Simon & Schuster Ltd Guardian and a Thief: The National Book Award-shortlisted new novel from the author of A Burning

A GUARDIAN BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2026 OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK TIME MUST-READ BOOK SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION FINALIST FOR THE KIRKUS PRIZE Majumdar evades the narrative clunkiness that inevitably attends attempts to explain India to the west. This frees her up not only to tell a story of universal moral interest, but also to deliver a perceptive account of specifically Indian anxieties. A Guardian and a Thief dramatises, to superb effect, the Indian elites great fear: a world in which they are forced to share Guardian Nothing goes to plan in this ­propulsive black farce which ­combines ­vertiginous plot twists and a persuasive doomy atmosphere with a terrific spin on the moral hypocrisy of the Indian middle classes. Daily Mail An indictment of this moment and a timeless parable about the lengths we go to for love and self-preservation, written in exuberant prose - this is a novel that will burrow its way into your soul and remain there forever Tahmima Anam NAMED A NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, NEW YORKER, WASHINGTON POST, NPR, ATLANTIC, TIME, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, ELLE, KIRKUS, BOOKPAGE Megha Majumdars electrifying new novel, following her acclaimed New York Times Bestseller A Burninglonglisted for the National Book Awardis set in a near-future Kolkata, India, ravaged by climate change and food scarcity, in which two families seeking to protect their children must battle each othera piercing and propulsive tour de force. In a near-future Kolkata beset by flooding and famine, Ma, her two-year-old daughter Mishti, and her elderly father Dadu are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Mas husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After procuring long-awaited visas from the consulate, they pack their bags for the flight to America. But in the morning they awaken to discover that Mas purse, with all the treasured immigration documents within it, has been stolen. Set over the course of one week, A Guardian and a Thief tells two stories: the story of Mas frantic search for the thief while keeping hunger at bay during a worsening food shortage; and the story of Boomba, the thief, whose desperation to care for his family drives him to commit a series of escalating crimes whose consequences he cannot fathom. With stunning control and command, Megha Majumdar paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of two families, each operating from a place of ferocious love and undefeated hope, each discovering how far they will go to secure their childrens future as they stave off encroaching catastrophe. A masterful new work from one of the most exciting voices of her generation. A true literary achievement Majumdar creates a tense and deeply compassionate portrait of desperation, fear and the combined selflessness and selfishness of parenthood Detail is the strongest thing in A Guardian and a Thief. It conveys the nuances of not only love but also wisdom a true joy to read. New York Times Autorid: Megha Majumdar