It is easy to label a book like Lavanya Sankaran's THE RED CARPET as a set of stories about the clash between cultures and traditions, but that would be an understatement and a disservice to Ms. Sankaran's fine writing.  True, the eight short stories that make up THE RED CARPET do deal with the gap between generations and cultures.  Much like Amy Tan's THE JOY LUCK CLUB or the KITCHEN GOD'S WIFE there is a strong emphasis on both the need for family and the need to distance oneself from kith and kin.  And, although Ms. Sankaran's stories are richly flavored with the elements of Bangalore, they are also, simply, just stories well told.  They are stories about sons and fathers, mothers and daughters, and friends.  They are the stories we all know.  They chronicle the difficulty of growing up, of leaving home, and of finding one's own path.  They speak of the trials of pulling away from one's past and the ties that bind, but also of the need to hold on to the traditions that define us.   

Every generation complains about its children.  They don't follow the old ways.  They don't care about their elders.  Just look at the way they dress and the music they play!  It is an old refrain, yet it is made new and vivid through Ms. Sankaran's writing.  With her simple, yet fluid style, Sankaran's characters come to life.  Each is vivid and real.  Each seems a long time acquaintance.  Some are friends, others are not.  But, each story has its own tempo and is woven to perfection.  As the title states, this is THE RED CARPET:  BANGALORE STORIES.  Yet, these stories could easily be set in New York, Atlanta, London, or Beijing.  The heart of each tale would be true anywhere--there is no place like home, but you can never go home again.  These are stories you will read again and again.  Simply brilliant.