Dear readers,
Hopefully, the subject line of this email did not catch your spam filter—this isn't a scam—we really do have books for you!
Some of you may have noticed a handful of our recent reviews are credited to guest reviewers. Guest reviewers receive a complimentary book from us, in exchange for an honest review and a quality photo. The books are often early copies, allowing our guest reviewers to be one of the first readers for the soon-to-be published work.
If you are someone with strong literary opinions, are known for your book recommendations, and/or take great photographs, we'd love to have you review for us! Fill out this form if you are interested, and scroll down to see some of our featured guest reviews.
Until next time,
Mishika and Sri
If They Come for Us by Fatima Asghar
Reviewed by Maria Elena Garcia
These are poems of vulnerability, of anger, of love. Fatima Asghar, a queer South Asian American Muslim writer and filmmaker, crosses the borders of countries, identities, communities, and histories in her beautiful and dynamic poems.
Asghar’s "Land Where My Father Died” sat with me long after I closed the collection because it reminds me of my childhood. In elementary school, along with the pledge of allegiance, my teachers made us recite the lyrics to the song "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." Our young voices chimed in unison as we sang the first verse: “My country, ’tis of thee, / Sweet land of liberty, / Of thee I sing; / Land where my fathers died, / Land of the pilgrims’ pride, / From ev’ry mountainside / Let freedom ring!” Asghar's poem "Land Where My Father Died" hit the play button on this memory for me. Asghar ends the poem with, "...land that eliminates cities land that says homeland security land that built the first bomb & the last land that killed my father & then sent back his body land that made me orphan and of thee I sing."
Patriotism, nationalism, and American exceptionalism, of which the original song was written about, feed off of the surveillance, oppression, and loss of life both outside and within this country. Anthems, hands over chests, and star-spangled banners cannot erase that.
Get your copy of If They Come for Us.
A Play for the End of the World by Jai Chakrabarti
Reviewed by Zayn Singh
Enter into the world of Holocaust survivor Jaryk Smith and his lover, Lucy Gardner. Their budding New York City love story is interrupted when Jaryk receives word that his oldest friend has died mysteriously in a rural village in eastern India. Upon arriving in India, Jaryk is inundated with the local politics. Once again confronted by tyrannical leadership, Jaryk joins forces with the villagers to stage a play—the same play he performed as a child imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto.
I was enthralled by the emotional intimacy debut author Jai Chakrabarti built through backstory. I felt as though only I had been given the key to a safe that stored a life’s worth of Jaryk’s deepest fears, pain, and secrets. That being said, Lucy, in my eyes, was the anchor of the story. Chakrabarti paints a beautiful image of what it means to love deeply and intimately.
The relationship between Lucy and Jaryk was honest, turbulent at many times, and felt true. To love someone deeply is to be emotionally vulnerable, available, and intimate with the other, which Jaryk learned through Lucy. I found the lack of character development, or rather the late-bloomer-like development, of Jaryk to be a bit frustrating. I wanted to see this growth into emotional intimacy earlier on in the novel rather than in the last fourth.
The power of “A Play for the End of the World” is in the ways Chakrabarti teaches us that art and love can be used as a tool to fuel the revolution, resistance, and reclamation of a person’s self in order to create change.
Get your copy of A Play for the End of the World.
Sparks like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
Reviewed by Nikita Desai
Through the equal parts harrowing and uplifting life story of fictional ten-year-old Sitara Zamani, “Sparks Like Stars” offers readers a gripping reflection on Afghanistan’s true history. Sitara’s life of luxury in 1970s Kabul comes tumbling down when a communist coup topples Afghanistan’s president and everyone she holds dear. “Sparks Like Stars” follows this unapologetically bold girl in a harsh world, running for her life.
Hashimi structures Sitara’s story in chapters of only a few pages each, leaving the reader grasping for more at every page break. I found myself racing through the book in what I imagine is an intentional effort to mimic the momentum that drives Sitara away from the trauma of her childhood.
At several moments, I found Hashimi’s attempts at constructing scenes rich with detail in the reader’s mind to fall flat, leaving me a few details short of painting as vivid a picture as I would have liked. Her chapters sometimes conclude in prose that can feel trite and reminiscent of literature aimed at younger readers. But where her imagery may leave something to be desired, Hashimi’s characters—particularly the women-- shine. Unfortunately, Sitara’s family members are not explored extensively, but Sitara’s own fearlessness, sprung out of necessity but retained over a lifetime, is inspiring. The multitudes with whom she bonds over the course of the story—the lovably theatrical Tilly, the fiercely dedicated Antonia, and even Anna and Gabriel— stand as life-affirming reminders of the power of challenges to catalyze strangers into family.
