I’m looking for books that centre around a foreigner who moves to live in India, but I’ve had no success in finding one that doesn’t include at least a couple of the things I’m trying to avoid. I just want something fairly realistic, that neither romanticises it nor focuses mainly on negatives. Can anyone suggest a fiction book or memoir that meets as many as possible of the following criteria?
✅ Present day setting, accurate depiction of the location, culture, etc. Realistic, nuanced characters living fairly ordinary lives, working, doing hobbies, etc. Realistic portrayal of the positives and negatives of life in India.
❌ Stereotypes, casual racism, superior colonial attitudes, white saviourism. Rich people living in a bubble, middle aged women “finding themselves”, backpackers/hippie travellers. Over the top “everything’s so weird!” attitude, overemphasis on poverty, social issues, difficulties. Appears to be written by someone who knows little about India
Thank you if you can think of anything!
by Virtual-Two3405