Hullabaloo in the guava orchard cover

Hullabaloo in the guava orchard

by Kiran Desai

Sampath Chawla is born into a family slightly off kilter, to a mother not quite like her neighbours, in a town not quite like other towns. After years of failure, it does not seem as if Sampath is going to amount to much. Then Sampath climbs up a guava tree in search of a life of peaceful contemplation - and becomes unexpectedly famous as a hermit. News of the guru in the tree soon spreads. Sampath's family begins to make more money than they'd ever dreamed of. Written rich with humour and an eye for the eccentric, this is a magical tale of a world gone slightly mad.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?