Set in contemporary India, The Romantics tells the story of Samar, a young man who goes to live in Benares to avoid a small-town job and to lose himself in reading and a world beyond himself. But soon the realities of the bustling holy city begin to intrude as Samar is introduced to a world of Europeans, of modern India and of disappointed love. 'If you buy one literary novel this year, make sure it's this' Amanda Craig, The Times, Summer Books 'This bright new star is the real thing' David Robson, Sunday Telegraph