House of Tinder

by Murali Balaji

The Gopals are like most American families. Ravi and Kalpana Gopal and their daughter Lavanya live in Hackensack, New Jersey, a short drive from the Big Apple. They have a four-bedroom house, two cars, and most importantly, a sense of financial security all Americans crave. But behind the façade of stability lies a family falling apart at the seams, torn by the past and driven apart by the idealistic expectations and reality. Beaten up by their own insecurities and their inability to express themselves, the Gopals are finding that pursuing the American dream can be a nightmare, and that keeping their sanity is harder than keeping up appearances. Meet the Gopals, who live in the House of Tinder.

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2003