Family Matters - Book Club March 2023

Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry

Set against the sprawling, corrupt, bustling backdrop of Bombay-soon-to-be-Mumbai, India, the novel explores the struggles and problems of India at large into a single cast of memorable, yet ‘ordinary’ characters.

Nariman, the 79-year-old patriarch of a Parsi family, suffering with Parkinson's disease, breaks his ankle and becomes bedridden, thus totally dependent of his family. His stepson Jal and stepdaughter Coomy, overwhelmed by the prospect of caring for him, enlist the help of their half-sister, Roxana.

Despite the small quarters, Roxana does her best to make this new living situation work, mostly because of her absolute, unconditional love for her father, and the strong bond the family shares. This decision will test not only their material resources but, in surprising ways, all their tolerance, compassion, integrity and faith.

Intimate and tragic, with rich, evocative characters, the novel is a work of enormous emotional power.