{"title":"Akash Kapur","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the insightful works of Akash Kapur, delving into themes of identity, history, and modern India. Perfect for readers who enjoy thoughtful narratives and cultural exploration.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"india-becoming-book-akash-kapur-9781594488191","title":"India Becoming","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew Republic\u003c\/i\u003e Editors' and Writers' Pick 2012\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e Contributors' Pick 2012\u003cbr\u003e A \u003ci\u003eNewsweek \u003c\/i\u003eMust Read on Modern India\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For people who savored Katherine Boo's \u003ci\u003eBehind the Beautiful Forevers\u003c\/i\u003e.--Evan Osnos, newyorker.com \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the author of \u003ci\u003eBetter To Have Gone, a\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e portrait of the incredible change and economic development of modern India, and of social and national transformation there told through individual lives\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Raised in India, and educated in the U.S., Akash Kapur returned to India in 2003 to raise a family. What he found was an ancient country in transition. In search of the life that he and his wife want to lead, he meets an array of Indians who teach him much about the realities of this changed country: an old landowner sees his rural village destroyed by real estate developments, and crime and corruption breaking down the feudal authority; a 21-year-old single woman and a 35-year-old divorcee exploring the new cultural allowances for women; and a young gay man coming to terms with his sexual identity - something never allowed him a generation ago.\u003cbr\u003eAs Akash and his wife struggle to find the right balance between growth and modernity and the simplicity and purity they had known from the Indian countryside a decade ago, they ultimately find a country that has begun to dream. But also one that may be moving away too quickly from the valuable ways in which it is different.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49516857000209,"sku":"GOR007480499","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50094483702033,"sku":"CIN1594488193G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50960325706001,"sku":"CIN1594488193VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52621366395153,"sku":"GOR007460064","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1594488193.jpg?v=1751276707"},{"product_id":"india-becoming-book-akash-kapur-9781594486531","title":"India Becoming","description":"\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew Republic\u003c\/i\u003e Editors' and Writers' Pick 2012\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e Contributors' Pick 2012\u003cbr\u003e A \u003ci\u003eNewsweek\u003c\/i\u003e \"Must Read on Modern India\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"For people who savored Katherine Boo's \u003ci\u003eBehind the Beautiful Forevers\u003c\/i\u003e.\"-Evan Osnos, newyorker.com\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eFrom the author of \u003ci\u003eBetter To Have Gone, a\u003c\/i\u003e portrait of the incredible change and economic development of modern India, and of social and national transformation there told through individual lives\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Raised in India, and educated in the U.S., Akash Kapur returned to India in 2003 to raise a family. What he found was an ancient country in transition. In search of the life that he and his wife want to lead, he meets an array of Indians who teach him much about the realities of this changed country- an old landowner sees his rural village destroyed by real estate developments, and crime and corruption breaking down the feudal authority; a 21-year-old single woman and a 35-year-old divorcee exploring the new cultural allowances for women; and a young gay man coming to terms with his sexual identity - something never allowed him a generation ago.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As Akash and his wife struggle to find the right balance between growth and modernity and the simplicity and purity they had known from the Indian countryside a decade ago, they ultimately find a country that \"has begun to dream.\" But also one that may be moving away too quickly from the valuable ways in which it is different.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49523680641297,"sku":"GOR005314683","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50393967919377,"sku":"CIN1594486530A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50393971720465,"sku":"CIN1594486530G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51038641029393,"sku":"NIN9781594486531","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52345475006737,"sku":"NLS9781594486531","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1594486530.jpg?v=1750719940"},{"product_id":"better-to-have-gone-book-akash-kapur-9781398506749","title":"Better To Have Gone","description":"'Beautifully written and structured, deeply moving, and realised in wise, thoughtful, chiselled prose... it is that rarity: a genuine non-fiction classic' William Dalrymple 'A troubling and moving account of lives gone wrong in the search for an eastern Utopia' Damon Galgut, author of the Booker Prize-winning The Promise A spellbinding story about love, faith, the search for utopia - and the often devastating cost of idealism.   