What do you think?
Rate this book
The Tiffin
The "dabbawallas" of Mumbai deliver box lunches called "tiffins" to white collar workers all over the vast city. They are legendary for their near-perfect service: for every six million lunches sent, only one will fail to reach its intended destination. "The Tiffin" is about that one time in millions when a box goes astray, changing lives forever.
When a note placed in a tiffin is lost, a newborn Kunal is separated from his mother. Twelve years later, Kunal lives as a virtual slave under the thumb of his foster father, Seth. With danger and oppression making it impossible to stay where he is, Kunal asks his friend Vinayak, an aging dabbawalla, to help him find his birth mother. Vinayak introduces Kunal to the tiffin carriers, and a plan is hatched. Along the way, Kunal learns what it means to be part of a family.
When a note placed in a tiffin is lost, a newborn Kunal is separated from his mother. Twelve years later, Kunal lives as a virtual slave under the thumb of his foster father, Seth. With danger and oppression making it impossible to stay where he is, Kunal asks his friend Vinayak, an aging dabbawalla, to help him find his birth mother. Vinayak introduces Kunal to the tiffin carriers, and a plan is hatched. Along the way, Kunal learns what it means to be part of a family.
169 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
9 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 21, 2013
It’s Bombay 1982, Anahita, without any telephone service and a strict mother, is forced to depend on the tiffin carriers to deliver a note to her boyfriend, that she is with child. She relies on the tiffin carriers, after all, only one tiffin in 6 million doesn’t reach its destination. Only one.
The Tiffin, by Mahtab Narsimhan, follows the story of a 12 year old boy named Kunal, working in the dilapidated dhaba of his foster father, Seth, in Bombay India.
Kunal is very mistreated, he works tirelessly at day and yearns for his mother at night, a mother who left him with nothing when he was still a baby. No matter what he does, he is never appreciated, when things get unbearable and his only friend leaves, he decides to run. The only place he can think of is Vinayak’s. An old man, frequent customer at the dhaba and always kind to Kunal. With no children of his own, Vinayak accepts Kunal like a father, and introduces him to the world of the dabbawallas - delivery men who help boxed lunches reach their specific workers on time, all over Bombay. Kunal is fascinated by the dabbawallas, and desperately wants to be one, because the tiffin carriers have given him an idea of how to reach his mother, and finally belong to a family.
The Tiffin is an amazing realistic fiction book. Mahtab Narsimhan has peeled off layers of Mumbai and revealed the secret world underneath, a world where even kids as young as Kunal have to work in order to stay alive and where poverty lingers in every alleyway.
Readers will fall in love with Kunal immediately. He is a very humble and kind person and he understands the value of friends and family. Kunal’s determination and good nature is also what makes him a very likable protagonist.
Narsimhan writes in somewhat choppy sentences at times, sentences that might seem awkward and childish, but add to the effect of the book. It makes you feel as if Kunal himself is the one writing the story. For example : “ The footsteps reached the top of the stairs. It could be no other than Sethji.” And she describes the setting, Mumbai, in such a detailed and animated way, you feel as if you are being transported there. Overall, The Tiffin is a very great literary work.
However, personally, The Tiffin didn’t strike me as a ‘great’ book. One of the reasons why, was that the book didn’t keep me hooked all the way through. At some points it got dull and I felt like taking a break. There were places that Narsimhan could have used the situation to her advantage and created a very exciting chapter, but I felt as if some events in the book were not portrayed as exciting or sad or happy as they could have.
Still, I think reading The Tiffin was a good choice, it revealed to me the flavorful city of Mumbai. Narsimhan has made me realize that everyone has a story to tell and that in one city ( especially one as big as Mumbai) there are so many things going on just under the surface. And no matter how young or old, poor or rich, anything is possible with hard work, determination and belief in one’s dreams. This book is a must-read for Realistic Fiction lovers.
The Tiffin, by Mahtab Narsimhan, follows the story of a 12 year old boy named Kunal, working in the dilapidated dhaba of his foster father, Seth, in Bombay India.
Kunal is very mistreated, he works tirelessly at day and yearns for his mother at night, a mother who left him with nothing when he was still a baby. No matter what he does, he is never appreciated, when things get unbearable and his only friend leaves, he decides to run. The only place he can think of is Vinayak’s. An old man, frequent customer at the dhaba and always kind to Kunal. With no children of his own, Vinayak accepts Kunal like a father, and introduces him to the world of the dabbawallas - delivery men who help boxed lunches reach their specific workers on time, all over Bombay. Kunal is fascinated by the dabbawallas, and desperately wants to be one, because the tiffin carriers have given him an idea of how to reach his mother, and finally belong to a family.
The Tiffin is an amazing realistic fiction book. Mahtab Narsimhan has peeled off layers of Mumbai and revealed the secret world underneath, a world where even kids as young as Kunal have to work in order to stay alive and where poverty lingers in every alleyway.
Readers will fall in love with Kunal immediately. He is a very humble and kind person and he understands the value of friends and family. Kunal’s determination and good nature is also what makes him a very likable protagonist.
Narsimhan writes in somewhat choppy sentences at times, sentences that might seem awkward and childish, but add to the effect of the book. It makes you feel as if Kunal himself is the one writing the story. For example : “ The footsteps reached the top of the stairs. It could be no other than Sethji.” And she describes the setting, Mumbai, in such a detailed and animated way, you feel as if you are being transported there. Overall, The Tiffin is a very great literary work.
