One Amazing Thing Analysis

One Amazing Thing by Divakaruni is a psychological fiction novel set in 2009 in an undisclosed American city in the Indian Consular's basement. The novel is written in the third-person perspective. The author uses an optimistic tone with a melancholic mood to describe the fate of the nine characters in the basement who hoped to be rescued from the rumbling building caused by the unexpected earthquake. The heroic character in the novel is Cameron, who plays a vital role in using his military expertise to help the people when the earthquake strikes. One Amazing Thing novel explores the themes of the power of stories, humanity, and the vanity of life.

The novel opens in an Indian Consulate in an undisclosed American city where seven characters have arrived to seek visas to travel to India. Inside the building are the Visa office and his assistant, making the total number of people in the basement nine. As the characters wait for their appointment, an unexpected earthquake occurs, and the building crumbles. Everyone is in shock except Cameron, a veteran army officer in the United States. Cameron has experienced such occurrences before and uses his expertise to calm people and offer them survival tactics and support as they wait to be rescued.

While struggling to survive, ethnic and religious differences emerge, and the enmity level increases in the room. Uma requests people to divert their attention and tell their stories to comfort each other. Every character shares their story about the past, present, and expectations. The room is filled with inspirational stories that make characters feel better. Consequently, the power of storytelling manifests when characters discover they have many things in common and their small differences should not divide them. The theme of humanity comes into play when Cameron continues his selfless action of saving those wounded by the rubbles of the collapsing building despite endangering his life. When the nine characters realize that time is running out and they might not be saved due to the leaking gas that puts their life in more danger, they appreciate that life is vanity, and they throw in the towel and wait for their fates.

The novel ends without revealing what exactly happened to the nine characters but the author hints that the building finally collapsed, implying that no life was saved. Divakaruni's novel is enlightening because it shows that human beings, despite their religious and ethnic differences, have a lot in common, and people should learn to live in harmony, peace, and love.