Perhaps because Hashimi is writing from a perspective that is closer to her own lived experience as a pediatrician in the U.S. of Afghan descent, the Sitara of the second half of the novel feels more authentic. Nothing rings more true to her character (nor delights this reader more) than when she accuses her boyfriend of behaving like a shareholder in their relationship. Her anger at the desolation wrought by foreign interference on her once home sheds light on the frustrations I imagine are felt by many Americans of Afghan descent.
Unfortunately, I did not feel the closure it seems Hashimi intended for both Sitara and the reader as a result of Sitara’s final journey. This too, however, could be intentional. After all, the consequences of the foreign interference in Afghanistan highlighted in “Sparks Like Stars” are far from neatly resolved.
Get your copy of Sparks Like Stars.
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi
Reviewed by Brinda Ryali
Alka Joshi graces readers with two headstrong women who genuinely process their insecurities about the other, while learning to understand, respect, and ultimately uplift one another.
"The Secret Keeper of Jaipur," the sequel to "The Henna Artist," follows the journeys of Malik and Lakshmi 12 years after we left them in Shimla. Also sharing center stage in this story is Nimmi, a young tribal woman who enters Malik and Lakshmi’s life after she is tragically widowed and left to start her life anew with two young kids. While I would not read this book again, like I would its prequel, the mystery at the center of this novel kept me on my toes.
I was most excited to follow Malik's journey, and though we get glimpses into his endearing vulnerabilities, the chapters told from Malik's perspective often commented on the elite people of Jaipur rather than insights into his inner workings. Meanwhile, Joshi creates magic in her female characters. Joshi finds the perfect balance between normalizing Lakshmi not wanting kids and having fierce mama bear instincts toward her chosen family. Nimmi is equally sharp, but fueled by her love for her children. Through these characters, Joshi reinforces that there are many ways to be an empowered woman.
Just as in "The Henna Artist," Joshi elegantly portrays India in an honest and rich light. Without giving into cliches or exaggerated stereotypes, she highlights the country's wide diversity, including exploring Nimmi’s background as a tribal woman in Shimla, a city in northeast India. One of the highlights of the book was its positive portrayal of herbal medicine, especially for tribal communities. As a doctor myself, having seen herbal medicine not given the respect it deserves as a knowledge and craft passed down over years, this was refreshing to read.
Had I not read "The Henna Artist," I feel that I may have enjoyed the book even more simply because I would not have come in with any expectations. Nonetheless, I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys mysteries and strong female protagonists. It was a treat to encountering two women who who genuinely process their insecurities about the other, and grow to understand, respect, and ultimately uplift one another.
Get your copy of The Secret Keeper of Jaipur.
The Archer by Shruti Swamy
Reviewed by Sofiya
Shruti Swamy’s “The Archer” enthralls readers in the complexities of human relationships, gender expectations, and untamed desires. The protagonist, Vidya, must assume the roles her mother left behind: the emotional stand-in partner to her lonely father and motherly figure to her brother. Vidya’s yearning for connection that is not tied to these responsibilities leads her to Kathak, an Indian classical dance form. Vidhya adorns her feet with musical anklets, called ghungroos, and surrenders herself with abandon and a not-so-subtle hint of arrogance to the rhythm of the tabla. She promises her dance teacher, whom she respectfully calls Guru Ji, that she will not forsake Kathak for any man.
Swamy’s eloquent and descriptive prose, paired with the stunning cover of the book, transports and immerses the reader in the transcendent art form of Kathak. Swamy portrays Vidhya's journey in dance as spiritual and sensual, where the desire for perfection is often at odds with the carnal need for unrestrained self-expression, where love is pure and tainted, and complex, and often without a name. "The Archer" is a letter of love, a letter of liberation, and a letter of acceptance for women of all colors, in all shapes, from all backgrounds – rich and poor, engineer and artist, mother and daughter, friend and lover.
Get your copy of The Archer.
To view all of the books featured on our page and/or purchase them from independent booksellers:
These are titles of upcoming guest reviews that will be on our platform soon:
"Radiant Fugitives" by Nawaaz Ahmed, reviewed by Maleeha Hamidi
“Monster Child” by Rahela Nayebzadah, reviewed by Aneri Shah
“Unbelonging” by Gayatri Sethi, reviewed by Tanaya Sawant
"Strawberries Under Skin" by Niharika Shah, reviewed by Manisha Davesar
“Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words” by Annika Sharma, reviewed by Sandhya Simhan