13 Amazing Books that Take place in India
Looking for books that take place in India? You’re in the right place.
As an avid reader, I’m constantly looking for books to take me around the world.
There are so many amazing books set in India that capture the diverse landscapes and richness of cultures, as well as the strength of its people.
Most books set in India tend to be historical fiction, but there are also some crime books, mysteries, thrillers and some worthwhile memoirs.
Below I will give you the:
- Title, author, genre and rating of each book
- A brief description of the book, and my honest opinion so you can determine if it’s a good pick for you
So, lets jump in – the best books that take place in India!
Amazing Books Set in India
1. Secret Daughter
By: Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Genre: Fiction, historical fiction
Publication date: 2011
Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)
Secret Daughter takes place in both India, and in San Francisco, California.
It deals with themes such as international adoption, infertility, having to give up a child due to terrible circumstances, and raising a child from another culture that you’re not familiar with.
The book started off a bit slow, but it turned into a page-turner. The story broke my heart in parts. While it does with sad topics, there is enough light to balance out the dark.
I love the vivid pictures of India and its culture; the best and the worst of its politics and beliefs that forced women to make such tough choices. The characters were written so well and easy to identify with, especially the mother and the daughter.
Good to Know: The author, Shilpi Somaya Gowda, has written a lot of other bestsellers; many of them taking place in India- another one I really enjoyed was The Golden Son (2015.)
2. The Henna Artist
By: Alka Joshi
Genre: Fiction, historical fiction
Publication date: 2020
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)
The Henna Artist is about a brave young woman named Lakshmi who fled an abusive marriage and created an unconventional life for herself in Jaipur; she works as a henna tattoo artist for Jaipur’s wealthiest families.
As a result of working for so many of Jaipur’s elite, Lakshmi knows a lot of the gossip about the personal lives of the families she works for.
One day, Lakshmi’s life is thrown off course when her teenage sister shows up, wanting to escape a bad marriage and create the same kind of freedom that she did.
I found this book very easy to read, well written and a story that moved along fast and kept me constantly interested. I couldn’t put it down. The culture of henna is described, as well as delicious foods, and other aspects of Indian celebration.
We read The Henna Artist for a book club; almost everyone really liked it.
Good to Know: The Henna Artist is the first in a trilogy of books with the same characters
3. The Covenant of Water
By: Dr. Abraham Vergese
Genre: Historical fiction
Publication date: 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)
The Covenant of Water takes place in Kerala state, in southwest India. It’s a different part of India from what you usually encounter in books or other depictions of India.
This book is a multi-generational saga about the same family. Each generation, a member of the family dies by drowning, due to a “condition.”
One of the main themes in The Covenant of Water is medicine (several characters are doctors, and many characters suffer from illnesses.)
The book starts by introducing the first main character, a 12-year-old girl, who’s about to be married off to a 40-year-old man.
While this sounds disturbing – keep reading. This book is long and goes through the generations in the family. I felt so engrossed in the characters and the story, and couldn’t put it down. It’s a book for people who love to read; it’s 700 pages. It’s beautifully written, and a little disturbing at times.
4. The Sleeping Dictionary
By: Sujata Massey
Genre: Historical fiction, Indian literature
Publication date: 2013
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)
The Sleeping Dictionary is a moving story that follows the life of a young Indian girl named Kamala between the ages of 10 and 27 years old.
Kamala loses her family in a tsunami and needs to navigate through life after having been displaced. She has wits, a talent for languages and a love for books.
The Sleeping Dictionary takes place in the 1930s during British rule, leading up to Indian independence.
The copy I found included a Hindi/Bengali/English glossary that helps you keep track of what different things are. It’s a mesmerizing story about Indian history, and a courageous lead female character.
5. A Fine Balance
By: Rohinton Mistry
Genre: Indian literature, historical fiction
Publication date: 1995
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
A Fine Balance is not a light read (in storyline, or the literal size of the book -it’s huge!)
It’s a 30-year-old book by now, an extremely well-written story that has people sobbing by the end. I don’t often cry in books, but I definitely had a cry over this one.
A Fine Balance is set during the time period in India when their first female president declared “a state of emergency.”
This isn’t a fluffy book. You will read things in it that will shock you, disturb you, and even gross you out sometimes. The author doesn’t shy away from all those small details about what being a lower caste in India (in those days in particular) may have meant, and there are many things you may not have thought of.
At first I found the book hard to get into, because I didn’t know where it was going – but I became really fond of the characters, and the bond they had.
6. Shantaram
By: Gregory David Roberts
Genre: Adventure, travel, historical fiction
Publication date: 2003
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)
Shantaram is a story based on true events about an escaped convict who flees an Australian prison in the 1980s and settles in Bombay, India.
(In case you’re curious-he had been in jail for bank robbery.)
Shantram sold millions of copies, and was translated into 40+ languages and declared a masterpiece.
The thing is, it’s the kind of book where you either love it or you hate it. It’s over 900 pages long, with many people not making it through to the end – not out of boredom, but of not enjoying the author’s writing.
The big plus about it is its vivid descriptions of Bombay in the 80s. If you do read it – I’d love to hear your opinion!
7. The Palace of Illusions
By: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Genre: Indian folklore, mythology, fiction
Publication date: 2008
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)
The Palace of Illusions is based on an ancient Sanskrit tale called Mahabharata, but from a perspective that hasn’t been told before.
It takes place in ancient India, when mortals could communicate with Gods. It stars Princess Panchali (also called Draupadi) as the main character. Other points of view of Mahabharata haven’t been told from a woman’s perspective before.
If you already have some knowledge of Hindu myths and legends, then you will be familiar with some of the characters in this book. This book is entertaining whether you’re familiar with the Indian epics or whether it’s all new to you.
