Booker Prize-winning author Kiran Desai on Monday said her latest novel, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, grew out of a long and immersive exploration of modern loneliness. Desai said that family lies at the core of the novel, and explored how personal relationships are shaped not only by individuals, but by generations around them. The novel traces these intergenerational influences to examine how earlier migrations and marriages shape the emotional lives of Sonia and Sunny, Desai said. Although the novel is more personal than overtly political, Desai said it was impossible to ignore global events such as September 11 and the 2002 Gujarat riots. Acts such as Sunny retrieving the lost amulet for Sonia, she said, symbolise “commitment and optimism”.

Source: The Telegraph January 26, 2026 09:56 UTC