I was impressed at the restraint and precision in this book; it felt really different from the dramatic, multi-generational sagas I'm used to from Lahiri. I feel like this is a book that people would describe as "nothing happens," and it's true that the short chapters are somewhat unrelated to each other. The plot is not very solid. But through those brief encounters with the narrator, I developed sympathy for her, and I liked the ending. I found myself rooting for her, whatever came next. 

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I'm amazed at our impulse to express ourselves, explain ourselves, tell stories to one another. (61)