India, Aug. 30 -- After another winter spent wheezing, in 2023, I decided to leave smoggy Delhi after 22 years there. I consulted a few friends about where I could sustain myself professionally as a freelancer. Two names came up - Bangalore and Goa. I checked with a Goan friend living in Bangalore. He told me to move to Bangalore because Goa has too many outsiders already. I didn't say anything to him then but I did give him some grief after moving to Bangalore. Thanks to this book, I now know what to call him - titeev, the word for 'uncle' among Konkani Christians. After all, this sentiment of not letting outsiders in is something we are seeing even globally; titeevs all of them.

The Bitter Fruit Tree and Other Stories by Prakash Parien...