Dear Readers,
This month, we had the privilege of celebrating international literature and writers with PEN America at the World Voices Festival in New York City. For days, we abandoned the city’s outdoor soundmarks to sit in auditoriums and pubs, among new readers and longtime lovers of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Mayukh Sen, Min Jin Lee, and Padma Lakshmi.
In a humble statement praising her fellow panelists, Min Jin Lee shared, “This is the lunch table I dreamed of sitting at.” Us too, Min.
Moderators and panelists addressed topics the BGB community continuously broaches: censorship, the plight of immigrants, the responsibility writers hold for readers, among more. Rather than summarize these sessions, we whipped up a list of discussion questions for your lunch table, whether it be at home, at work, or with your literary friends:
What kind of responsibility, if any, do you think authors have to their readers?
Sensitivity editors, or DEI editors, have become the subject of debate in recent years. Do you see the process as progressive or oppressive? Should all authors hire sensitivity readers or a select few?
What was the last book you read that challenged your beliefs?
Who gets to write what?
Are there valid reasons to ban and challenge books?
A speaker shared, “You can write about anything, as long as you do it well.” What is one thing you want to write about?
Until next time,
Mishika and Sri
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Reviewed by: Dilpreet Kainth
Disha Bose’s novel opens with a chilling murder that intertwines the lives of three very different neighbors: Ciara, Mishti, and Lauren. As the novel rewinds and delves deeper into the characters' pasts, readers are drawn into a web of secrets and lies that showcases the complexities of their relationships.
Each character has flaws and struggles, which make them relatable and intriguing. Mishti is an immigrant struggling with immense loneliness, compounded by an unhappy marriage and the desperate need for identity. Lauren, the outcast of the group, is the most sympathetic character. Despite being ridiculed by the other women in the community, she remains a devoted mother and wife. Her unlikely friendship with Mishti provides a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak situation. Together, they uncover the truth behind the murder and reveal the dirty laundry hidden behind closed doors.
One of the most apparent themes of the book is the dichotomy between social media and reality. Bose reminds us that nothing is as it seems on the platforms we find ourselves spending too much time on. Ciara, an Instagram influencer and picture-perfect wife and mother, appears to have it all. But as the story unfolds, we see the cracks in her facade and the toxic toll that her online persona has taken on her personal life including her expired marriage, fractured relationship with her children, and toxic social circle. A thrilling debut, “Dirty Laundry” is a gripping tale of two worlds: one we see on the internet and one that is happening behind closed doors.
📚 Get your copy of “Dirty Laundry.”
Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan
Reviewed by: Shaanika Subramanyam
V.V. Ganeshananthan takes no prisoners in this raw and unflinching depiction of how war can shape identity. Set over 30 years, “Brotherless Night” chronicles the life of Sashi and her family during Sri Lanka’s civil war.
I found myself maturing alongside the protagonist, in what turned out to be a brilliantly deliberate choice to place ourselves in Sashi’s shoes. As readers quickly endear to Sashi and her community, the impact of the bloodshed around them is all the more devastating.
“Brotherless Night” offers a humanistic lens on Sri Lanka’s 25-year-long war. It can be overly simplistic to paint a war zone with a single blood-soaked brush. Instead, Ganeshananthan illustrates a nuanced and complex portrait of this conflict. Each of her medley of characters responds to the escalating conflict differently, from neutrality to careful allyship to militancy. Mirrored in this microcosm of a Jaffna society, readers understand the complexities and realities of a generation raised among violence.
Though Ganeshananthan leaves readers heavy with the understanding of the human toll of political conflict, there is heroism and heart here as well. This story is a testament to the strength and resilience of women who fiercely make room for themselves amidst the conflict. Sashi and other women remain pillars of their community, holding it together, even as everything else falls apart.
📚 Get your copy of “Brotherless Night.”
The Laughter by Sonora Jha
Reviewed by: Mishika Narula
This guy.
No, really. Sonora Jha’s protagonist, Dr. Oliver Harding, is frighteningly horrid. His inappropriate behavior lures endless eye rolls and silent disbelief. Jha masterfully, and albeit painfully, puts you in his thoughts as he narrates “The Laughter” (and, no, I’m not laughing).
Oliver, an aging white professor, develops an infatuation with Ruhaba Khan, a younger Pakistani colleague. To impress Ruhaba, Oliver begins to mentor her teenage nephew, Adil. Most unreliable narrators are hiding something — and Oliver is concealing his contempt and suspicion of their heritage, revealing the depth of his misogyny and Islamaphobia. While coined literary fiction, what ensues is a thriller for Ruhaba and Adil as their footprints are tracked by federal agents; and as Ruhaba bands with students to overhaul the current state of academia.
