Other editions of book The Limits of the World: A Novel

The Chandaria family―emigrants from the Indian-enclave of Nairobi―have managed to flourish in America. Premchand, the father, is a doctor who has worked doggedly to grow his practice and give his family security; his wife, Urmila, runs a business importing artisanal Kenyan crafts; and their son, Sunil, after quitting the pre-med track, has gotten accepted to a PhD program in philosophy at Harvard. But the parents have kept a very important secret from Sunil: his cousin, Bimal, is actually his older brother. And when this previously hidden history is revealed by an unforeseen accident, and the entire family is forced to return to Nairobi, Sunil reveals his own well-kept, explosive secret: his Jewish-American girlfriend, who has accompanied him to Kenya, is, in fact, already his wife. Spanning four generations and three continents, The Limits of the World illuminates the vast mosaic of cultural divisions and ethical considerations that shape the ways in which we judge one another’s actions. A dazzling debut novel―written with rare empathy and insight―it is a powerful depiction of how we prevent ourselves, unwittingly and otherwise, from understanding the people we are closest to.

A “smart, compassionate and elegant” debut novel about an Asian-Indian immigrant family from Nairobi and the secrets they keep from each other (Lauren Groff, author of Florida). The Chandaria family—emigrants from the Asian-Indian enclave of Nairobi—has managed to flourish in America. Premchand, the father, is a doctor who has worked doggedly to grow his practice and give his family security; his wife, Urmila, runs a business importing artisanal Kenyan crafts; and their son, Sunil, after quitting the premed track, has been accepted to a PhD program in philosophy at Harvard. But the parents have kept a very important secret from Sunil: His cousin, Bimal, is actually his older brother. When this previously hidden history is revealed by an unforeseen accident, and the entire family is forced to return to Nairobi, Sunil confesses his own well-kept, explosive secret: His Jewish-American girlfriend, who has accompanied him to Kenya, is, in fact, already his wife. Spanning four generations and three continents, The Limits of the World illuminates the vast mosaic of cultural divisions and ethical considerations that shape the ways in which we judge one another’s actions. A dazzling debut novel—written with rare empathy and insight—it is a powerful depiction of how we prevent ourselves, unwittingly and otherwise, from understanding the people we are closest to.

Spanning four generations and three continents, Acker brings us the story of the Chandarias: Sunil, a struggling philosophy doctoral candidate, and his parents Urmila and Premchand.Sunil's sudden marriage to his Jewish American girlfriend Amy compels a tumultuous family reunion in Nairobi, his parents' birthplace. After learning a long-buried family secret, and enduring a severe trauma, Sunil and Amy try to sustain their love as they wrestle with the weight of difference.With utmost respect for an endless mosaic of cultural divisions, Acker brings a stunning empathy to the limits that prevent us from truly understanding the people we are closest to.

The Chandaria family―emigrants from the Indian-enclave of Nairobi―have managed to flourish in America. Premchand, the father, is a doctor who has worked doggedly to grow his practice and give his family security; his wife, Urmila, runs a business importing artisanal Kenyan crafts; and their son, Sunil, after quitting the pre-med track, has gotten accepted to a PhD program in philosophy at Harvard. But the parents have kept a very important secret from Sunil: his cousin, Bimal, is actually his older brother. And when this previously hidden history is revealed by an unforeseen accident, and the entire family is forced to return to Nairobi, Sunil reveals his own well-kept, explosive secret: his Jewish-American girlfriend, who has accompanied him to Kenya, is, in fact, already his wife. Spanning four generations and three continents, The Limits of the World illuminates the vast mosaic of cultural divisions and ethical considerations that shape the ways in which we judge one another’s actions. A dazzling debut novel―written with rare empathy and insight―it is a powerful depiction of how we prevent ourselves, unwittingly and otherwise, from understanding the people we are closest to.

Spanning four generations and three continents, Acker brings us the story of the Chandarias: Sunil, a struggling philosophy doctoral candidate, and his parents Urmila and Premchand. Sunils sudden marriage to his Jewish American girlfriend Amy compels a tumultuous family reunion in Nairobi, his parents birthplace. After learning a long-buried family secret, and enduring a severe trauma, Sunil and Amy try to sustain their love as they wrestle with the weight of difference. With utmost respect for an endless mosaic of cultural divisions, Acker brings a stunning empathy to the limits that prevent us from truly understanding the people we are closest to.

The Chandaria family-emigrants from the Indian-enclave of Nairobi-have managed to flourish in America. Premchand, the father, is a doctor who has worked doggedly to grow his practice and give his family security; his wife, Urmila, runs a business importing artisanal Kenyan crafts; and their son, Sunil, after quitting the pre-med track, has gotten accepted to a PhD program in philosophy at Harvard. But the parents have kept a very important secret from Sunil: his cousin, Bimal, is actually his older brother. And when this previously hidden history is revealed by an unforeseen accident, and the entire family is forced to return to Nairobi, Sunil reveals his own well-kept, explosive secret: his Jewish-American girlfriend, who has accompanied him to Kenya, is, in fact, already his wife.Spanning four generations and three continents, The Limits of the World illuminates the vast mosaic of cultural divisions and ethical considerations that shape the ways in which we judge one another's actions. A dazzling debut novel-written with rare empathy and insight-it is a powerful depiction of how we prevent ourselves, unwittingly and otherwise, from understanding the people we are closest to.

Spanning four generations and three continents, Acker brings us the story of the Chandarias: Sunil, a struggling philosophy doctoral candidate, and his parents Urmila and Premchand.Sunil's sudden marriage to his Jewish American girlfriend Amy compels a tumultuous family reunion in Nairobi, his parents' birthplace. After learning a long-buried family secret, and enduring a severe trauma, Sunil and Amy try to sustain their love as they wrestle with the weight of difference.With utmost respect for an endless mosaic of cultural divisions, Acker brings a stunning empathy to the limits that prevent us from truly understanding the people we are closest to.