PositiveHindustan Times (IND)Osman powerfully dismantles settled notions of old age. His octogenarians are aware that they are in the evening of life and death and grief solicit their mundane views. Yet, these pensioners are fiercely independent, humorous, ambitious and resourceful. They clarify at the outset that they are not friends simply because they now have to spend the rest of their lives together. They are opinionated and do what they do because they are skilled at it. The author also utilizes his literary flair to demonstrate a compassionate understanding of gender and ethnicity, and the attached prejudices at this nexus. Diversity is one of the most prominent themes in the novel ... The book embraces the assortment of their oddities and what finally stands out are strong characters with unparalleled individualities. Osman ensures that they are not reduced to caricatures and that their diverse nationalities play a role in the plot ... The past and the present overlap, heightening the mystery in this whodunit but that also deconstructs the myth of righteousness.
