[2] Set in Kolkata, India, the novel tells the story of its central character Jivan, a woman who witnesses a terrorist attack on an Indian train while it is stopped in a station.

[5][6] In a 2020 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Majumdar explained the origin of the novel: According to the online review aggregator, Book Marks, the novel has received a wide range of critical reception.

[7] Ron Charles of The Washington Post wrote Majumdar "demonstrates an uncanny ability to capture the vast scope of a tumultuous society by attending to the hopes and fears of people living on the margins.

"[8] Grace Z. Li wrote for USA Today, "Majumdar's powerful debut is carefully crafted for maximum impact, carving out the most urgent parts of its characters for the whole world to see.

"[6] In The Financial Express, Ashutosh Bhardwaj describes the novel as "a disappointment, to say the least," and "just a mild stab at contemporary India that gets contended by perfunctory outlines and makes little attempt to capture the country in its nuances and complexities.

"[16] Rihan Najib writes in The Hindu Business Line, "Though the novel is adept at essaying contemporary Indian realities — taking on an Arundhati Roy-esque array of social justice issues such as development-induced displacement, Islamophobia, media trials, transphobia, income inequality, cow vigilantism — it does so with the broadest possible brush.