"When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine" Summary

Lilia is a ten-year-old Indian girl. She recalls events that occur in the fall of 1971. Her family has a regular dinner guest at their home. Mr. Pirzada is from Dacca, the capital of Pakistan. He lives there with a wife and seven daughters whose names all start with A. Because of the war with India he does not hear from them in six months. Mr. Pirzada has a grant to study New England foliage. He begins in Vermont and Maine but now lives in a graduate dorm room at a university north of Boston where he lectures. His grant is small, so Lilia's parents feed him and others visiting from their homeland.

Lilia is unaware of country distinctions until she asks about setting a glass for the Indian man. They speak...