Book Summary –
City of Joy is a deeply moving novel by Dominique Lapierre that tells the story of the poorest of the poor living in a slum in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, known as Anand Nagar—literally “City of Joy.” The narrative follows the intertwined lives of several characters, including a Polish priest, Father Stephan Kovalski, and Hasari Pal, a rural Indian farmer who moves to the city in search of a better life. Despite extreme poverty, suffering, and hardship, the slum dwellers display immense resilience, dignity, compassion, and an indomitable spirit. The book is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, shedding light on the harsh realities of urban poverty while celebrating the human capacity for hope, faith, and joy in the face of adversity.
About the Author –
Dominique Lapierre (1931–2022) was a French author and journalist known for his deeply researched and emotionally powerful books that often focused on human resilience amid social and political turmoil. With a passion for storytelling and humanitarian causes, Lapierre co-authored bestsellers like Is Paris Burning? and Freedom at Midnight before writing City of Joy, which combined narrative nonfiction with novelistic detail. He spent significant time in India and donated much of his book’s proceeds to support the communities he wrote about. Lapierre’s work blends journalism with compassion, making him not only a successful writer but also a committed humanitarian.