However, personally, The Tiffin didn’t strike me as a ‘great’ book. One of the reasons why, was that the book didn’t keep me hooked all the way through. At some points it got dull and I felt like taking a break. There were places that Narsimhan could have used the situation to her advantage and created a very exciting chapter, but I felt as if some events in the book were not portrayed as exciting or sad or happy as they could have.
Still, I think reading The Tiffin was a good choice, it revealed to me the flavorful city of Mumbai. Narsimhan has made me realize that everyone has a story to tell and that in one city ( especially one as big as Mumbai) there are so many things going on just under the surface. And no matter how young or old, poor or rich, anything is possible with hard work, determination and belief in one’s dreams. This book is a must-read for Realistic Fiction lovers.
August 6, 2017
I first saw this book on the shelf at Sun@Mag bookstore but was reluctant to pick it up. I went home and googled about it that later I came again and decided to buy it. This book reminds me of The Lunchbox film, well not that really but the part of dabbawalla got me interested.
The journey of Kunal was honestly depressing. Being left out to his mom's friend since baby and got himself worked as 'slave' at the dabba gave me heartache. That sweet 12 years old with green eyes-- the only thing he wanted just a family. And he searched crazily for it.
I love the frienship between all the dabbawallas, it was overwhelming to read about how they helped him with the notes. And Vinayak was so nice and having his own sad past tortured me a bit.
I knew that Kunal won't get what he wanted. All the negative remarks from Vinayak about him finding his mom was true-- if she wants him, she would come within that 12 years.
Story telling was good and plot was fast-paced. Kunal's character did annoyed me a bit-- being all dramatic and impatient, that longing feeling and hope sometimes bothering me a lot. But knowing Kunal just a 12 years old boy and he needed to learn life the hard way like this, I digressed.
I enjoyed the read nevertheless. Love and friendship when you least expected. I was glad when Kunal decided to stay. He was all grown up at last.
The journey of Kunal was honestly depressing. Being left out to his mom's friend since baby and got himself worked as 'slave' at the dabba gave me heartache. That sweet 12 years old with green eyes-- the only thing he wanted just a family. And he searched crazily for it.
I love the frienship between all the dabbawallas, it was overwhelming to read about how they helped him with the notes. And Vinayak was so nice and having his own sad past tortured me a bit.
I knew that Kunal won't get what he wanted. All the negative remarks from Vinayak about him finding his mom was true-- if she wants him, she would come within that 12 years.
Story telling was good and plot was fast-paced. Kunal's character did annoyed me a bit-- being all dramatic and impatient, that longing feeling and hope sometimes bothering me a lot. But knowing Kunal just a 12 years old boy and he needed to learn life the hard way like this, I digressed.
I enjoyed the read nevertheless. Love and friendship when you least expected. I was glad when Kunal decided to stay. He was all grown up at last.
May 26, 2014
I read this book because it's the pick this month for my bookshop's children's book club, which I will be running tomorrow. Unfortunately, it left a bit to be desired. It was well-written, and there were some touching moments, but for the most part I felt quite frustrated at the lack of real story going on, and sometimes even a little bored. Although you feel sorry for Kunal, the main character, his dramatic behaviour was tiring at times. These letdowns with the plot are a shame, because as mentioned, the writing is lovely and the description of Kunal's life in Bombay/Mumbai is vivid and eye-opening.
May 4, 2021
Do you know those books that so completely immerse you in the lives of its characters that you forget there was once a living, breathing person typing all those words? The Tiffin, by Mahtab Narsimhan, is such a book.
Kumal is a 12-year-old orphan working in slave-like conditions for a Bombay restaurant owner. His life is desperate, but at the offer of the kindly Vinayak, a dabawalla who is part of a vast team of lunch delivery men, he escapes to seek not only family, but the belonging of a caring community among the other dabawallas.
A window into a part of the world and a life we rarely see, this middle grade novel has a compelling enough conflict that I think many teens would also find engaging. Highly recommended.
Kumal is a 12-year-old orphan working in slave-like conditions for a Bombay restaurant owner. His life is desperate, but at the offer of the kindly Vinayak, a dabawalla who is part of a vast team of lunch delivery men, he escapes to seek not only family, but the belonging of a caring community among the other dabawallas.
A window into a part of the world and a life we rarely see, this middle grade novel has a compelling enough conflict that I think many teens would also find engaging. Highly recommended.
October 17, 2025
4/5 STARS! This is so emotional and heart wrenching. A story of a young Indian boy who is an orphan & has to work as a food delivery worker at only 12. He has quite the rough life & when he gets a bit of hope that he’s found his mother, the story really reels you in. Very rich writing & characters that feel real, this is one to read & immerse yourself in. Loved the audiobook which is very well narrated.
Thank you to the author for the review copy,.
Thank you to the author for the review copy,.
December 31, 2011
There is a reason why The Tiffin has been listed as one of Quill & Quire’s 15 “Books of the Year” for 2011. There is a reason why this book is receiving critical acclaim. And there is a reason why I absolutely loved it. Actually there are many reasons.
Narsimhan’s story is crafted around the dabbawallas of modern-day Mumbai, the deliverymen who run hot boxed lunches, or tiffins, to office workers all over the city. This network of runners is so highly organized that only one in six million tiffins never makes its intended destination. However, to the young and pregnant Anahita, who slips a frantic note to her beloved into his daily tiffin, all that matters is that single delivery. And all that matters to young Kunal, 13 years later, is finding out what happened to his mother after it went astray.
