Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. ISBN# 0-618-04213-X

Suggested Module(s): Stereotypes, Ethics, and Universal Values

Anita Desai has been a finalist for the Booker Prize three times for her stories in Fasting, Feasting; Clear Light of Day; and In Custody. She was born in Mussoorie, India in 1937 and went to school there. Currently she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts and works as a professor in MIT's Writing and Humanistic Studies program.. This particular book contains nine short stories dealing with the trails of everyday life and everyday people. Sylvia Brownrigg of The New York Time Book Review says, "Throughout this nicely textured, intelligent collection, Desai graces her characters with supple and elegant prose, subtle insights and, above all, an understated, humane sense of comedy."

Summary: A beloved dog named Diamond wreaks havoc on a quiet neighborhood, but his owner seems obsessed with him and refuses to discipline the dog. This obsession leads ultimately to the owner's tragic demise.

Target audience: High School

Genre: Short Stories

Length: 13 pages

Availability: Softcover, Hardcover

Cost: Softcover $12.00

Commentary: This short story would work well in a literature class dealing with loss as a universal theme or a social studies class discussing the marriage customs of India, oppression of Indian women, or Indian culture in general.