{"product_id":"a-guardian-and-a-thief-oprahs-book-club","title":"A Guardian and a Thief: Oprah's Book Club","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"In a near-future Kolkata beset by flooding and blight, Ma, her two year old daughter Mishti, and her elderly father Dadu are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma's husband in the home he has been building for them in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After procuring long-awaited passports and visas from the consulate, they pack their bags for the flight to America. But in the morning they awaken to discover that Ma's purse, with all the treasured documents within it, has been stolen. A Guardian and a Thief tells two stories: the story of Ma and her family, their struggle to emigrate to America, and their devastation in the wake of the theft that changes their fate to one of implacable tragedy; and Boomba, the thief, whose hunger and desperation to care for his family drive him to commit a crime whose consequences he cannot fathom. With stunning control and command, Megha Majumdar paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of two families whose destinies become inexorably entangled, wresting compassion from each narrative as the complexities of each character's circumstances-their helplessness in the face of poverty and corruption, and the need to stave off encroaching catastrophe--are captured with clarity and piercing empathy. A masterful new work from one of the most exciting voices of her generation\"-- Provided by publisher.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMegha Majumdar's debut novel, the \n\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller \n\u003ci\u003eA Burning\u003c\/i\u003e, was nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize, and the American Library Association's Andrew Carnegie Medal. It was a \n\u003ci\u003eToday \u003c\/i\u003eshow Read With Jenna Book Club Pick and a Barnes \u0026amp; Noble Discover Pick. In India, it won a Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar. \n\u003ci\u003eA Burning \u003c\/i\u003ewas named one of the best books of 2020 by media including \n\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post, The New York Times, \u003c\/i\u003eNPR, \n\u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic, Vogue, \u003c\/i\u003eand \n\u003ci\u003eTime. \u003c\/i\u003eMajumdar is the recipient of a Whiting Award, as well as of fellowships from the Civitella Ranieri and Hawthornden foundations. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, and educated at Harvard and Johns Hopkins, she now lives in New York.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"In a near-future Kolkata beset by flooding and blight, Ma, her two year old daughter Mishti, and her elderly father Dadu are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma's husband in the home he has been building for them in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After procuring long-awaited passports and visas from the consulate, they pack their bags for the flight to America. But in the morning they awaken to discover that Ma's purse, with all the treasured documents within it, has been stolen. A Guardian and a Thief tells two stories: the story of Ma and her family, their struggle to emigrate to America, and their devastation in the wake of the theft that changes their fate to one of implacable tragedy; and Boomba, the thief, whose hunger and desperation to care for his family drive him to commit a crime whose consequences he cannot fathom. With stunning control and command, Megha Majumdar paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of two families whose destinies become inexorably entangled, wresting compassion from each narrative as the complexities of each character's circumstances-their helplessness in the face of poverty and corruption, and the need to stave off encroaching catastrophe -- are captured with clarity and piercing empathy. A masterful new work from one of the most exciting voices of her geneeration\"--\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNAMED A NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR: \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, NPR, \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eELLE\u003c\/i\u003e, T\u003ci\u003eown \u0026amp; Country\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBookpage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"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 \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief\u003c\/i\u003e. It conveys the nuances of not only love but also wisdom . . . it also makes this novel, wrenching though it often is, a true joy to read.\" \n\u003cb\u003e­--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"[ \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief\u003c\/i\u003e] is a perfect novel: 200 pages of tightly honed panic about life in a collapsing society. . . . The book's simple structure feels reminiscent of a fairy tale, which helps account for the deep, visceral terror the story generates.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief\u003c\/i\u003e is a literary gem with the pace of a thriller.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--USA Today\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Adroitly plotted. . . . Majumdar's unstintingly graceful political novel has the grip of a nail-biter.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A mesmerizing morality play that demonstrates how categories like 'victim' and 'thief' collapse under conditions of scarcity.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\" \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief \u003c\/i\u003eis an achievement. It deserves praise. It deserves study. It deserves to be read, and sat with, and thought about. . . . The craft of this novel is something approaching immaculate.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Post Gazette \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Tightly plotted and emotionally vivid.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--New York Magazine \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A piercing and empathetic examination of the moral complexities of survival and how love can blur the lines between right and wrong in the face of disaster. \" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eTIME\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A beguilingly simple tale. A complicated morality play. A sensitive evocation of time. . . . [ \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief\u003c\/i\u003e] is a contemporary classic.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eMinnesota Star Tribune \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Prescient. . . . Tightly plotted. . . . Majumdar's novel makes chillingly real the law of the world.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eForeign Policy\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"[ \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief\u003c\/i\u003e] is a tense, emotional thriller written with a poet's knack for finding the right images to set your brain on fire.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eEsquire\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Wondering if there's a novel out there that gives Cormac McCarthy's \n\u003ci\u003eThe Road\u003c\/i\u003e a run for its money? Here you go. [ \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief \u003c\/i\u003eis] an indelible piece of writing, in equal parts dazzling and devastating.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--Stacy Schiff, author of \u003ci\u003eCleopatra: A Life \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Devastatingly powerful. . . . With this incredible story, Majumdar has given us something precious: truth.\" \n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e--BookPage (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"An electrifying depiction of dignity and morality under siege. . . . With gorgeous writing and the pacing of a thriller, \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief \u003c\/i\u003etransports the reader to a world ravaged by drought, burning heat, and severe food scarcity. . . . The way Majumdar manages to connect all the storylines with a resolution that unfolds both globally and in one small living room is genius.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eKirkus \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\"Luminous. . . . Majumdar conjures a city at once deteriorating and resilient, where markets sell seaweed and synthetic fish, and the city's 'remaining benevolent billionaire' lives on a heavily guarded man-made island in a widening river. . . . There's no clear-cut villain here, just people attempting to survive and protect their own. Majumdar proves once again that she is a master of the moral dilemma.\" \n\u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMajumdar brilliantly blurs right and wrong, ethics and legality. . . . [An] exquisitely wrenching novel.\" \n\u003cb\u003e --\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER - WINNER OF THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE - Megha Majumdar's electrifying new novel, following her acclaimed \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller \u003ci\u003eA Burning\u003c\/i\u003e, is set in a near-future Kolkata, India in which two families seeking to protect their children must battle each other. A piercing and propulsive tour de force. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD - LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION - OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Wondering if there's a novel out there that gives Cormac McCarthy's \u003ci\u003eThe Road\u003c\/i\u003e a run for its money? Here you go.\" --Stacy Schiff, author of\u003ci\u003e Cleopatra: A Life\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn a near-future Kolkata, Ma, her two-year-old daughter, and her elderly father are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma's 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 Ma's purse, containing their treasured immigration documents, has been stolen. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSet over the course of one week, \n\u003ci\u003eA Guardian and a Thief \u003c\/i\u003etells two stories: the story of Ma's 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 children's future as they stave off encroaching catastrophe. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA masterful new work from one of the most exciting voices of her generation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 08\/04\/2025 (EAN 9780593804872, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 08\/15\/2025 (EAN 9780593804872, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 09\/01\/2025 (EAN 9780593804872, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/span\u003e 11\/13\/2025 (EAN 9780593804872, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 09\/01\/2025 (EAN 9780593804889, Other) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Knopf Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496138866966,"sku":"9780593804872","price":34.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9780593804872.jpg?v=1783053818","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/a-guardian-and-a-thief-oprahs-book-club","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}