Narsimhan writes as one who loves her setting of contemporary Mumbai and no sensory detail is spared. The reader is transported to India, enveloped in the smell of spices cooking in the street and the sensation of cotton clinging to Kunal’s back in the muggy heat of the train station. As in the award-winning Tara Trilogy, Narsimhan has set her story in a faraway land but, this time, she has brought to Canadian children’s fiction a relatively unexplored but very real setting, fostering an added element of cultural exploration and awareness.
Woven into this story is still the magical, mystical feel that Narsimhan’s readers love. While Kunal lives in a very real, very gritty Mumbai, the reader can almost believe he has a fairy-godmother looking out for him. Indeed, maybe he does in the form of Vinayak, the old dabbawalla who takes him under his wing and helps him rediscover family.
In The Tiffin, Mahtab Narsimhan skilfully delivers a beautiful story with that fairy-tale shimmer in a gritty, contemporary setting.
Narsimhan’s story is crafted around the dabbawallas of modern-day Mumbai, the deliverymen who run hot boxed lunches, or tiffins, to office workers all over the city. This network of runners is so highly organized that only one in six million tiffins never makes its intended destination. However, to the young and pregnant Anahita, who slips a frantic note to her beloved into his daily tiffin, all that matters is that single delivery. And all that matters to young Kunal, 13 years later, is finding out what happened to his mother after it went astray.
Narsimhan writes as one who loves her setting of contemporary Mumbai and no sensory detail is spared. The reader is transported to India, enveloped in the smell of spices cooking in the street and the sensation of cotton clinging to Kunal’s back in the muggy heat of the train station. As in the award-winning Tara Trilogy, Narsimhan has set her story in a faraway land but, this time, she has brought to Canadian children’s fiction a relatively unexplored but very real setting, fostering an added element of cultural exploration and awareness.
Woven into this story is still the magical, mystical feel that Narsimhan’s readers love. While Kunal lives in a very real, very gritty Mumbai, the reader can almost believe he has a fairy-godmother looking out for him. Indeed, maybe he does in the form of Vinayak, the old dabbawalla who takes him under his wing and helps him rediscover family.
In The Tiffin, Mahtab Narsimhan skilfully delivers a beautiful story with that fairy-tale shimmer in a gritty, contemporary setting.
December 25, 2012
This book was very emotional for me. You can find sympathy easily for Kunal, as he has a very hard life at the beginning of this book. I actually cried at the end, Anyways, this book is amazing! You see all of Kunal's different emotions as he goes on his quest for his mother. It's also very interesting, to me, -someone who lives in Canada- to learn a little bit about Indian culture. At the back there's a list of definitions for some of the words in this book. The Tiffin was slightly slow-moving at some parts, but in the best way possible. If that makes sense? All in all, it's a great book, very emotional, I'd recommend it for sure! :)
November 14, 2011
This novel offers fascinating insight into the long-standing tradition of Tiffin, as well as exploring the bonds of family, loyalty and friendship. Though there is no magic in a fantastical sense, the magic is in the story, and readers will be satisfied with the outcome. Suitable for ages 10 and up.
March 20, 2012
A beautifully written story that explores the true meaning of family.
July 17, 2020
The Tiffin is set in Mumbai (Bombay), India, home to the industry of the dabbawallas. The dabbawallas work as a food delivery system to deliver lunches made at homes and restaurants to people who go to work. The lunchboxes that store the food, known as tiffins, are also returned at the end of each day. Dabbawallas mainly operate using trains and bicycles, and despite Mumbai’s congested traffic and the 200,000 tiffins delivered every day, all lunches are successfully delivered on time. In fact, only one out of every six million lunches go missing.
It so happens that the story of a twelve-year-old boy named Kunal is one in six million. Kunal is forced to work as a waiter at a restaurant for no wages in exchange for a ramshackle living space and the daily leftovers. Kunal is stuck without hope under the control of Seth, the restaurant owner. A benevolent dabbawalla named Vinayak, empathizes Kunal’s plight and offers to help him. Kunal keeps the offer in his back pocket, hoping his situation at the restaurant won’t become so bad that he has to abandon his living space and only source of food.
However, the tables turn, and Seth’s wife reveals that Kunal isn’t actually the orphan he believed he was. Before Kunal was born, his mother, Anahita, had placed a note in her boyfriend’s tiffin to tell him that she was pregnant with Kunal. After all, who would doubt the reliability of the dabbawallas? Unfortunately, little does Anahita know that the tiffin never reaches her boyfriend and she is left to think he has abandoned her. Seth’s wife also informs that Anahita is very much alive somewhere in the vicinity.
The situation at the restaurant goes downhill, and with Vinayak’s address and the hope of finding his mother, Kunal reaches out to Vinayak and begins a new life. He starts to see life through the perspective of the dabbawallas and thinks he can use the intricate and impeccable dabbawalla system to meet his mother again.
Will Kunal meet his mother and be peacefully reunited with her? The Tiffin is filled with moments of hope, joy, loss, and profound depths of realism. I give this book 5 stars because I absolutely love how The Tiffin provides an insight into Mumbai’s food delivery system that still continues today. I enjoyed how the author gives an insight into the life of a tiffin carrier. This story certainly has much more than meets the eye and is a celebration of culture and one of the world’s most complex and efficient food delivery systems.
Reviewed by Sonika M, age 15, Metropolitan Washington Mensa
It so happens that the story of a twelve-year-old boy named Kunal is one in six million. Kunal is forced to work as a waiter at a restaurant for no wages in exchange for a ramshackle living space and the daily leftovers. Kunal is stuck without hope under the control of Seth, the restaurant owner. A benevolent dabbawalla named Vinayak, empathizes Kunal’s plight and offers to help him. Kunal keeps the offer in his back pocket, hoping his situation at the restaurant won’t become so bad that he has to abandon his living space and only source of food.
