My mother's rules had to do with feminine deportment, so I never played hard enough to break a toy or muddy my dress. My father's rules had to do with never shaming the family by even a hint of scandal, and not providing business rivals with an opportunity to kidnap me or throw acid in my face.

I have tried very hard as a novelist to say, 'Novels are about individuals and especially larger than life individuals.'

In India, there are real consequences to inattention; drivers who jeopardize pedestrians can be lynched on the spot.

Bharati Mukherjee Quotes