A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

5 of 10
A Fine Balance
By Rohinton Mistry
624 pages; Vintage


A Dickensian novel about India during the Emergency. Like the aftermath of September 11, it teaches us about cultures we haven't understood. "It takes us out of our own little shell and exposes us to a whole other world out there," Oprah says.

Oprah's next pick: East of Eden by John Steinbeck