![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfoB8z4P4fnLb9yefFSp4zk-_o8Xh6KtGW0N0I7mF7Rj7SzDVKB3TKoXwOatwd-s9GJCuA49c1l_RtdqHi9xQGaIv9tJsxR_B8H2XgveDbIXU0T8bknWLWclbPNRdoIuAKr3swwhnSQ/s320/sankar.gif)
One title on her list:
Chowringhee by Sankar (Penguin, $14).Read about all six titles on Ali's list.
A classic of Bengali literature, recently published for the first time in English. Set in a venerable Calcutta establishment, this sprawling saga examines in luminous detail the iniquities of society represented in microcosm at the hotel. Containing the action in a hotel where employees and guests are in physical proximity but a world away from each other heightens Sankar’s every observation.
Learn about Monica Ali's ten favorite books.
--Marshal Zeringue