Life on the Edge: For Mumbai's Middle Income Family! is a work of fiction in the social issues, world culture, and family drama subgenres. It is best suited to the adult reading audience owing to moderate references to sex and violence and was penned by Sandesh Singh. The story works on different levels to deliver a uniquely-placed family saga, detailing the life and times of the Tamhankar family from the eighties through to the modern day but also showcasing the development of the city of Mumbai and the social, political, and cultural changes over this period. As parents Ganesh and Ramya navigate the chawls of their city’s suburbs, their daughters flourish with new hope for a more independent and prosperous future.

Sandesh Singh offers a truly unusual perspective in this novel that I have never encountered before, and I learned a lot about the chawls setup and the misunderstandings surrounding the culture and conditions of the people living in this cheap type of accommodation. The class issues of the novel are set against the backdrop of a changing city that battles with tradition, modernism, religion, and aspiration, and the authenticity with which Singh writes on these topics is to be admired. Against this complex tapestry of social change and culture shock, the members of the Tamhankar family each have their fantastic tales to tell, and it’s easy to see how they are shaped by their experiences, surroundings, and interactions with each other. I had an especially soft spot for Mrunali and Shruti, who represent modern women everywhere. I would certainly recommend Life on The Edge to any reader interested in realistic family sagas and learning more about Indian culture.

When Ganesh received tragic news after his third child was born, he was devastated. Ganesh had always prayed for a son to carry on his family’s line and believed God had abandoned him and his wife. The nurse, accustomed to breaking bad news to fathers like Ganesh, walked away dejected. When Ganesh went to Ramya’s bedside, their child was not beside his wife. He learned that his daughter’s left eye had not formed. Broken, Ganesh thought he and his wife were paying the price for their forefathers’ misdeeds. He failed to understand how they had been unlucky enough to have an incomplete family. Taking everything in stride, Ganesh set about providing for his family as he had always done. Life on the Edge: For Mumbai’s Middle-Income Family! by Sandesh Singh exposes us to the political climate of Mumbai, which would disrupt their lives and risk his daughter’s life.

My favorite aspect of this book was the author’s narration from the third-person point of view. The author didn’t tell us what the characters were thinking, which made them more real. I also loved the inclusion of Indian vocabulary during the political rallies, which not only gave the book a sense of authenticity but also revealed the urgency of the poor to create revolutions that cared for the welfare of the poor. Life on the Edge by Sandesh Singh is well-written and has an engaging plot. The author’s writing style is fluid, and his descriptions are detailed, which allowed me to understand the culture of Indians, especially with the advent of technological advancement. The book also showed the author’s keen interest in politics, which made me appreciate his efforts to educate people about the previous political situation in India.