A House for Mr M

by Jaishree Misra

English 188 pages 1 edition

‘Misra is adept at interlinking the different dynamics that hold a story together…has polished her style to a hard-won impeccability.’— India Today ‘Whatever came over me? Agreeing to move to the other side of the world was mad enough, but to build a house slap bang against one of the widest, wildest oceans in the world?’ And so begins a journey of hope and anxiety as the author and her husband, the intrepid Mr M, set off to build their beachside home in Kerala. The obstacles are many and mostly unexpected, like neighbours waving cutlasses over the wall, venomous snakes and mercenary union men at the gate, not to mention a large and complicated piece of legislation called the ‘Coastal Regulation Zone’. Obstacles, however, are meant to be overcome and so they are, with some quick thinking and a few helpful friends, an honest cop and an equally straight-talking scientist, and Excel sheets pulled up on demand to outwit corrupt builders. All of which make for a great story, filled with laughter and despair, and sharp yet good-humoured insights into the Malayali way of life.