“You forget at times that you’re dealing with real characters, and the story itself is so crazy,” he said. There were whispers that the Mother, who had been working on her yoga for years, might achieve immortality. Walker died of an illness that was never diagnosed, but those around him suspect it was a kidney infection or intestinal worms, both easily curable. “One of the core questions of the book is: At what point does faith tip over the edge into darkness?” Kapur said. “Utopia and dystopia are very linked.”After Graft’s mother and stepfather died, Walker’s sister brought her to New York, where she experienced the perks of modern civilization for the first time: running hot water, washing machines, refrigerators and cars.

Source: New York Times July 15, 2021 09:00 UTC