‘The New New Delhi Book Club’: A breezy read about the upper class’s struggles with the lockdown

A schoolboy starts an email conversation with his grandfather in Delhi when the Covid-19 lockdowns are imposed. A mother of two feels neglected and burdened with household chores as the family coops up at home. The aforementioned grandfather strikes up an unusual friendship with his 6-year-old neighbour while they exchange books to read. The neighbourhood eccentrics – a mother-daughter duo with 30 pet dogs – are cornered by the residents for the growling and the barking that originates from their home at all hours of the day. A college student feels hopeless as the job crisis worsens. A domestic worker convinces himself to stay put instead of walking home to his village in another state. A house painting professional survives on meals of daal and rice as money becomes tight. A man who sells electronic goods succumbs to the deadly virus.

The blurry days

These are the characters in Radhika Swarup’s new book The New New Delhi Book Club who remind us what those blurry days from five years ago were like. These seemingly unconnected people live in the same neighbourhood in Delhi. When the lockdown is announced following concerns of mass contagion, they are forced to confine themselves to their homes and hope for a speedy...

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