It’s the late 1960s, and two lovers converge on an arid patch of earth in South India. John Walker is the handsome scion of a powerful East Coast American family. Diane Maes is a beautiful hippie from Belgium. They have come to build a new world - Auroville, an international utopian community for thousands of people. Their faith is strong, the future bright.   So how do John and Diane end up dying two decades later, on the same day, on a cracked concrete floor in a thatch hut by a remote canyon? This is the mystery Akash Kapur sets out to solve in Better to Have Gone, and it carries deep personal resonance: Diane and John were the parents of Akash’s wife, Auralice. Akash and Auralice grew up in Auroville; like the rest of their community, they never really understood those deaths.   In 2004, Akash and Auralice return to Auroville from New York, where they have been living with John’s family. As they re-establish themselves, along with their two sons, in the community, they must confront the ghosts of those distant deaths. Slowly, they come to understand how the tragic individual fates of John and Diane intersected with the collective history of their town.  Better to Have Gone is a book about the human cost of our age-old quest for a more perfect world. It probes the under-explored yet universal idea of utopia, and it portrays in vivid detail the daily life of one utopian community. Richly atmospheric and filled with remarkable characters, spread across time and continents, this is narrative writing of the highest order - a heartbreaking, unforgettable story.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49527411081489,"sku":"GOR011596725","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49599463293201,"sku":"GOR011577850","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49886938824977,"sku":"GOR013807388","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50697973858577,"sku":"NGR9781398506749","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1398506745.jpg?v=1750713212"},{"product_id":"better-to-have-gone-book-akash-kapur-9781398506770","title":"Better To Have Gone","description":"'Beautifully written and structured, deeply moving, and realised in wise, thoughtful, chiselled prose... it is that rarity: a genuine non-fiction classic' William Dalrymple 'A troubling and moving account of lives gone wrong in the search for an eastern Utopia' Damon Galgut, author of the Booker Prize-winning The Promise A spellbinding story about love, faith, the search for utopia - and the often devastating cost of idealism.  It’s the late 1960s, and two lovers converge on an arid patch of earth in South India. John Walker is the handsome scion of a powerful East Coast American family. Diane Maes is a beautiful hippie from Belgium. They have come to build a new world - Auroville, an international utopian community for thousands of people. Their faith is strong, the future bright.  So how do John and Diane end up dying two decades later, on the same day, on a cracked concrete floor in a thatch hut by a remote canyon? This is the mystery Akash Kapur sets out to solve in Better to Have Gone, and it carries deep personal resonance: Diane and John were the parents of Akash’s wife, Auralice. Akash and Auralice grew up in Auroville; like the rest of their community, they never really understood those deaths.  In 2004, Akash and Auralice return to Auroville from New York, where they have been living with John’s family. As they re-establish themselves, along with their two sons, in the community, they must confront the ghosts of those distant deaths. Slowly, they come to understand how the tragic individual fates of John and Diane intersected with the collective history of their town.  Better to Have Gone is a book about the human cost of our age-old quest for a more perfect world. It probes the under-explored yet universal idea of utopia, and it portrays in vivid detail the daily life of one utopian community. Richly atmospheric and filled with remarkable characters, spread across time and continents, this is narrative writing of the highest order - a heartbreaking, unforgettable story.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49559874208017,"sku":"GOR012307395","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49740851282193,"sku":"NGR9781398506770","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50593938571537,"sku":"GOR014009376","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/139850677X.jpg?v=1751114013"},{"product_id":"better-to-have-gone-book-akash-kapur-9781501132520","title":"Better to Have Gone","description":"\u003cb\u003e*Named a Best Book of the Year by \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, Wall Street Journal,\u003c\/i\u003e CNN\u003ci\u003e, New Statesman, Air Mail,\u003c\/i\u003e and more * Longlisted for the Chautauqua Prize * Recipient of a Whiting Grant*\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eA \"haunting and elegant\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e) story about love, faith, the search for utopia--and the often devastating cost of idealism.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e It's the late 1960s, and two lovers converge on an arid patch of earth in South India. John Walker is the handsome scion of a powerful East Coast American family. Diane Maes is a beautiful hippie from Belgium. They have come to build a new world--Auroville, an international utopian community for thousands of people. Their faith is strong, the future bright.