by Kiran Desai
First published 2025
Sonia studies in Vermont's mountains, homesick for India and struggling with her writing. She seeks comfort with an older artist who will shadow her life for years to come. Meanwhile, Sunny works as a journalist in Brooklyn, puzzled by his American girlfriend and uncertain about his future in this new country. Both originally from India, both increasingly isolated, they question what happiness means and where they truly belong. Their families back home cannot understand such loneliness in a world so full of people. The relatives arrange a meeting between Sonia and Sunny, hoping to spark romance. This interference backfires, pushing the two apart before love has any chance to grow. Their story spans continents as they navigate the forces of nationality, social class, and family expectations that connect one generation to another.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Brooklyn, India, Vermont
Period: 21st-century
670 pages · Hardcover · Hogarth