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The world is full of novelists from varying backgrounds. But when one is shorn from the pages of Forbes, you’d expect his or her books to cover corporate conspiracy or some other calculating subject matter. Somebody forgot to tell that to Richard C. Morais. After a 25-year stint at Forbes, his debut novel, The Hundred Foot Journey, tells the story of a lowly Indian cook who dreams of becoming a three-star French chef, about as likely an occurrence as a slumdog becoming a millionaire.
Morais’s protagonist, the naturally gifted Hassan Haji, follows his own meandering path toward conquering the elite world of French cuisine. Haji and his family flee Mumbai after a tragedy and embark on a road trip through Europe in search of fortune and belonging, not unlike Morais at Forbes. But the similarities don’t end there. “My hope is that readers will [see what] Hassan Haji is trying to figure out, like we all are — why he has been put on this Earth. What is his calling? What, in short, does his soul want?” Find out more about Haji and Morais when the author reads at Books & Books this Thursday at 8 p.m. The event is free. Call 305-442-4408 or visit booksandbooks.com.
Thu., Oct. 21, 8 p.m., 2010