A Suitable Boy is a novel by Vikram Seth, which is set in a newly post-independence, post-partition India. It offers satirical and earnest examinations, by turns, of social and political issues during the period. Summary of the Book The book is divided into 19 parts with each part focusing on a different subplot, and the story revolves around four families over a period of 18 months. Mrs. Rupa Mehra's attempts to get her younger daughter, Lata, wedded to a "suitable boy" is the central plot. Lata, a 19-year-old student doesn???t want to be controlled by her mother or her arrogant brother, Arun. She is forced to make a choice between her suitors: Kabir, Haresh, and Amit, for marriage. The book also depicts several national issues of the time, including the Hindu-Muslim dispute, the status of lower caste population like the jatav, land reforms leading to the decline in the power of the feudal princes and landlords, academic affairs, eradication of the Zamindari system, and family relationships.