However, the tables turn, and Seth’s wife reveals that Kunal isn’t actually the orphan he believed he was. Before Kunal was born, his mother, Anahita, had placed a note in her boyfriend’s tiffin to tell him that she was pregnant with Kunal. After all, who would doubt the reliability of the dabbawallas? Unfortunately, little does Anahita know that the tiffin never reaches her boyfriend and she is left to think he has abandoned her. Seth’s wife also informs that Anahita is very much alive somewhere in the vicinity.
The situation at the restaurant goes downhill, and with Vinayak’s address and the hope of finding his mother, Kunal reaches out to Vinayak and begins a new life. He starts to see life through the perspective of the dabbawallas and thinks he can use the intricate and impeccable dabbawalla system to meet his mother again.
Will Kunal meet his mother and be peacefully reunited with her? The Tiffin is filled with moments of hope, joy, loss, and profound depths of realism. I give this book 5 stars because I absolutely love how The Tiffin provides an insight into Mumbai’s food delivery system that still continues today. I enjoyed how the author gives an insight into the life of a tiffin carrier. This story certainly has much more than meets the eye and is a celebration of culture and one of the world’s most complex and efficient food delivery systems.
Reviewed by Sonika M, age 15, Metropolitan Washington Mensa
November 23, 2023
A heartfelt story about the true meaning of family, The Tiffin by Mahtab Narsimhan gives insight into the colourful world of India. I loved Narsimhan’s writing because she took me right to the streets of Bombay with the frantic yet highly organized sorting and delivery of the tiffins. The thought of tiffins holding notes ranging from messages between lovers to grocery lists was especially intriguing, and the premise of the one lost tiffin containing the most important message of all made me think. How different would Kunal’s life had been if that tiffin had made it to its destination? Maybe it wouldn’t have changed at all because Anahita’s lover would have stood her up anyway, but it’s easy to imagine a happier family for Kunal.
Except even though Kunal didn’t get the family he expected, I absolutely loved the family he ended up with. Narsimhan shows her reader that family doesn’t have to be blood related to be family, and sometimes shared grief is a greater unifier than blood. Vinayak is my favourite character when he looks out for Kunal, taking him under his wing when he needs it the most. When Kunal encourages him to recover because he needs his family, I almost cried. And surprisingly, while Mrs. Seth seemed rather heartless at first, she actually turns out to be a surrogate mother for Kunal. Though he saw himself as an orphan, he had more family around him than he ever realised.
I have to say that now I want to know more about the tiffin system though. Do people hire others to make their tiffin's everyday? How did Anahita meet her lover? Did they just start sending notes to each other through tiffins and then meet up in person? I know that wasn’t the focus of Narsimhan’s story and I did love the story as it was, but I can’t help being curious.
The Tiffin is highly enjoyable read and while there is some violence, as well as characters who seem to about to abuse Kunal, I still think it’s a suitable book for early teens.
Except even though Kunal didn’t get the family he expected, I absolutely loved the family he ended up with. Narsimhan shows her reader that family doesn’t have to be blood related to be family, and sometimes shared grief is a greater unifier than blood. Vinayak is my favourite character when he looks out for Kunal, taking him under his wing when he needs it the most. When Kunal encourages him to recover because he needs his family, I almost cried. And surprisingly, while Mrs. Seth seemed rather heartless at first, she actually turns out to be a surrogate mother for Kunal. Though he saw himself as an orphan, he had more family around him than he ever realised.
I have to say that now I want to know more about the tiffin system though. Do people hire others to make their tiffin's everyday? How did Anahita meet her lover? Did they just start sending notes to each other through tiffins and then meet up in person? I know that wasn’t the focus of Narsimhan’s story and I did love the story as it was, but I can’t help being curious.
The Tiffin is highly enjoyable read and while there is some violence, as well as characters who seem to about to abuse Kunal, I still think it’s a suitable book for early teens.
November 23, 2022
In 1982, Anahita writes a letter to her boyfriend and places it in a tiffin for delivery to her boyfriend, asking him to meet her that night, in order that she can tell him that she is pregnant. Unfortunately the tiffin is lost and the message never delivered.
Thirteen years later, we are introduced to Kunal, a twelve year old orphan, who is overworked with no pay, at a dhaba, a small restaurant, owned by his abusive foster father. The only adult that has been kind to him is Vinayak, an elderly dabbawalla, who started to come to the dhaba four years earlier, who taught him to read and write. Kumal runs away from his abusive father and is taken in by Vinayak. When Kumal finds out that he is not an orphan, he wants to search for his mother, Anahita.
The Tiffin was a nicely written novel, with a predictable ending. The squalor and poverty of Mumbai are presented in an antiseptic manner that covers this whole book in a whitewash of colour, that appears to be a deliberate decision by the author, not to offend any of her readers.
Thirteen years later, we are introduced to Kunal, a twelve year old orphan, who is overworked with no pay, at a dhaba, a small restaurant, owned by his abusive foster father. The only adult that has been kind to him is Vinayak, an elderly dabbawalla, who started to come to the dhaba four years earlier, who taught him to read and write. Kumal runs away from his abusive father and is taken in by Vinayak. When Kumal finds out that he is not an orphan, he wants to search for his mother, Anahita.
