is, every entry astonishes. Whether the setting is India or the United States (often Brooklyn, where the author lives), there is a universality to the characters’ concerns . . . Among the many ways in which Chakrabarti demonstrates a mastery of the form is that each tale feels immersive and complete, yet leaves a reader wanting more.”—Leigh Haber, The New York Times

"In 15 touching, heartfelt and vividly painted stories, characters grapple with the meaning of family and all the complications that arise within those units in all of their beautiful permutations. You'll laugh, cry and gasp with surprise and wonder as you read about a closeted a gay man who seeks to have a child with his lover's wife, an Indian woman balancing her cultural identity with that of her Jewish fiancé and a young woman who travels from India to the states to care for a biracial couple's toddler. Brew a cup of something cozy and settle in for an array of tales about families that may even challenge you to reflect on your own."—Good Housekeeping

“These are beautiful stories, sometimes wrenching, sometimes redeeming, always pulling us into unexpected spaces—of the world, of the human heart. Chakrabarti is an accomplished and insightful writer.”—Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, best-selling author of The Last Queen and The Forest of Enchantments

Worth a Second Listen

This story collection was so spectacular that I listened to it twice, getting more out of it. The storytelling is rich and sumptuous, like Indian food. Jai Chakrabarti is a great talent. I look forward to the next collection.