8. Interpreter of Maladies
By: Jhumpa Lahiri
Genre: Short stories, literature, fiction
Publication date: 1999
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)
Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of short stories, for which the author won several awards when she published it in 1999 – including the Pulitzer Prize.
The stories deal with characters are about upper-class Indian immigrants in the US, who originally came from East India but moved to America to become doctors, engineers and professors.
There are nine different stories in the book, each about a different set of upper-class Bengali immigrants in Boston.
Although two of the stories take place back in India, the rest of them are more about Indians in America often missing, learning or connecting with their cultural roots in some way.
9. The Color of Our Sky
By: Amita Trasi
Genre: Historical fiction, Young Adult
Publication date: 2015
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)
The Colour of Our Sky is a sad, upsetting but beautiful written story about two childhood female friends from very different walks of life – one from a privileged family of a higher caste, and the other from the human slave trade.
Mukta is temporarily rescued from becoming a prostitute at the age of 10 years old by Tara’s wealthy family – and the two become friends (which is unusual given their caste differences.)
One day though, Mukta is kidnapped from Tara’s house – and 11 years later, Tara is trying to find her old friend and learn what happened to her.
While it’s a deeply important book that highlights the lives of real women who the stories are based on, it would be best for someone who hasn’t read ‘a lot’ of books. I’d recommend reading reviews before buying the book. Some people complain of very simplistic writing, as English isn’t the author’s first language.
Overall, if you’re looking for a feministic book that will highlight one of the issues facing women in India between the 80s-2000s, then you may enjoy this book.
10. Life of Pi
By: Yann Martel
Genre: Fantasy, fiction
Publication date: 2001
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)
The Life of Pi is a slightly strange, but interesting story about a family who sets sail across the ocean in a cargo ship carrying exotic animals.
They leave from Pondicherry on the southeast Indian coast, and it leads to a survival story where the young boy (Pi) survives for over a year on a small boat, with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
The family is Indian in Life of Pi, but the book mostly takes place out in a boat in the middle of the ocean. So, probably not the best on this list if you’re looking for something that will bring you to India.
I read Life of Pi as a part of a required reading for a university course – we dissected the meaning, and symbolism in the story and it was very interesting. If you’re looking for a different read, this one may be for you!
11. The White Tiger
By: Aravind Adiga
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Publication date: 2008
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.2)
The White Tiger is about a low-caste man named Balram Halwai who observes life and the rich New Delhi family he works for with unassuming eyes; learning from them.
White Tiger looks at many problems of India, from the caste system, religion, karma, bad public transportation and personal hygiene to corruption and crime.
It paints a negative, but dark humour look at India as a country, with its issues and problems. It’s full of dark humour and satire, and isn’t for everyone – but it won awards and is a quick and fast-paced read of less than 300 pages.
12. The God of Small Things
By: Arundhati Roy
Genre: Fiction, classic, historical fiction
Publication date: 1997
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.2)
The God of Small Things is set in Kerala, India from the 1960s through to the 90s.
It’s about twin siblings, Rahel and Estha (boy and girl) who become estranged by the time they reach adulthood due to a traumatic event they went through in their childhood.
The book largely explores the caste system (the mom of the twins has an affair with the family’s gardener), family drama, and even murder.
It’s a sad book, with not the happiest ending (no spoilers) but it’s also a beautifully written Indian classic that won the Booker Prize when it came out.
13. The Blue Monsoon
By: Damyanti Biswas
Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense, crime
Publication date: 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
The Blue Monsoon takes place in Mumbai, where there is a gruesome and oddly bizarre murder outside a temple. (I was getting Da Vinci code vibes from it.)
It follows the detectives as they try to solve the case. Mumbai is captured beautifully in this book, with its neighbourhoods, street life and colonial architecture.
This book involves current topics, such as corruption, (Bollywood) social media influence, religion, wealth differences and the caste system which continues to influence society today.
There are lots of twists and turns and it’s an exciting read that can keep you captivated.
Good to Know: The Blue Monsoon is the second in a series, but it works as a standalone book to read too. The first in the series is called The Blue Bar
Best Non-Fiction Books That Take Place in India
Travel Memoirs
India is a popular setting for travel memoirs, because of its food, culture, and spirituality, and diverse sights and experiences.
It’s a place where some travellers go to stay in Ashrams, do yoga, find God, heal, enjoy the food, or simply explore all that it has to offer.
- Some Kind of Magic. Sonya Moore travels around several places in India. She spends time in northern India, near the Nepalese border. She does yoga, visits an Ayurvedic Retreat, and stays at an ashram. She describes the people, foods, and landscapes of India so beautifully
- We Came, We Saw We Left: A Family Gap Year – An American family with three teenagers spend some time in India during their 9-month travel around the world
- Eat, Pray, Love – You may already know that Elizabeth Gilbert stays at an ashram in India for the “pray” part of her memoir.
Autobiographies
- The Story of My Experiments with The Truth by Mahatma Gandhi – This is Ghandi’s autobiography that details his life and career, starting from a young boy, following his studies in England, a brief stint in South Africa, marriage, and his advocacy for peace in India during British rule. I read this for university and it always stuck with me. I’d recommend it for anyone who’d like to know Gandhi on a deeper level
Final Thoughts on Books That Take Place in India
Many books that take place in India deal with heavy topics that reflect the struggles that its citizens have been dealing with for many years – arranged marriages, child marriages, gender inequality, the caste system, poverty, emigration, and many others.
This doesn’t mean that they’re all ‘sad’ books – hardly. India is such a diverse and interesting country and there’s a lot of be learned of its culture and people from reading books that are set there.