The Tiffin was a nicely written novel, with a predictable ending. The squalor and poverty of Mumbai are presented in an antiseptic manner that covers this whole book in a whitewash of colour, that appears to be a deliberate decision by the author, not to offend any of her readers.
March 23, 2017
This book was recommended by my 14 year old.
Writing style is really simple and realistic. You can relate to it quite easily. The start was good, giving a curiosity to find out what happened. Kunal's life seems so sad and heartbreaking.He could easily be one of the ubiquitous young boys you see working at most of the small eateries in the town. Your heart goes out to him and you are happy for him when circumstances change with Vinayak. His yearning to belong and to have a family to call his own is so strong .However, after a point, the progress of the story didn't tug at my heart like I expected it would.Not too bad but just not enough.
So I would say its enjoyable in most parts but not all.
Writing style is really simple and realistic. You can relate to it quite easily. The start was good, giving a curiosity to find out what happened. Kunal's life seems so sad and heartbreaking.He could easily be one of the ubiquitous young boys you see working at most of the small eateries in the town. Your heart goes out to him and you are happy for him when circumstances change with Vinayak. His yearning to belong and to have a family to call his own is so strong .However, after a point, the progress of the story didn't tug at my heart like I expected it would.Not too bad but just not enough.
So I would say its enjoyable in most parts but not all.
February 9, 2025
The Tiffin by Mahtab Narsimhan
I read this beautifully written book in preparation for a discussion at my Book club with Mahtab in attendance. It has been many years since I read a book for this 12+ age group. Everywhere in the world, young people struggle with identity issues and the need to feel a sense of belonging. I learned a lot about the culture, challenges and resilience of the people of Bombay. This story of the Tiffin lunch boxes and how fate intervened and derailed the life of this child to make him an orphan is heartbreaking. But, because of the friendships he forms this story is inspirational for all ages. I highly recommend this book
I read this beautifully written book in preparation for a discussion at my Book club with Mahtab in attendance. It has been many years since I read a book for this 12+ age group. Everywhere in the world, young people struggle with identity issues and the need to feel a sense of belonging. I learned a lot about the culture, challenges and resilience of the people of Bombay. This story of the Tiffin lunch boxes and how fate intervened and derailed the life of this child to make him an orphan is heartbreaking. But, because of the friendships he forms this story is inspirational for all ages. I highly recommend this book
January 8, 2023
A poignant story that captures your attention and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions along with the plot's protagonist, Kunal. What I love the most about the book is how the author seamlessly incorporates one of the most iconic institutions of Bombay, the dabbawalas, into the plot. On the one hand, the book is an excellent character study of the people and the city. At the same time, it’s a profoundly moving tale about longing, finding the truth, and the quest to discover our identity, which, more often than not, is linked to where we originally come from.
July 14, 2023
The protagonist is insufferable. The relationships between the other characters and the protagonist seem superficial. We get introduced to characters who seem to have no bearing on the story but get introduced and then instantly forgotten. What was the point of Chandni? Lalan? The beggar boy?
Kunal and Vinayak's relationship is touching, but at the end, Kunal's feelings towards Vinayak seem to be impulsive. Kunal goes the whole story feeling one way and then at the end, he has an epiphany. I do not find that believable.
Kunal and Vinayak's relationship is touching, but at the end, Kunal's feelings towards Vinayak seem to be impulsive. Kunal goes the whole story feeling one way and then at the end, he has an epiphany. I do not find that believable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2021
Through this novel, I felt the lives of people living in Mumbai (Bombay). I can imagine how the city is like with the sights, the smells and the crush of people in an overcrowded train. Dabbawallas or tiffin delivery service is well known and was a case study for my MBA programme many years ago.
A lovely and heartwarming story of a 12-year old boy weaved into the Dabbawallas. I could read this book in one sitting but it took me two days to do so, enjoying it slowly.
A lovely and heartwarming story of a 12-year old boy weaved into the Dabbawallas. I could read this book in one sitting but it took me two days to do so, enjoying it slowly.
June 25, 2015
Find this review and others here: Introduction
Benson Fisher is wishing to get away from his life as a foster child. When he gets accepted to Maxfield Academy he couldn't be more thrilled to finally have a chance to have friends and settle into a place for more than a few months at a time. Once arriving he finds out that the school is blocked by a wall, and separated by miles of forest from any sign of civilization. That's not all. No phones, Internet access, or adults. You get no contact with anybody outside of the school. Even though there are no adults, there are still rules and still punishments. The biggest rules are, no sex, no violent fights, No refusing punishments, and trying to escape. if you break any of those four rules you end up in detention. Those who go to detention don't come back. After hearing all of this though, all that is on Benson's mind is escaping this weird school. No matter how many people try to convince Benson that it is was a lot worse before the students spit up into gangs. The society, the people that want to be follow the rules, Havoc, the people that want to cause trouble, and Variant or the V's. They are the people that hate the school and want to escape, but generally follow the rules. Benson joins the V's. He makes friends and fits in fine. He even grows close to a girl in his gang named Jane. he even finds himself having fun. Until, finding out a secret that the school had kept hidden since it was built. Now that he knows the secret he has no doubt in his mind that he has to get out of the school.
Cover
The cover to variant is a boy and a girl walking in the woods. The boy has his back turned, but girl is looking backwards. Most of the cover is sort of blurred out. I liked this cover a lot because it the way the cover is blurred out is mysterious just like the story is.
