Lucknow Diaries: Of Love and Longing by Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma [Paperback]

This is a coming-of-age story about friendship, love and ambition, centred on Dinesh, Feroze and Rahul, three boys who grow up together in the relaxed neighbourhoods of Lucknow, sharing childhood adventures, cricket and cycling. As they grow into adulthood, their lives gradually take different directions, bringing them face-to-face with love, career ambitions and the compromises demanded by society.

The novel moves beyond their personal relationships to examine important social and professional questions: Can journalism remain ethical when confronted by commercial and political pressures? Can the idealism of young IAS officers survive the realities of administration? Can political ideals withstand manipulation and deceit? At its emotional core is the question of whether love and friendship can survive the pressures of time, distance and changing circumstances.