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e So how do John and Diane end up dying two decades later, on the same day, on a cracked concrete floor in a thatch hut by a remote canyon? This is the mystery Akash Kapur sets out to solve in \u003ci\u003eBetter to Have Gone\u003c\/i\u003e, and it carries deep personal resonance: Diane and John were the parents of Akash's wife, Auralice. Akash and Auralice grew up in Auroville; like the rest of their community, they never really understood those deaths.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In 2004, Akash and Auralice return to Auroville from New York, where they have been living with John's family. As they reestablish themselves in the community, along with their two sons, they must confront the ghosts of those distant deaths. Slowly, they come to understand how the tragic individual fates of John and Diane intersected with the collective history of their town.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"A riveting account of human aspiration and folly taken to extremes\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eBetter to Have Gone\u003c\/i\u003e probes the underexplored yet universal idea of utopia and portrays in vivid detail the daily life of one such community. Richly atmospheric and filled with remarkable characters, spread across time and continents, this is narrative writing of the highest order--a \"gripping...compelling...[and] heartbreaking story, deeply researched and lucidly told\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e).","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49851767062801,"sku":"CIN1501132520VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49851770306833,"sku":"CIN1501132520G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51513032114449,"sku":"NIN9781501132520","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53138289656081,"sku":"GOR014768960","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1501132520.jpg?v=1750759983"},{"product_id":"better-to-have-gone-book-akash-kapur-9781501132513","title":"Better to Have Gone","description":"\u003cb\u003e*Named a Best Book of the Year by \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, Wall Street Journal,\u003c\/i\u003e CNN\u003ci\u003e, New Statesman, Air Mail,\u003c\/i\u003e and more * Longlisted for the Chautauqua Prize * Recipient of a Whiting Grant*\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eA \"haunting and elegant\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e) story about love, faith, the search for utopia--and the often\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003edevastating cost of idealism.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e It's the late 1960s, and two lovers converge on an arid patch of earth in South India. John Walker is the handsome scion of a powerful East Coast American family. Diane Maes is a beautiful hippie from Belgium. They have come to build a new world--Auroville, an international utopian community for thousands of people. Their faith is strong, the future bright.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e So how do John and Diane end up dying two decades later, on the same day, on a cracked concrete floor in a thatch hut by a remote canyon? This is the mystery Akash Kapur sets out to solve in \u003ci\u003eBetter to Have Gone\u003c\/i\u003e, and it carries deep personal resonance: Diane and John were the parents of Akash's wife, Auralice. Akash and Auralice grew up in Auroville; like the rest of their community, they never really understood those deaths.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In 2004, Akash and Auralice return to Auroville from New York, where they have been living with John's family. As they reestablish themselves in the community, along with their two sons, they must confront the ghosts of those distant deaths. Slowly, they come to understand how the tragic individual fates of John and Diane intersected with the collective history of their town.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"A riveting account of human aspiration and folly taken to extremes\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e), \u003ci\u003eBetter to Have Gone\u003c\/i\u003e probes the underexplored yet universal idea of utopia and portrays in vivid detail the daily life of one such community. Richly atmospheric and filled with remarkable characters, spread across time and continents, this is narrative writing of the highest order--a \"gripping...compelling...[and] heartbreaking story, deeply researched and lucidly told\" (\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e).","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50037949169937,"sku":"CIN1501132512G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50174597792017,"sku":"CIN1501132512VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1501132512.jpg?v=1751373700"},{"product_id":"conversations-and-monologues-book-akash-kapur-9781482886924","title":"Conversations and Monologues","description":"\u003cp\u003eSumming up six years of learning, writing, and growing, Conversations and Monologues is Akash's debut poetry collection. Spanning themes such as love, loss, apathy, and more, this book will take you to places that are happy, melancholic, and sometimes, just playfully absurd. So dig in and settle down for a series of conversations on joys, sorrows, and living.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52145751097617,"sku":"NLS9781482886924","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781482886924.jpg?v=1757594981"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-ie\/collections\/author-books-by-akash-kapur.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}