Characters/Relationships
In the book you learn about many members of all the different gangs. Mainly the people in the V's. Benson himself is a little stubborn and rebellious at times. He was a pretty believable character. Two of my favorite characters in the book were Lily and Curtis. Lily has only been at the school for a few months and is also very content about leaving. She wasn't in the book a whole lot when she is it is mostly when they are playing paintball. My other favorite character was Curtis. He always helped Benson and always forgave Benson when he had done something stupid to jeopardize the safety of the gang.
As I said before Benson gets quite close to Jane and at one point takes her to a dance. The relationship didn't last long at all though. Other than Benson and Jane, Curtis and another girl in the V's named Carrie are also dating. You don't hear much about this couple but Benson always sees the holding hands and walking together
Conclusion
Variant was an amazing book that kept me interested to the very last page. The characters were believable and very easy to connect to. I highly recommend this book.
Introduction
In Bombay, a pregnant teenager is forced to rely on tiffins (Lunch boxes with warm food inside) and dabbawallas (The people that deliver the tiffins) to get a very important letter to her boyfriend. She trusts that the letter, tucked inside tiffin will reach him. After all, a tiffin rarely gets lost.
The story centers around a twelve year old orphan boy named Kunal. He works as a slave for Mrs. Seth and Sethji. Each day one thing puts a smile on his face. Seeing an old dabbawalla named Vinayak. Vinayak understands what Kunal is going through and offers Kunal a place to stay if things ever get too bad. Kunal quickly takes him up on his offer. Before leaving though, Mrs. Seth gives him one piece of information: His mother is alive and is living in Bombay. Now Kunal only has one thing on his mind. Finding his mother. First, he needs a job. Vinayak is trying his hardest to get Kunal a job as a dabbawalla but in the meantime he is stuck with a job at another restaurant. He soon figures out a plan. All he needs to do is send a note in every tiffin asking to meet his mother. Now all he has to do is get a job as a dabbawalla. Unfortunately, Vinayak is unable to get Kunal a job due to his family situation. Just as Kunal has lost all hope, the dabbawalla leaders agree that although they can't let Kunal become a dabbawalla, they can send some notes in the tiffins. A small glimmer of hope lives inside Kunal once again. But now the only thing he can do is hope for a reply.
Characters/Relationships
Kunal at some points was a little unrealistic about finding his mother. Luckily he has Vinayak to keep him from getting his hopes up too much. I have say that throughout the whole book, Vinayak was my favorite character. He cares about Kunal a lot more that Kunal actually realizes. Vinayak can seem kind of mean sometimes but everything he does is for Kunal's own good in the end.
No love story involved in this book. And no past relationships with anybody mentioned.
Conclusion
Overall, this book was alright. I probably won't pick up this book for a second read. I was able to stick with it to the end, but it just wasn't as promising as I thought it was going to be. Boys and girls could read this book, either gender could enjoy it
Benson Fisher is wishing to get away from his life as a foster child. When he gets accepted to Maxfield Academy he couldn't be more thrilled to finally have a chance to have friends and settle into a place for more than a few months at a time. Once arriving he finds out that the school is blocked by a wall, and separated by miles of forest from any sign of civilization. That's not all. No phones, Internet access, or adults. You get no contact with anybody outside of the school. Even though there are no adults, there are still rules and still punishments. The biggest rules are, no sex, no violent fights, No refusing punishments, and trying to escape. if you break any of those four rules you end up in detention. Those who go to detention don't come back. After hearing all of this though, all that is on Benson's mind is escaping this weird school. No matter how many people try to convince Benson that it is was a lot worse before the students spit up into gangs. The society, the people that want to be follow the rules, Havoc, the people that want to cause trouble, and Variant or the V's. They are the people that hate the school and want to escape, but generally follow the rules. Benson joins the V's. He makes friends and fits in fine. He even grows close to a girl in his gang named Jane. he even finds himself having fun. Until, finding out a secret that the school had kept hidden since it was built. Now that he knows the secret he has no doubt in his mind that he has to get out of the school.
Cover
The cover to variant is a boy and a girl walking in the woods. The boy has his back turned, but girl is looking backwards. Most of the cover is sort of blurred out. I liked this cover a lot because it the way the cover is blurred out is mysterious just like the story is.
Characters/Relationships
In the book you learn about many members of all the different gangs. Mainly the people in the V's. Benson himself is a little stubborn and rebellious at times. He was a pretty believable character. Two of my favorite characters in the book were Lily and Curtis. Lily has only been at the school for a few months and is also very content about leaving. She wasn't in the book a whole lot when she is it is mostly when they are playing paintball. My other favorite character was Curtis. He always helped Benson and always forgave Benson when he had done something stupid to jeopardize the safety of the gang.
As I said before Benson gets quite close to Jane and at one point takes her to a dance. The relationship didn't last long at all though. Other than Benson and Jane, Curtis and another girl in the V's named Carrie are also dating. You don't hear much about this couple but Benson always sees the holding hands and walking together
Conclusion
Variant was an amazing book that kept me interested to the very last page. The characters were believable and very easy to connect to. I highly recommend this book.
Introduction
In Bombay, a pregnant teenager is forced to rely on tiffins (Lunch boxes with warm food inside) and dabbawallas (The people that deliver the tiffins) to get a very important letter to her boyfriend. She trusts that the letter, tucked inside tiffin will reach him. After all, a tiffin rarely gets lost.
