NPR's Book of the Day In ‘A Guardian and a Thief,’ a mother’s love for her family threatens her own morals
Dec 31, 2025
Novelist Megha Majumdar, author of A Guardian and a Thief, discusses her gripping narrative set in a near-future Kolkata ravaged by climate change. She dives into the moral complexities of love and hope amidst crisis, explaining how a stolen passport jeopardizes a family's escape. Majumdar reveals the darker manifestations of hope and how it can lead to conflicting choices. Reflecting on motherhood, she explores the test of moral boundaries, prompting listeners to consider their own generous and selfish impulses during tough times.
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City Shaped By Climate Grief
- Kolkata's climate-threatened future reshapes everyday life and choices for its residents.
- Megha Majumdar frames the city as grieving and prompts questions about love under catastrophe.
Hope Turns Mean Under Scarcity
- Hope can take vicious, sly forms when people face scarcity and crisis.
- Majumdar asks who we become when our private hopes clash with collective needs.
No Clear Heroes Or Villains
- Characters aren't cast as pure heroes or villains; their morally fraught acts stem from love and survival.
- The book probes how love can become 'fanged' when under pressure.