A wickedly witty portrait of modern India from a distinctive, bold and original new talent

Renuka Sharma is a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law holding the fort in a modest rental in Delhi while her husband tries to rack up savings in Dubai. Working as a receptionist and committed to finding a place for her family in the New Indian Dream of air-conditioned malls and high paid jobs at multi-nationals, life is going as planned until the day she strikes up a conversation with an uncommonly self-possessed stranger at a Metro station. Because while Mrs Sharma may espouse traditional values, India is changing all around her, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she came out of her shell a little, would it? With equal doses of humour and pathos, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma is a sharp-eyed examination of the clashing of tradition and modernity, from a dramatic new voice in Indian fiction.

"A startlingly accomplished first novel, a stunning debut that ventures bravely into terrain where seasoned writers fear to tread" - Outlook on Overwinter

"Foremost amongst Ratika’s strengths is her use of language, lyrical and at times brutal, guaranteed to shake the reader from her sense of complacency" - Deccan Herald

"Ratika Kapur’s debut novel is enriched by intricate characterisation, poignant writing and a protagonist who renders a voice to the contemporary Indian woman" - Sunday Guardian

"Tender and funny, this short second novel grabs the reader from the outset and builds with an air of menace to an unavoidable close. It should feature prominently on awards lists in 2016 … Takes the reader on a trip through the social and economic inequalities of modern India. It is a tragic awakening, reminiscent of Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin’s masterpiece The Awakening … Kapur, whose debut novel, Overwinter, was longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012, is a gifted writer, strong on symbolism … The book offers a razor-sharp take on gender and economic inequalities" - Irish Times

"Renuka, the wonderfully chatty heroine of Kapur’s second novel, struggles with the contradictions of contemporary Indian life … Despite the novel’s breezy tone, there are plenty of moving moments as Renuka struggles with the conflicting demands of motherhood and selfhood" - Independent

"I’m enjoying it so much. Ratika Kapur really broke some taboos with this novel set in Delhi, about a married woman who starts an affair. Her writing is understated, poignant and she has a lovely comic touch" - Good Housekeeping

"Kapur hits the nail on the head in this portrayal of the conflicting demands of motherhood and selfhood" - Independent

"A startling insight … A gripping story" - Grazia

"An accomplished piece, by turns sad, darkly comic and not a little chilling" - Herald

"With a light comic touch and plain prose Ratika Kapur addresses the tensions between tradition and modernity in India today through the lens of one woman's life" - Big Issue

"The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma belongs to an emerging genre of Indian fiction written in English; it plays with voice without being vernacular, and features women without being chick lit…Her words reveal a dignity more private and complex than society can perceive. The book is worthwhile, and quick to read – perfect for you train ride to work" - New York Times