Jha, who as a journalist followed the burkini bans in France in 2016, plays on the one-dimensional assumptions about Muslim women who wear a hijab, including a subservient and silent nature. This, however, is not Ruhaba Khan.
With her central Muslim characters’ stories narrated by a white man, we face the question “Who gets the last laugh?” Is it the fool (Oliver) or the fooler?
📚 Get your copy of “The Laughter.”
Sita in Exile by Rashi Rohatgi
Reviewed by: Kinari Shah
If you love exploring the rich, dark inner world of a character, “Sita in Exile” is for you. As a reader who favors plot-driven fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by my lasting impressions of this work.
“Sita in Exile” follows a young second generation Indian-American woman who is grappling with pains from her past after relocating to Norway. Already struggling, she navigates an unfamiliar land and a new role as a housewife and mother. Sita’s fixations on a mongoose, motherhood, and a forbidden crush shape the plot, but the real magic of Rashi Rohatgi’s work lies in the parallels of woven mythos and Sita’s flashbacks.
Resonant themes in Sita’s life include adolescence spent straddling a hyphenated identity, feminist awakenings, and a fractured friendship. She seeks solace in rituals, Hinduism, and nature but still struggles to feel complete in a new world.
While the quick 135-page read packs an emotional punch, the lyrical prose moves an otherwise slow plot along beautifully. I started and stopped this work a few times, but I finally devoured it in one sitting when given the chance to absorb each line. If you choose to pick up this hauntingly beautiful novella, I recommend giving yourself an afternoon to truly savor it.
📚 Get your copy of “Sita in Exile.”
The Trauma of Caste by Thenmozhi Soundararajan
Reviewed by: Neha Sharma
With poignant prose and a clear-eyed examination of the devastating effects of caste apartheid, “The Trauma of Caste” is a meditation on the "soul wound" inflicted on generations of marginalized communities. Dalit rights activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan compels readers to abandon the compartmentalization of caste-based trauma and instead commit to healing. She explains that unlearning caste is not a one-time process but, instead, a practice.
Soundararajan implores and guides readers through acknowledging the existence of caste, its source, and ways to combat caste violence. She challenges the notion that the diaspora ended casteism, exposing how caste underlies the prevalence of upper-caste influencers, promoters of "Tamil Brahmin" pride, and religious practices across Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, and Christianity. Soundararajan goes on to explore the intersections of caste with gender and sexual violence, environment, genocide, as well as the parallels between caste apartheid and slavery in the U.S.
“The Trauma of Caste” is a powerful, thought-provoking, and much needed book that combines theoretical analysis with practical insights. Soundararajan’s personal experiences add depth and nuance to the work, making it an important read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of casteism and its impact on individuals and our society. Soundararajan’s dedication to this issue exemplifies the definition she puts forward: that while one definition of “dalit” is broken, it can be also be read as “resilience.”
📚 Get your copy of “The Trauma of Caste.”
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Reviewed by: Menaka Masilamani
The matriarch in Abraham Verghese’s latest novel says a prayer after her first experience of loss and grief: “Lord, maybe You don’t want to cure this for reasons I don’t understand. But if You won’t or can’t, then send us someone who can.”
“The Covenant of Water” is a stunning portrayal of the complexities of love, loss, and redemption. The novel begins with the story of a young girl forced into an arranged marriage with a much older man, only to discover that her husband suffers from a family "condition" that has no known cure. As the story unfolds through multiple generations and perspectives, Verghese masterfully captures the sights, sounds, and tastes of 1900s South India on paper. As each generation experiences love and connection, readers are immersed in a world of shared grief and human connection.
Throughout the novel, the characters grapple with the fragility of life and the interconnectedness of all things. As they search for meaning and purpose in the face of tragedy, they learn to have faith and trust in the universe's greater plan.
Nothing prepared me for what was in store at the end of this vast 700+ page novel. With its vast scope and breathtaking prose, “The Covenant of Water” is a novel that will touch your heart and leave you pondering the mysteries of life long after you turn the final page. Abraham Verghese has crafted a work of beauty and depth that showcases the full spectrum of human experience. From the joys of connection to the pain of separation, from the heights of love to the depths of despair, this novel is a tour de force that will leave you breathless.
📚 Get your copy of “The Covenant of Water.”