Based on three years of rigorous reporting, Behind the Beautiful Forevers brings to life the hopes and struggles of Annawadi, a makeshift settlement beside Mumbais luxury hotels. As Indias economy booms, the residents of Annawadi chase dreams of a better future amid grinding poverty and social turmoil.

Abdul, a thoughtful teenage garbage sorter, sees opportunity in the citys discarded wealth. Asha, a sharp and determined woman scarred by rural hardship, uses political corruption to claw her family toward the middle class. Her daughter, Annawadis most-everything girl, aspires to become the first female college graduate in their community. Even Kalu, a young scrap thief, clings to the hope of the full enjoya life of comfort and happiness.

But when Abdul is wrongly accused in a tragic incident, and religious, caste, and economic tensions explode amid a global recession, the fragile hopes of Annawadis people are put to the test.

Katherine Boos Behind the Beautiful Forevers is a gripping, deeply human exploration of resilience, inequality, and the complex realities behind a rapidly changing world.

One of The New York Time’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.