The Tiny World of Vinod Saney

This book chronicles the exploits of a boy named Vinod, and paints a vivid picture of life in his community in early 1970s Pune, India. Often taunted for being a sissy, Vinod likes to wear a dot on his forehead and have henna painted on his hands. He plays with his friends Kedar, Nilima, and Sentil, who ostracize him at times for one reason or another. He is disappointed when Mr. Zante, an adult whom he reveres, tells him to stop indulging in his favorite pastime of killing ants. Vinod is convinced that a sparrow that visits his home understands him. His sneaky side is revealed soon after he has an epiphany while playing in a sandpile. While his parents, Hemant and Smita Saney, argue over which preschool to enroll him in, Smita balances her aspirations and disappointments, and yearns for something more than the mundane life of an ordinary housewife. Brilliantly evocative and infused with warmth and wry humor, the short stories from The Tiny World of Vinod Saney offer compelling portraits of adult and child perspectives, and provide a panoramic view of India's social landscape. This book is Ninad Jog's maiden work of fiction.