The story centers around a twelve year old orphan boy named Kunal. He works as a slave for Mrs. Seth and Sethji. Each day one thing puts a smile on his face. Seeing an old dabbawalla named Vinayak. Vinayak understands what Kunal is going through and offers Kunal a place to stay if things ever get too bad. Kunal quickly takes him up on his offer. Before leaving though, Mrs. Seth gives him one piece of information: His mother is alive and is living in Bombay. Now Kunal only has one thing on his mind. Finding his mother. First, he needs a job. Vinayak is trying his hardest to get Kunal a job as a dabbawalla but in the meantime he is stuck with a job at another restaurant. He soon figures out a plan. All he needs to do is send a note in every tiffin asking to meet his mother. Now all he has to do is get a job as a dabbawalla. Unfortunately, Vinayak is unable to get Kunal a job due to his family situation. Just as Kunal has lost all hope, the dabbawalla leaders agree that although they can't let Kunal become a dabbawalla, they can send some notes in the tiffins. A small glimmer of hope lives inside Kunal once again. But now the only thing he can do is hope for a reply.
Characters/Relationships
Kunal at some points was a little unrealistic about finding his mother. Luckily he has Vinayak to keep him from getting his hopes up too much. I have say that throughout the whole book, Vinayak was my favorite character. He cares about Kunal a lot more that Kunal actually realizes. Vinayak can seem kind of mean sometimes but everything he does is for Kunal's own good in the end.
No love story involved in this book. And no past relationships with anybody mentioned.
Conclusion
Overall, this book was alright. I probably won't pick up this book for a second read. I was able to stick with it to the end, but it just wasn't as promising as I thought it was going to be. Boys and girls could read this book, either gender could enjoy it
June 2, 2023
I listened to the audio book. I really did not like the reader - they mis pronounced so many words and the way they read the dialogue would not have fit with the way that those characters would have spoken. I also found it so unrealistic that a 12 year old boy who had lived as an indentured servant would have been able to read and write. I did like the ending and the look at family.
July 23, 2017
This book kept me riveted until the end. The characters and setting are vivid and I found myself wondering about how it would all work out as I went about my weekend activities. I learned a lot, too. Great quick read. Highly recommend for young people and adults alike.
January 11, 2018
I basically bought this book out of me missing the lands of masala. It's a story abt an underaged, overworked waiter in a dhaba at Mumbai. Though short, I liked the plot twist at the end and the messages it brought.
August 12, 2017
Okay YA read. Makes one aware of poverty experienced in India and how there is more to relationships than biological connections.
September 6, 2018
sometimes all what you are treasure just by your side...
February 21, 2023
Some other teachers loved it, but I could not connect with Kunal at all. Instead I found him whiney, selfish and unappreciative. The premise is great however!
July 29, 2023
The characters are not developed at all and completely unbelievable. The premise is interesting but doesn’t deliver.
Read
June 21, 2025myrca 2012-2013 book
October 2, 2011
Reason for Reading: I am a fan of the author.
The city of Bombay, India has a 150 year old tradition of delivering hot lunches to business workers in metal tins called tiffins. This is a complicated business and yet it has a reputation of losing only one box per every six million. The opening chapter is a flashback to a story of one such lost box and the rest of the book comes back to the present to show the consequences that lost lunch had for one person. Kunal, who was left with the Seths as a baby, has been raised as their slave working in their restaurant with no wages, beat by the owner and shown no love by either him or his wife. He has one customer, an old man, who is in charge of the tiffin business at the nearby rail station who eventually takes him in and gets him a job at a nice restaurant. Now Kunal makes some friends and can devote his time to finding his real mother and finding out why she never came back for him.
Beautifully written book, with a easy going third person narrative that catches your attention right away. The story takes one down into the underbelly of Indian life where the poor, the orphaned, the down-on-their-luck work and survive and where the mean, nasty and or criminal prey upon them. At times I thought I was reading about Victorian life, but no I had to remind myself this was life today for the poor and just getting by in Bombay today. The story is full of pathos, Kunal has been dealt a hard life and he lives on dreams for a brighter future, for a family. As he goes looking for that family he ends up finding it in the least likely of places.
Not only a wonderful, heart-wrending story but also one with plenty of insight into Indian daily life and culture. I found it very interesting and entertaining. I loved Kunal as a character and rooted for him right from the beginning, hoping for the ending that eventually came to pass. I still find the idea of the tiffins strange. Maybe 150 years ago it was a good idea, but now? It seems a pretty complicated way to get a hot lunch. They must have thermoses and microwaves in business districts in India. Why can't people take their lunch to work with them like the rest of us? If they want it hot, put it in a thermos or microwave it. Tiffins are a very strange concept to this Canadian! A great read and certainly both unique and different from the usual fare available for juvenile readers these days. Well done. Recommended!
The city of Bombay, India has a 150 year old tradition of delivering hot lunches to business workers in metal tins called tiffins. This is a complicated business and yet it has a reputation of losing only one box per every six million. The opening chapter is a flashback to a story of one such lost box and the rest of the book comes back to the present to show the consequences that lost lunch had for one person. Kunal, who was left with the Seths as a baby, has been raised as their slave working in their restaurant with no wages, beat by the owner and shown no love by either him or his wife. He has one customer, an old man, who is in charge of the tiffin business at the nearby rail station who eventually takes him in and gets him a job at a nice restaurant. Now Kunal makes some friends and can devote his time to finding his real mother and finding out why she never came back for him.
Beautifully written book, with a easy going third person narrative that catches your attention right away. The story takes one down into the underbelly of Indian life where the poor, the orphaned, the down-on-their-luck work and survive and where the mean, nasty and or criminal prey upon them. At times I thought I was reading about Victorian life, but no I had to remind myself this was life today for the poor and just getting by in Bombay today. The story is full of pathos, Kunal has been dealt a hard life and he lives on dreams for a brighter future, for a family. As he goes looking for that family he ends up finding it in the least likely of places.
