One Arm Shorter Than The Other by Gigi Ganguly

The unexpectedness of the book is what set this book apart for me. When I first started reading it, I encountered the eponymous man with one arm shorter than the other who was doing repairs in Delhi. The time changes over the next few books, but the man is in all of them.
After the first shift, I assumed that it was a collection of short stories and settled down to enjoy it that way. It was only when certain things started to happen in the book that I realised that there was a background narrative which held it all together.
Each chapter is a very delicate way of looking at people’s lives in Delhi (until the time fast forward to the future!). It is the kind of book that focuses on the more mundane parts of life, doing something with idle time, hobbies and latent wishes.
Each family we encounter has different priorities and things that they set out to do with the item they want to be repaired.
I was not as fond of the ending as I was of the rest of it. I might have actually been satisfied with it just being a collection of short stories. Although, I am sure the twist is something several people might enjoy.
There is a lot to take away from this book. It could certainly serve as a discussion point in any bookish gathering. It is a novella but feels like a bigger book (in a good way).

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.