One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

A diverse group of nine individuals is trapped in an Indian visa office during an earthquake. As it begins to flood and they realize they're trapped, a college student named Uma suggests that everyone tell a story from their lives to take their minds off the gravity of the situation. There are Mangalam and Malathi (employees of the office who have entertained the thought of an affair), Mr. and Mrs. Pritchett (a couple who's marriage is in tatters), Cameron (an African-American man who takes on the role of leader, since he's been in the army), Tariq (a young Muslim man who's life is changed in America after 9/11), and Jiang and Lily, (grandmother and granddaughter). The reader, through the eyes of the characters, gets to see a pivotal moment in each life. All the while, the central question remains--will they be rescued?