South Haven

October 24, 2016
Sawhney's debut novel, a coming-of-age tale mixing grief, violence, and extremism, follows the life of Indian-American teen Siddharth Arora as he deals with the death of his mother, political tensions at home, and attempts to fit in amongst the bored and troubled youth of his Connecticut suburb. Sid flits between being a supportive son and brother and rebelling against them to fit into the world of his friend Mark, a world where he is uncertain of himself and what he stands for. In addition to his inner battles, Siddharth is torn between his brother's new American liberalism and his traditionalist Hindu father, a man who lived through incredible violence in his native country. Siddharth struggles to play peacemaker and keep his family together, if only for his mother's memory. Then, when his dad begins seeing a new woman, Ms. Farber, she joins the family and becomes the glue that offers the structure and compassion that Siddharth and his father have been longing for ever since the death of his mother. With shifting teen angst colliding with his new, upturned reality, Sid becomes aware of his failings and mistakes as he discovers what it means to be loyal to the ones you love. This is a fantastic debut about growing up as an outsider in a divisive environment.

April 15, 2016

In this luminous debut from Wesleyan professor Sawhney, also editor of the anthology Delhi Noir, Siddharth Arora stumbles under the burden of having lost his mother at age ten. He can lean some on his older brother but finds little comfort from his strict immigrant father, Mohan Lal, who cannot comprehend his pain and shifts Siddharth to a new school. There, Siddharth is derided as the nerdy one, his only friend initially the "loser" girl Sharon. His difficult coming of age in an ordinary New England suburb entails heartrending betrayal. VERDICT With Siddharth's immigrant family adding interest, the story captures precisely the heartache of growing up.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.