A Guardian and a Thief: Oprah's Book Club: A Novel

Megha Majumdar does soften the bitter realities of living and surviving in her latest novel, “A Guardian and a Thief.” In this book, she sends a clear and resounding message of the perilous nature of a dog-eat-dog world. Majumdar uses a complex cast of characters navigating the wreckage of a city in a not-so-far-off and near dystopian future to deliver her glaring warning. To put it bluntly, no one eludes suffering. Not when climate crises reach every shore. Not when hunger causes you to betray your morals. Not when being OTHER means being unwanted. In many ways, this book reminded me of Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.” Especially in how it forces us to look at the grey area between hardened criminal and desperate actor. Which makes us understand that a guardian and a thief are sometimes one and the same. Majumdar’s writing style is spellbinding and fast-paced. Every page has you on the edge of your seat. Every line of dialogue is tinged with an explosive tension that sits on a knife’s edge. Every narrative turn highlights the danger of hope. This novel is heavy and will leave you holding your loved ones a little closer. A recommended read, although a heavy one.