Katherine Boo
8 key ideas, each explained in our own words.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
- IDEA 1
A slum sits beside luxury
Boo spent over three years reporting on Annawadi, a small slum near Mumbai's international airport, hidden behind a wall advertising floor tiles. She tells the true stories of its residents as India's economy boomed.
- IDEA 2
A family lived by recycling
Boo describes Abdul, a teenager whose family made a living sorting and selling rubbish thrown away by the rich. Their small success attracted envy. Boo shows how a small improvement in their income stood out among their poor neighbours.
- IDEA 3
An accusation upended lives
Boo describes how a neighbour, Fatima, set herself on fire after a quarrel and accused Abdul's family. The family was then caught up in the police and court system. The case dragged on for a long time.
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