Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Kiran Doshi
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The question asks about the author of the book titled "Jinnah Often Came to Our House", a work of Indian English literature that won The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2016. Many competitive examinations include questions on contemporary books and authors because they reflect awareness of current literary contributions, major awards, and cultural debates. Knowing the correct pairing of a book with its author helps candidates avoid confusion between similarly titled works and well known writers. This question specifically tests familiarity with modern Indian writing in English and with prestigious Indian literary prizes.
Given Data / Assumptions:
• The book title is "Jinnah Often Came to Our House".
• The book won The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2016.
• Four author names are suggested as options.
• Only one of these options correctly matches the book.
• The task is to identify the correct author, not the theme or genre.
Concept / Approach:
To answer questions on books and authors, candidates should build a mental map linking major titles with their writers, especially when awards or important historical figures are involved. "Jinnah Often Came to Our House" is a work of fiction that blends personal memory, history, and politics related to the subcontinent and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Hindu Prize is a respected Indian literary award, so winners of this prize are frequently asked in general knowledge examinations. The approach is to recall which of the listed authors is associated with this specific award winning novel and to eliminate famous authors who are linked to different books and genres.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Observe that the book title includes the name Jinnah, which suggests a connection to the history of India and Pakistan and to partition era themes.
2. Recall that "Jinnah Often Came to Our House" is a novel written by diplomat turned writer Kiran Doshi, who focuses on historical and political narratives.
3. Evaluate option a, Kiran Doshi, and match this name with the remembered fact that he won The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2016 for this very book.
4. Consider option b, Salman Rushdie, who is famous for works such as "Midnight's Children" and "The Satanic Verses", but not for this particular title.
5. Consider option c, Khushwant Singh, a noted writer and journalist known for "Train to Pakistan" and other works, again not matching the given book.
6. Consider option d, Vikram Seth, known for "A Suitable Boy" and other novels, also not linked to "Jinnah Often Came to Our House".
7. From this comparison, confirm that Kiran Doshi is the only correct match for the given title and award combination.
Verification / Alternative check:
A quick cross check method is to recall award news: The Hindu Prize winners are often noted in year end current affairs. For the year 2016, the fiction category was widely reported as being won by Kiran Doshi for "Jinnah Often Came to Our House". None of the other authors listed were associated with this award that year. Additionally, bibliographic lists of Rushdie, Khushwant Singh, and Vikram Seth do not contain this title, which further confirms that these names are distractors. Therefore the memory that Kiran Doshi is the author of this book is consistent and reliable when compared with alternative sources of knowledge about contemporary Indian English fiction.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
• Salman Rushdie is associated with novels such as "Midnight's Children" and "The Moor's Last Sigh", not with "Jinnah Often Came to Our House".
• Khushwant Singh is known for books like "Train to Pakistan" and "The History of Sikhs", rather than the given title.
• Vikram Seth wrote "A Suitable Boy", "An Equal Music" and other works, but he did not author this particular book.
Common Pitfalls:
Many learners quickly associate political or historical sounding titles with very famous authors such as Salman Rushdie or Khushwant Singh because they are widely known names. Another common mistake is to ignore the award detail and only guess based on popularity. Exam setters often mix several prominent authors in one question, but only one author truly matches the specific title and award. It is also easy to confuse "Jinnah Often Came to Our House" with other partition related novels if one has not revised contemporary Indian fiction carefully. To avoid these pitfalls, candidates should regularly update their reading of lists of award winning books and consciously pair lesser known authors with their important works.
Final Answer:
The book titled "Jinnah Often Came to Our House", which won The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2016, was authored by Kiran Doshi.
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