Not only a wonderful, heart-wrending story but also one with plenty of insight into Indian daily life and culture. I found it very interesting and entertaining. I loved Kunal as a character and rooted for him right from the beginning, hoping for the ending that eventually came to pass. I still find the idea of the tiffins strange. Maybe 150 years ago it was a good idea, but now? It seems a pretty complicated way to get a hot lunch. They must have thermoses and microwaves in business districts in India. Why can't people take their lunch to work with them like the rest of us? If they want it hot, put it in a thermos or microwave it. Tiffins are a very strange concept to this Canadian! A great read and certainly both unique and different from the usual fare available for juvenile readers these days. Well done. Recommended!
May 7, 2014
Review by Beth
The Tiffin by Mahtab Narsimhan is for younger readers and I think it introduces some interesting and important ideas, perhaps for the first time to readers aged between 9 and 12. The relationships between the characters are extremely complex and the setting, Mumbai is also a key character, giving younger readers insight into a city which probably seems as otherworldly as Narnia to many.
The Tiffin shows us how important those small food carriers could be and when the message goes missing everything changes forever. We switch between an ominous beginning in the 1980s to present day Mumbai and 12 year old Kunal as our protagonist.
Consistently mistreated and overworked by his foster father he struggles and continues to pine for the mother he never knew. His life is more difficult than any 12 year olds should be and when he runs away Kunal too comes into close contact with the tiffin culture, through entering the world of the dabbawallas, tiffin delivery men.
Narsimhan’s language is rich and creates a real sense of India. When describing the tiffins and their contents it’s hard not to imagine the pungent aromas. The novel gives readers a chance to understand the underworld of Mumbai and how many workers in service are buzzing away below the surface that we usually see. I was fascinated to find out so much about Mumbai from a young readers novel and got a real sense of the poverty that may not always be seen.
The plot of the novel is its only downfall as I didn’t feel compelled to keep reading at all times, I found myself drifting away and wanting more. For all the wonderful descriptions and scenery, there probably needed to be a little more strength in the plot. That being said I found Narsimhan’s Mumbai fascinating.
The Tiffin by Mahtab Narsimhan is for younger readers and I think it introduces some interesting and important ideas, perhaps for the first time to readers aged between 9 and 12. The relationships between the characters are extremely complex and the setting, Mumbai is also a key character, giving younger readers insight into a city which probably seems as otherworldly as Narnia to many.
The Tiffin shows us how important those small food carriers could be and when the message goes missing everything changes forever. We switch between an ominous beginning in the 1980s to present day Mumbai and 12 year old Kunal as our protagonist.
Consistently mistreated and overworked by his foster father he struggles and continues to pine for the mother he never knew. His life is more difficult than any 12 year olds should be and when he runs away Kunal too comes into close contact with the tiffin culture, through entering the world of the dabbawallas, tiffin delivery men.
Narsimhan’s language is rich and creates a real sense of India. When describing the tiffins and their contents it’s hard not to imagine the pungent aromas. The novel gives readers a chance to understand the underworld of Mumbai and how many workers in service are buzzing away below the surface that we usually see. I was fascinated to find out so much about Mumbai from a young readers novel and got a real sense of the poverty that may not always be seen.
The plot of the novel is its only downfall as I didn’t feel compelled to keep reading at all times, I found myself drifting away and wanting more. For all the wonderful descriptions and scenery, there probably needed to be a little more strength in the plot. That being said I found Narsimhan’s Mumbai fascinating.
July 2, 2023
The Tiffin by Mahtab Narsimhan is an interesting and emotional take on the Dabbawalas of Mumbai.. They're a lunchboox delivery and return system that deliver hot lunches from homes and restaurants to people at work.. They're known for their timely delivery and safety of the lunch boxes even while the Dabbawalas travel by crowded Mumbai local trains..
When a note written by Anahita, placed inside one such lunch box goes missing, it puts her son, Kunal into a life of misery, separated from his mother ever since the day of his birth.. When Kunal,after 13 years, decides to find his mother through notes in lunchboxes, what's in store for him? That's what this entire book is about..
The story was so unique and something which I've never read before.. The characters are straight out of our everyday lives.. This was so emotional to read and the ending, though predictable, almost left me in tears.. I've reread it almost 3-4 times by now..
And, if you love Mumbai, you'll love this book to pieces.. The scenic narrative about the city was the most beautiful I've ever read..
The tiffin is a most underrated book.. It deserves much more visibility and recognition for its unique concept and background..
And, give me any book set in Mumbai, I'll read it almost immediately 😂 What's your favourite setting/city for a book? Let me know in the comments..
When a note written by Anahita, placed inside one such lunch box goes missing, it puts her son, Kunal into a life of misery, separated from his mother ever since the day of his birth.. When Kunal,after 13 years, decides to find his mother through notes in lunchboxes, what's in store for him? That's what this entire book is about..
The story was so unique and something which I've never read before.. The characters are straight out of our everyday lives.. This was so emotional to read and the ending, though predictable, almost left me in tears.. I've reread it almost 3-4 times by now..
And, if you love Mumbai, you'll love this book to pieces.. The scenic narrative about the city was the most beautiful I've ever read..
The tiffin is a most underrated book.. It deserves much more visibility and recognition for its unique concept and background..
And, give me any book set in Mumbai, I'll read it almost immediately 😂 What's your favourite setting/city for a book? Let me know in the comments..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews