Behind the Beautiful ForeversBehind the Beautiful Forevers
Score Modern
What it's about
Annawadi is a slum of about three thousand people beside the Mumbai airport, hidden behind a wall advertising floor tiles that will stay beautiful forever. Katherine Boo spent more than three years there, following Abdul, a teenage garbage sorter supporting his family; Asha, who wants to run the slum; and Manju, her college-going daughter. Then a neighbor's terrible act puts Abdul's family on trial.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer finalist. Boo's reporting reads like a novel, and she shows life in extreme poverty without pity or sentiment.
You'll love it if you liked
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great MigrationGood to know
It's all true, though written like fiction. There's suicide, police brutality and harsh deaths.
By the numbers
- Readers39 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics94 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller58 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #83 of the 198 history books we rank
- #89 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #234 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #466 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Behind the Beautiful Forevers worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer finalist. It ranks #466 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Behind the Beautiful Forevers about?
Annawadi is a slum of about three thousand people beside the Mumbai airport, hidden behind a wall advertising floor tiles that will stay beautiful forever. Katherine Boo spent more than three years there, following Abdul, a teenage garbage sorter supporting his family; Asha, who wants to run the slum; and Manju, her college-going daughter. Then a neighbor's terrible act puts Abdul's family on trial.
How long does it take to read Behind the Beautiful Forevers?
About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Behind the Beautiful Forevers won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2012).
What should I read after Behind the Beautiful Forevers?
If you liked it, try Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick or The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson.