Behind the Beautiful Forevers

When I started reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, I kept wondering - is this fiction or non-fiction. Apparently it is categorized as "narrative non-fiction" which for me meant a true story that was entirely readable.

Boo takes us inside the world of the Annawadi slum in Mumbai. In the shadow of capitalism represented by the airport and adjoining hotels, Annawadi is a world all of its own - with rules and expectations and stories to fill a book (or more). And while the world around them deals with what seem to be bigger problems, the residents of the slum do their best to survive day to day while looking for opportunity. But sometimes those opportunities run counter to a neighbor's plans and when they intersect the results can be desperate and deadly.

Boo does a magnificent job of opening up this world to us outsiders while being empathetic and kind to the people who inhabit Annawadi.