The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

Set against the backdrop of modern India, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy is a sweeping narrative of the struggles of those cast aside by society, of those who fight for their rights, and of those willing to die for a cause. At the novel's heart lies Anjum, a transgender woman who, in her search for a place to call home, encounters a unique new family defined not by their bloodlines, but by their shared capacity to love.

The novel opens in Delhi, in the cemetery for untouchables known as Jannat Guest House. Anjum, born as Aftab – a male of the Muslim Faqir clan – lives here and tells stories of the dead who surround her. Anjum has taken shelter in the cemetery and found her own strange family amongst the outcasts of the city — Ustad, Kashmiri Waits, Jahanara the eunuch, Tilo the tattoo artist, and Saddam, who is making a documentary about Delhi’s lost monuments.

Anjum is a force of nature with a lust for life, and as the novel builds, she begins to grow close to a man named Biplab Dasgupta — a bureaucrat who falls in love with Anjum and helps her search for her son, Zain, whom she had to abandon after having had her gender reassigned. Throughout their journey, Anjum understands that “the Ministry of Utmost Happiness was not a building, but a name given to an invisible order that held the city together.”

The novel takes on an epic quality as Anjum finds the outer limits of her courage and the strength of her convictions. She speaks out for Kashmiri rights and participates in a strike to protect the rights of millions forced to work in the sweatshops of Hyderabad. Through it all, Anjum’s desire for a place to belong and for her lost son allows her to transcend bigotry and violence, accepting love from unexpected corners and creating a community of love in the face of hatred.

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is a powerful exploration of identity, love, and the fight for justice. By turns heartbreaking, inspiring, and surreal, the novel ultimately speaks of the indomitable human spirit, although one may often be cast aside by circumstances, they can never be broken. Roy’s powerful evocation of a world defined by love instead of hatred leaves an unforgettable impression.