Whereabouts - Jhumpa Lahiri

You might say I stumbled upon Whereabouts by a happy accident. I was visiting my favourite bookshop at the weekend, planning to spend some time reading in the coffee shop, and had forgotten to bring my current read. What was supposed to be 'just browsing' turned into buying a new book - naturally - and since I had loved The Namesake so much, I purchased another Jhumpa Lahiri.

This is an enchanting little novel of short episodes in a middle aged woman's life. Originally written in Italian, this was the first novel Lahiri translated to English. Each chapter is only a page or two in length, and named after different places around the city she frequents. Over the course of a year, we learn about the people she meets, places she visits and her fleeting thoughts about life and love.

Though there is little plot in this novel, I devoured it in just two short sittings. Lahiri's depiction of place, of belonging, of independence and of the beauty in the mundane is gorgeous. Through the eyes of our lonesome protagonist, wandering through the sun-drenched city like a butterfly fluttering from place to place, we experience joy, sadness and a sense of peace.