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Unaccustomed Earth  By  cover art

Unaccustomed Earth

By: Jhumpa Lahiri
Narrated by: Sarita Choudhury, Ajay Naidu
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Publisher's summary

From the internationally best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a superbly crafted new work of fiction: eight stories that take us from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand.

In the stunning title story, Ruma, a young mother in a new city, is visited by her father, who carefully tends the earth of her garden, where he and his grandson form a special bond. But he's harboring a secret from his daughter, a love affair he's keeping all to himself.

In "A Choice of Accommodations", a husband's attempt to turn an old friend's wedding into a romantic getaway weekend with his wife takes a dark, revealing turn as the party lasts deep into the night.

In "Only Goodness", a sister eager to give her younger brother the perfect childhood she never had is overwhelmed by guilt, anguish, and anger when his alcoholism threatens her family.

And in "Hema and Kaushik" - a trio of linked stories and a luminous, intensely compelling elegy of life, death, love, and fate - we follow the lives of a girl and boy who, one winter, share a house in Massachusetts. They travel from innocence to experience on separate, sometimes painful paths, until destiny brings them together again years later in Rome.

©2008 Jhumpa Lahiri (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Lahiri's enormous gifts as a storyteller are on full display in this collection: the gorgeous, effortless prose; the characters haunted by regret, isolation, loss, and tragedies big and small; and most of all, a quiet, emerging sense of humanity." (Khaled Hosseini)
"The author's ability to flesh out completely even minor characters in every story...is what will keep readers invested in the work until its heartbreaking conclusion." ( Library Journal)

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What listeners say about Unaccustomed Earth

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Perfectly subtle and thought-provoking

Beautifully written and performed. Subtle and moving - loved the tone and pacing of the performances as well.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another beautiful story

Excellent! Moving! It touches your heart. Highly recommend. My third book by this author.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Captivating novellas

I found myself absorbed in each of the stories about immigrant families. I was unprepared for the fact that the stories were not woven together in the end but found that I forgave that due to the captivating nature of each one. Excellent narration.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Read it just once and forget about it.....

This is a book of those bunch of short stories, some of them which are plain right boring and don't reach anywhere with their storyline. All stories have roots to Bengal, India and seriously it wouldn't have made any difference otherwise. Definitely overrated. Writing this review, I don't even remember some of the stories. Phew...

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1 person found this helpful

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Perfection!

Where does Unaccustomed Earth rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is so far, my favorite book I've listened to….EVER!

What other book might you compare Unaccustomed Earth to and why?

The Namesake - Short story by same author. Another great!

Any additional comments?

You won't be disappointed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Authentic feeling

Listening to this story, it feels like I’m getting a glimpse into the authentic lives of others. It feels real and fresh.

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  • Overall
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Beautiful

Beautifully written stories,
I love this book so much, I have read it and also listened to it here on Audible.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Simply Beautiful

I'm a huge fan of Lahiri's work - her writing is always emotional, and Unaccustomed Earth is no exception. The characters in this book are wonderful - I really enjoyed getting to know them, and I found myself looking forward to my drives so I could spend more time with them. The narration is spot on, and this books lends itself to audio well due to the emotions that run through the stories. Stellar writing, a book you can really lose yourself in.

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41 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully read and beautifully written

Jhumpa Lahiri's stories are moving and make real for the outsider the conflicts and contradictions of first and second generation immigrants in the highly educated and priveleged classes of America's haute bourgeoisie. I find her stories fascinating and complex but completely accessible, real and believable. THe readers were excellent and added to my satisfaction at hearing a book so well conceived and well read.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging

The stories are interesting and well written. The narration is well done overall but the pronunciation of the Massachusetts towns and terms drove me crazy as a life long Massachusetts resident!

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1 person found this helpful