Elle Field

Another great way to get a sense of a country is to read books that are by writers from that country or books that are set in that country. I picked up Behind the Beautiful Forever by Katherine Boo in Mumbai airport - it's released in June in the UK. It's a non-fiction book about life in the Mumbai slums that sort of feels fictiony, but in a good way.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is a beast of a book coming in at 944 pages but don't let this put you off - it's utterly absorbing and well worth a read! It's another one that blurs fiction and non-fiction as a lot of is based on the author's experiences but it's a captivating read if you can get over the size of it. 

Man Booker prize winner The White Tiger by Aravind Adigais is another book to add to your Indian reading list. About the "white tiger", a once teashop worker, now chauffeur, you ponder if there's more to Balram than his philosophical thoughts suggests... Read it!

Are there any more books I should read about India? x