A Guardian and a Thief is Megha Majumdar’s second novel. It was published in 2025. It was also selected as Oprah’s Book Club‘s 119th pick in October 2025. This critically acclaimed work has been shortlisted for the 2025 National Book Award for Fiction. It is also a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. Oprah Winfrey herself described Majumdar as “one of her favorite authors ever.” She said she had “never read a book quite like this.”
Plot Overview
The novel takes place over seven days in a near-future, climate-ravaged Kolkata, India. It follows two parallel narratives that eventually intersect:
- Ma’s Story: The protagonist is identified only as Ma. She is preparing to leave the collapsing city. She will be accompanied by her two-year-old daughter, Mishti. Her elderly father is also with her. They have secured rare “climate visas” to join Ma’s husband, a scientist working in Michigan. However, their plans are derailed when their visas and essential immigration documents are stolen during a break-in.
- Boomba’s Story: The thief, a young man named Boomba, has relocated to Kolkata from his rural village. Boomba is desperate to provide for his family amid famine and floods. He breaks into Ma’s home searching for food and resources. Inadvertently, he steals the crucial visas.
Ma frantically searches for her stolen documents. Boomba struggles to support his family in increasingly desperate ways. Their paths continue to cross in unexpected ways. The narrative culminates in what reviewers have called a “jaw-dropping conclusion.”
Main Themes
Trust and Betrayal
The novel explores the fluid boundaries between trust and betrayal in times of crisis. Characters who might be trustworthy under normal circumstances are pushed to betray others when resources become scarce. Ma runs a nonprofit shelter. She has been secretly siphoning food and money from it to ensure her family’s survival. This is an act of betrayal toward those she’s meant to help.
Moral Choices Under Pressure
A central theme is how ethical frameworks collapse under extreme pressure. Majumdar challenges readers to consider what happens when one’s moral compass is tested by survival needs. Both protagonists make morally questionable choices that they justify through their love for their families.
Climate Change and Inequality
The novel vividly portrays the consequences of climate collapse, particularly how it exacerbates existing inequalities. While some characters have access to “climate visas” and the possibility of escape, others are trapped in increasingly uninhabitable conditions.
Individual Survival vs. Collective Good
Perhaps the most profound theme is the tension between individual and collective well-being. The novel questions whether hope and love can exist without harming others when resources are limited. As Majumdar writes: “All Boomba was, was a man whose moral compass pointed toward the north of his own family.”
Character Development
Ma’s Journey
Ma begins as someone determined to protect her family at all costs. She views herself as morally justified, despite her compromised actions. Her character evolves as she’s forced to confront her prejudices and the consequences of her choices. The opening scene shows her moral ambiguity. She labels someone riding a bike with fruit as a thief, which reveals her biased worldview.
Boomba’s Complexity
Though introduced as “the thief,” Boomba is portrayed with remarkable complexity. Far from a villain, he’s shown as a desperate father trying to provide for his family in a collapsing world. His moral dilemmas mirror Ma’s, blurring the lines between guardian and thief.
Shifting Roles
A fascinating aspect of character development is how the roles of “guardian” and “thief” blur and swap throughout the narrative. Ma, ostensibly a guardian, steals from the nonprofit she manages. Meanwhile, Boomba is labeled a thief. He is ultimately trying to guard his family’s future.
Significant Plot Points
While avoiding major spoilers, key plot developments include:
- The theft of Ma’s family’s immigration documents
- Ma’s discovery that she has been secretly taking resources from her nonprofit
- Boomba kidnapping Ma’s daughter Mishti to use as leverage with a billionaire’s charity
- A final confrontation that brings both families together in what reviewers describe as an ingenious resolution “that unfolds both globally and in one small living room”
Literary Style and Structure
The novel is remarkably concise at just 224 pages but delivers what Oprah called “an epic story.” It employs the pacing of a thriller while maintaining literary depth. Majumdar’s prose is described as “exquisitely written” with “gorgeous writing.” The novel unfolds over just one week, creating an atmosphere of urgency and tension.
Critical Reception of ‘A Guardian and a Thief’
A Guardian and a Thief has received overwhelmingly positive reviews:
- Kirkus gave it a starred review, calling it “an electrifying depiction of dignity and morality under siege”
- Publishers Weekly awarded a starred review, praising Majumdar as “a master of the moral dilemma”
- Booklist described it as “exquisitely wrenching” in another starred review
- Author Stacy Schiff compared it to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, calling it “an indelible piece of writing, in equal parts dazzling and devastating”
Why Oprah Selected It
Oprah Winfrey selected A Guardian and a Thief for her book club because:
- The story surprised her, noting that “the way you perceive the story changes in the middle of the story”
- She praised Majumdar as “wise beyond her years” with the ability to “bring in cultural conflicts and interweave the way people live and relate to each other in such a way that leaves us spellbound”
- The book addresses timely themes about climate change, family, and moral choices in crisis
Impact and Significance of ‘A Guardian and a Thief’
Beyond its critical acclaim, A Guardian and a Thief has generated important conversations about:
- Climate Fiction’s Evolution: The novel shows how climate fiction has evolved. It has matured beyond simply depicting disaster scenarios. Now, it explores profound moral questions.
- Personal Connection: Majumdar’s personal connection to Kolkata (her hometown) adds authenticity to the narrative. She notes that Kolkata is “one of the cities in the world that is most vulnerable to climate change.” This makes the novel’s premise particularly poignant.
- Ethical Questions: The book poses unsettling questions about who “deserves” safety and comfort in a world of increasing scarcity. It challenges readers to examine their own moral frameworks.
A Guardian and a Thief represents a significant literary achievement. It combines the urgency of a thriller with the depth of literary fiction. The story explores timely questions about survival, morality, and hope in an increasingly precarious world.
