'Bhai Sahib examined Mrs Hathiramani's horoscope. He sat cross-legged on the stone floor in a once white vest and dhoti... 'What is it?' Mrs Hathiramani asked, leaning forward. She was alarmed, not so much at what might be written in the horoscope, but at the change in Bhai Sahib's expression...'Mrs Hathiramani is not the only soul in the town of Sadhbela to be unsettled by the coming of Saturn into the House of the Sun. As Meira Chand's tale unfolds, various other townspeople will meet with struggles and surprises, turmoil and cruelty, ill fate and good fortune. 'Splendidly successful... with its unexpected vein of humour and skilful intermeshing of many lives.' TLS 'Vibrant, emotional, crowded... A colourful soap opera.' Sunday Times 'A sensitively crafted exploration of a community.' Independent on Sunday