The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga

The White Tiger is a compelling first novel about Balram Halwai, the White Tiger. His family is too poor to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi. As he drives his master to shopping malls and call centers, Balram becomes increasingly aware of immense wealth and opportunity all around him, while knowing that he will never be able to gain access to that world. As Balram agonizes over his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he can break out of his cage - by murdering his master. The White Tiger presents a raw India, both thrilling and shocking. , The White Tiger is a gripping book and while its narrator is amoral, cynical, unrepentant, he is still deeply endearing.

Review by Cheri Herrbolt