"She was like that, excited and delighted by little things, crossing her fingers before any remotely unpredictable event, like tasting a new flavor of ice cream, or dropping a letter in a mailbox."

I began reading this title at a random book café just so I could sit down and kill some time. When I came to, I was reminded by the proprietors that it was time for closing up; been at it for four hours.

Jhumpa Lahiri's Pulitzer-winning debut is a collection of short-stories, each story with a distinct flavor of its own. Even though India is a constant theme in all the stories, the stories explore a diversity of themes in varying environments: failing marriages, budding relationships, illicit extra-marital trysts, travelling students, shunned and cursed women and many more.

Some of the stories are really charming. I can recall a few that have stayed with me. However, the quality of the writing felt somewhat inconsistent. That said, I'm definitely intrigued enough to explore further into Lahiri's bibliography.