India, Dec. 6 -- An unusual and evocative look back over the shoulder, The Little Book of Goodbyes captures the innocent intimacy that binds children, parents and grandparents, friends and lovers, and unlikely landmarks in faraway cities. Rooted in the memory of a childhood spent in Kerala, it travels through the Malabar region and Delhi to Dresden and New York, encountering gods, ghosts and old friends, and landing finally in the cool valleys of Mussoorie. Along the way, it weaves in stories that illuminate the best aspects of life: friendship, loyalty, affection, laughter; while being mindful every moment of the inevitability of departure. At once joyful, tender and melancholic, this is an immersive work that blurs the boundaries between fiction and autobiography....