Perhaps a Book Club Selection

Beyond the Beautiful Forevers reads like a novel with little hint that the author is a long established reporter. In this book of narrative non-fiction, the author weaves the story of families living in the Annawadi slum (located in the shadow of the Mumbai airport) and their interactions with each other, various branches of the local government, and their hopes for the future.

I listened to the book and was unaware of the author’s note at the end and almost missed it. She (Katherine Boo) explains how she came to the subject and what her methodology was for flushing out remembered conversations and emotions suppressed by culture and personality. Listening to her explain how she acquired the story provided, for me, an added level of interest in the story.