The Unbroken Coast

Jones’s scintillating debut traces the bonds between two families in a Catholic community outside Bombay across several decades. In 1978, Francis Almeida, a retired history professor, rides his bike from his Santa Clara suburb to the nearby fishing village of Varuna. While visiting a storied shrine, he has a chance encounter with Flora D’Mello, the wife of a fisherman, whose toddler, Celia, is sick with dengue fever. Several years later, when eight-year-old Celia is skipping school because her family cannot afford new shoes for her, Francis accidentally runs her over on his bike, breaking her arm. He takes her to his home to rest, which sparks the families’ long-running relationship. Francis’s wife, Essie, finds satisfaction in giving Celia hand-me-down clothes from her granddaughter, and in turn receives a better price on fish. Eventually, Celia marries, but her life takes a turn for the worse when she loses her mother and her first child within months of each other. As both families experience their share of heartbreaks and joys, Jones effectively underscores how chance encounters can tie a community together. Her approach never feels contrived, but instead evokes the fluid motion of real life. This satisfies. Agent: Jennifer Lyons, Jennifer Lyons Literary. (Aug.)