In this magical first novel told in the form of a parable, a young man who has lost his arm sets off in search of his missing limb, exploring the underbelly of Bombay—a dizzying place of “magic, poverty, thievery, music, pollution, dancing, murder and lust.” Not to mention prayer and transcendental meaning. Anosh Irani, who was born in Bombay and is now the playwright in residence at the Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver, has an eye for the absurdities of human existence and an ear for the comedy inherent in nearly everything we say. This is a marvelous debut.