Book review: Left From the Nameless Shop by Adithi Rao

Lives intersect in manifold ways in Adithi Rao’s debut book of short stories, lives lived in the fictional small town of Rudrapura in Karnataka.

And a leitmotif runs all through the narrative: a sense of nostalgia for a quieter, gentler way of life, for a place where being part of a community is prized above existing in individual bubbles.

The stories move at a measured pace and are populated by an eclectic cast of deftly-drawn characters. Infused with quiet observation and wry humour, some of the tales are heart-warming.

Of course, some tropes of small-town living do come into play here but Rao sidesteps the pitfalls of clichés by investing her characters with interesting lives. A poster painter puts his talents to use elsewhere.

The proprietor of the titular ‘nameless shop’ hits on a sound business plan, which he carries out with enterprise.

A boy’s uncanny ability to commune with pillars unexpectedly comes to the aid of his school principal. The reason behind a character’s strict authoritarianism, bordering on cruelty, is unwittingly discovered.

A grandfather gently, sweetly instils self-belief in his grandson. And in a delightful two-part story, the residents of Rudrapura discover rainwater harvesting and implement it in highly original ways.

Unsurprisingly, the stories that are the most affecting are the more personal ones.

A young man’s yearning for long hair mirrors his dreams for a life different from the one dictated by his father. An old Anglo-Indian woman poignantly reconnects with a lost love.

Two women married to the same man at different times in their lives forge an unexpected bond. An account that remains with the reader is the one about a temple priest who finds his inner peace shattered by unrequited love.

Rao’s prose is simple but effective, and her ability to cast light in unexpected places makes many of the stories richer.

If the book is reminiscent of Malgudi Days, it is because the television serial apparently served as inspiration for the author.