Summary

Thirty Umrigar opens her novel with a newspaper article written by her character Shannon Carpenter. The article details the injuries Meena Mustafa sustained during a fire that killed her husband, Abdul, and the lawsuit she filed against her brothers for starting the fire. Shannon's article also expounds upon the traditions of female oppression that instigated the attack and the singular nature of Meena's lawsuit.

In Chapter One, Smita Agarwal arrives at the airport in Mumbai and is frustrated at her own decision to return to India after avoiding the country for years. She agreed to fly into Mumbai after her friend, Shannon, asked Smita to support her while she underwent surgery. Mohan, Shannon’s friend, picks Smita up at the airport and is perturbed by her apparent disdain for the city. He defends Mumbai, telling Smita that despite first-world countries importing...