The Village by the Sea

The Village by the Sea is a powerful and moving novel by Booker Prize-shortlisted author Anita Desai, set in a small Indian fishing village near Bombay, where thirteen-year-old Lila and her twelve-year-old brother Hari struggle to hold their family together — caring for their sick mother, managing their alcoholic father, and keeping two younger sisters fed — while a proposed fertilizer factory threatens to destroy their entire way of life. When Hari impulsively travels to Bombay to try to change the family's fortunes, both siblings must find reserves of courage and resourcefulness they didn't know they had. This is an exceptional choice for students because it is a beautifully written, deeply human story about poverty, resilience, family love, and survival that introduces South Asian life and culture with literary depth and emotional power.

Publishing Details

Author : Anita Desai

Author Nationality : India

Physical Details

Type of Book: Chapter

Cover: Softcover

Pages: 272

Size: 7.9 x 5.1 inches

Year Published: 2019

Instructional Details

Reading Grade Level: 5th

Genre: Fiction

Sub-Genre: Realistic Fiction

Theme: Family, Social Issues, Asian American, Nature