Excerpt
Excerpt from
The GrammarianAnjali ran her fingertips along the smooth edges of the tissue paper inside, and lifted up the scent of sandalwood into the air; Matthieu propped his elbows on his knees, his eyebrows high on his forehead like a youngster in anticipation. She thought for a moment of all the boxes that in her young mind she had hoped for from Dr. Lautens after he left India: boxes of the chocolates he had described, postcards, handmade French lace, love letters. She lifted up, out of familiar fuchsia crepe paper, her grandmothers pearl necklace with the ruby pendant, the earrings with the ruby flower and the pearl flourish. And now she felt the full sorrow of missing on Earth those whom she loved most in this world.