A Burning Audiobook By Megha Majumdar cover art

A Burning

A Novel

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A Burning

By: Megha Majumdar
Narrated by: Vikas Adam, Priya Ayyar, Deepti Gupta, Soneela Nankani, Neil Shah, Ulka Simone Mohanty
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK! • A "gripping thriller with compassionate social commentary" (USA Today) about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise—to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies—and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India.

Jivan is a Muslim girl from the slums, determined to move up in life, who is accused of executing a terrorist attack on a train because of a careless comment on Facebook. PT Sir is an opportunistic gym teacher who hitches his aspirations to a right-wing political party and finds that his own ascent becomes linked to Jivan's fall. Lovely—an irresistible outcast whose exuberant voice and dreams of glory fill the novel with warmth and hope and humor—has the alibi that can set Jivan free, but it will cost her everything she holds dear.

Taut, symphonic, propulsive, and riveting from its opening lines, A Burning is an electrifying debut.

©2020 Megha Majumdar (P)2020 Random House Audio Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Espionage Fiction Physical Exercise Exciting Heartfelt Witty Tearjerking

Critic reviews

WINNER OF THE WHITING AWARD • A New York Times Notable Book • National Book Award Nominee • One of the Guardian's Best Books of the Year • National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award Nominee • American Library Accociation Andrew Carnegie Medal Finalist

"Riveting. . . . Fate has rarely been so many-faced, so muscular, so mercurial, or so mesmerizing as it is in A Burning."—The New York Times Book Review (cover)

"Powerful... propulsive...This is a book to relish for its details, for the caress of the writer’s gaze against the world... The interplay of choice and circumstance has always been the playing field of great fiction, and on this terrain, a powerful new writer stakes her claim."—Parul Sehgal, The New York Times

Featured Article: The Best Indian Authors to Listen to Right Now


"India," to quote actress and human rights activist Shabana Azmi, "is a country that lives in several centuries simultaneously." Just as those different time periods seem to coexist in one place, so do the voices of brilliant literary talents. Each of these writers and their works have contributed to help the world better understand this expansive country and its beautiful, multifaceted culture, whether it be from within India’s own borders or through the memory of its customs and traditions from distant continents.

Featured Article The Best Indian Authors to Listen to Right Now
Beautiful Writing • Captivating Storytelling • Superb Performances • Well-developed Characters • Multiple Perspectives
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Wow, thisnis an amazing political fiction with superb performances from all the narrators, I couldn't stop listening!

Great book and superb narration!

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There is no silver lining, or happy storyline to lift the reader’s spirit throughout the book. The story follows themes of politics, justification and morality. I appreciate the story’s brevity which balanced character development and detail, with meaningful messages.

Not a lighthearted, feel-good read. But if this story is true to reality, then it is a powerful and sobering story to hear. One that would make a fantastic basis for academic discussion.

Fantastic, heartbreaking

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The best part of reading is learning about other cultures. I listened to this one twice (rare for me) because I felt like I missed a lot of “clues” the first time. It’s a complex story about a culture I know very little about. It’s political too. All countries have issues with politics.

Hard to believe this could really happen

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The storyline was fantastic. Easy read! I loved how the audible story had different voices for different characters. Highly recommend!!

Great read

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Loved it. A sad but easy read and well connected book! How a much young non native writers first attempt can be so awesome!! I was recalling my Bengal vividly

A good read book

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The three main characters are so well developed they will not leave your thoughts. Lovely, the superstar of this novel, is so honest and refreshing, her inner dialogue was pure and genuine. The Weasel, you will know which character I am referring to as you read, is despicable. At first, you think it's naivete, but you quickly realize it's not. Then there is the Sacrifice with a small voice in a world that is overshadowed by power and corruption. Integrity is on full display in this heartbreaking read.

Stunning Debut!

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A superb first novel told in voices which also make for a superb audiobook. My favorite so far this year!!!

Brilliant first novel

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Outstanding debut, characters that live beyond the pages, vivid images of modern life in a caste society, so painfully relevant, even in the West. Worth every minute!

Heartbreaking….

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The characters are great, the narrators that voice them are excellent, but I wanted things to be less realistic and there to be some happiness at the end. I guess when it comes to fiction, I prefer it to allow me to escape to places that end in less heartache.

As a study of corrupt politics, selfishness, the fickleness of humanity, how those with more power take advantage of those with less, and how hardship influences the need to put oneself first, this certainly gives good fodder for book club discussions.

Hope Doesn't Win in this One

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This is a beautifully written and captivating story and the readers depicted their characters perfectly. The only thing that was missing for me, as a Muslim reader, is that the Muslims never prayed which most likely, during the characters’ times of trials and difficulties, they would have. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and how well it captures individual and group personalities as well as various aspects of culture and admire how it addresses tough issues. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

A Burning

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