A Book Deserving A Place On The Times' Ten Best List!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       I had not even heard of "The Association Of Small Bombs," until it made The New York Times Ten Best Books Of 2016 List."  So, I decided to give it a try.  So far, the only selection I disagree with is "The Vegetarian."

                                        The title is double edged.  It refers to an organization of support for those having been victimized--whether directly or through survival--by bombings in New Delhi, and it relates to a kind of "six degrees" connection of all the principle characters.  The time span is from 1996 to the present, so, yes 9/11 is detailed.

                                          It is also a family saga, both of bombing victims, and the perps who cause such tragedies.  The author's remarkable sense of objectivity is astonishing; while he does not make a case for terrorism, he makes plain the psychology behind those who practice it.

                                           The most poignant story is that of the Khuranas--Vikas and Deepa.  The first is a documentary filmmaker turned accountant, the second a housewife and talented baker. The tragic deaths of their young sons, 13 and 11, in a market, sets the novel's course, as their lives cross over to others, and they evolve from tragic victims to humanitarian activists.  Their characters are especially inspirational to this work, which is tremendous in scope, yet tautly written for maximum impact.  Seldom has what I would call "a political novel" absorbed me, like this one, and I want to see what this skilled author follows this up with.

                                             "The Association Of Small Bombs" is a must for lovers of serious literature, and those wishing to get in touch with the tenor of our times.

                                                And "The New York Times" was right about this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!