The Windfall: A Novel

“Charming . . . What Kevin Kwan did for rich-people problems, Diksha Basu does for trying-to-be-rich-people problems.”—People

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ESQUIRE • A PEOPLE PICK • A TIME PICK  

The Jhas are moving up. For the past thirty years, their lives have been defined by cramped spaces and gossipy neighbors. But when Mr. Jha comes into an enormous sum of money—the result of an unexpectedly successful internet venture—he moves his reluctant wife from their housing complex in East Delhi to the super-rich side of town, ultimately forcing them, and their son, to reckon with who they are and what really matters to them.  Hilarious and wise, The Windfall illuminates with warmth and heart the precariousness of social status, the fragility of pride, and, above all, the human drive to build and share a home. Even the rich, it turns out, need to belong somewhere.

Praise for The Windfall

“A delightful comedy of errors.”—NPR, Weekend Edition

“Ultra-charming.”—Vogue

“I almost fell out of bed laughing.”—Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians 

“A fun and heartfelt comedy of manners.”—Rolling Stone

“Though money doesn’t necessarily buy the Jhas happiness, it delivers readers plenty of laughs and more.”—Esquire 

“Endearing, astute.”—Christian Science Monitor

Diksha Basu is a writer and occasional actor. Originally from New Delhi, India, she holds a BA in Economics from Cornell University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and now divides her time between New York City and Mumbai.