5 Indian Books Every Desi in Australia Should Read
08 Apr 2026
📖 Books & Literature
5 Indian Books Every Desi in
Australia Should Read
Living in Australia as a desi can sometimes feel like you're caught between two worlds. One of the best ways to stay connected to your roots is through literature — stories that capture the India you grew up in, or the one your parents described over chai.
01
The God of Small Things
A masterpiece set in Kerala. Roy's prose is lyrical and devastating — a story of forbidden love, caste, and the crushing weight of small moments. If you've only ever read one Indian novel, make it this one.
02
A Suitable Boy
One of the longest novels in the English language, and worth every page. Set in post-Partition India, it's a sweeping portrait of a nation finding its identity — something many of us in the diaspora deeply relate to.
03
The White Tiger
A darkly comic, unflinching look at class and ambition in modern India. Perfect for anyone who wants to understand the India that exists beyond the tourist brochures.
04
Midnight's Children
A magical realist epic about a child born at the exact moment of Indian independence. Bold, chaotic, and utterly brilliant. A novel that changed what Indian fiction could be.
05
The Palace of Illusions
A retelling of the Mahabharata through the eyes of Draupadi. If you grew up hearing these stories, this novel will feel like rediscovering them for the first time — but seen through entirely new eyes.
📚 All of these are available at The Desi Bazaar — delivered straight to your door, anywhere in Australia. Because great stories should never be hard to find.
