(B) Interpreter of Maladies (Jhumpa Lahiri, 1999) Grade: A
I first heard of Lahiri when I read a collection of short stories edited by David Sedaris. Her entry, the title story, was one of my favorites, so I was happy to find her book at the library. All of her stories demonstrate a remarkable understanding of human emotion as well as the immigrant experience, specifically, Indian Americans. Her work is absolutely remarkable, which explains her Pulitzer in 2000. I’m eager to read her second book, The Namesake, which is being adapted for film and will star Harold & Kumar actor Kal Penn.