It’s being compared to “The Godfather” and “Gatsby” — high praise for a young writer. But MPR News host Kerri Miller says Deepti Kapoor’s new novel is worth the accolades.

“Age of Vice” is set in modern day India, a country changing so quickly, few can stay balanced. It follows a young man who grew up destitute, sold into a life of servitude to pay family debts. His life changes forever when he meets Sunny Wadia, the conflicted, playboy heir of a well-known crime family.

The story swerves from India’s misty, mountain villages to noisy, vibrant cities, with characters that embody the nation’s extremes.

This Friday, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, MPR News host Kerri Miller talked with Kapoor about gangster capitalism in India, about ill-fated love, and about what honor and nobility mean in a time of intense change.

Guest:

• Deepti Kapoor grew up in northern India and worked for several years as a journalist in New Delhi. “Age of Vice” is her second novel, which she wrote from her home in Lisbon.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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