BookDragon Indian American

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

09 Jun, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Audio, Biography, Indian American, Nonfiction, South Asian American

I won't lie: at almost 600 pages (or almost 21 hours if you choose the audible option), Siddhartha Mukherjee's 2011 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction is a Commitment (yes, capitalization intended!). But commitment can come with vast rewards and, in this case, get ready for a massive infusion of...

Author Interview: Anjali Banerjee [in Bookslut]

06 Feb, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Fiction, Indian American, Middle Grade Readers, Repost, South Asian American

With her past seven published novels – written for audiences that range from middle-grade readers on up – Anjali Banerjee didn’t particularly mention male body parts in any great detail. Maybe a twinkling eye here, capable hands there, but she certainly didn’t dwell. But as...

Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

12 Jan, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian American, South Asian American

What better way to get over a broken heart than moving into a unique, welcoming bookstore, filled not only with fabulous books but a few wise (less than living) writers, too? As long as they can spin a convincing yarn, why quibble with such minor...

At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey

14 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Bangladeshi, Indian, Indian American, Nonfiction, Pakistani, Sri Lankan

What perfect timing! Madhur Jaffrey's newest cookbook makes for a toothsome companion to one of last week's posts, Indivisible, the first anthology that brings together contemporary American poets...

Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian American Poetry edited by Neelajana Banerjee, Summi Kaipa, and Pireeni Sundaralingam

11 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Bangladeshi American, Indian American, Nepali American, Pakistani American, Poetry, South Asian American, Sri Lankan American, Young Adult Readers

The title – Indivisible – the editors explain, is "a word taken from the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance." Through the 49 diverse American voices represented here with roots in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and...

Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins

09 Nov, by SIBookDragon in Fiction, Indian American, Middle Grade Readers, Myanmarese (Burmese), Southeast Asian, Young Adult Readers

Inspired by three years of living in Thailand with her family and visiting refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, Mitali Perkins’ latest novel follows the lives of two boys on...

Migritude by Shailja Patel

26 Oct, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Drama/Theater, Indian African, Indian American, Memoir, Nonfiction, Poetry, South Asian American

Given the sheer number of books that arrive in the mailbox, I rarely pick up a title and start reading immediately. But something about Migritude (debuting from fabulous indie publisher Kaya Press: 'Smokin' Hot Books'!!) demanded 'read me NOW!' Once opened, I could hardly put...

A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb by Amitava Kumar [in Christian Science Monitor]

17 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Indian, Indian American, Nonfiction, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American

If Rip Van Winkle were to read A Foreigner Carrying in the Crook of His Arm a Tiny Bomb upon waking, he would most likely shake his head and dismiss it as farce. Alas, you’ll only find this title in the “non-fiction” section of bookstores and...

Author Interview: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni [in Bloomsbury Review]

10 Aug, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Author Interview/Profile, Indian American, Repost, South Asian American, Young Adult Readers

Sharing Humanity: A Talk with Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni about Her Latest Novel, One Amazing Thing Over the last decades, tragedies – both human-made and those wrought by an ever-angry Mother Nature – seem to be coming at humankind with fast and furious regularity. The latest oil...

Bijou Roy by Ronica Dhar

28 Jun, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian American, South Asian American

Six months after Nitish Roy’s death, his wife and two daughters gather in Calcutta, India where Bijou Roy as the oldest must send her father’s ashes down the holy river to eternal rest. The haphazard ceremony – made even more so because she is not...

Facts for Visitors: Poems by Srikanth Reddy

02 May, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Indian American, Poetry, South Asian American

Confession: I got to hang out twice with Srikanth – otherwise known as "Chicu" – Reddy two days in a row last weekend, first for the Asian American Literary Review's "8: A Symposium," and then for an Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival literary panel. Even though my...

Tell Us We’re Home by Marina Budhos

30 Mar, by SIBookDragon in European, Fiction, Indian American, Latina/o/x, Middle Grade Readers, South Asian American, Young Adult Readers

In a tony New Jersey suburb, artistic Jaya, outspoken Lola, and shy Maria find an instant bond with each other, recognizing their outsider experiences of being the daughters of immigrant mothers who work as housekeepers and nannies for the wealthy families of their eighth-grade classmates. Jaya...

Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee

11 Mar, by SIBookDragon in Fiction, Indian American, Middle Grade Readers, South Asian American

When her parents take their annual summer trip to India, 11-year-old Poppy decides it's the perfect chance to spend a month with her veterinarian Uncle Sanjay who runs an animal clinic on Nisqually Island off Washington’s coast. How else can she learn to be a...

One Amazing Thing: A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

02 Feb, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian American, South Asian American

When the "big one" (for me) hit on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m., I was alone in our house, which sat on Blueberry Hill near the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. I was barely a few miles from the epicenter of the 7.1...

In the Convent of Little Flowers: Stories by Indu Sundaresan

02 Jan, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian, Indian American, Short Stories, South Asian, South Asian American

First things first: Indu Sundaresan’s only (thus far) short story collection (she’s best known for her lengthy historical novels, The Twentieth Wife and Feast of Roses) is definitely an effective read. Many of the stories make you think beyond your immediate world as they temporarily...

Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins

01 May, by SIBookDragon in Fiction, Indian, Indian American, Middle Grade Readers, South Asian, South Asian American, Young Adult Readers

With their father unable to find a job in Delhi, Asha, her older sister Reet, and their mother must go live with relatives in Calcutta while her father travels to New York in search of new opportunities. He hopefully promises that reunion is not far...

Atlas of Unknowns by Tania James

18 Apr, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian, Indian American, South Asian, South Asian American

Anju Melvin, used to being first in the classrooms of her hometown of Kumarakom in India's southern state of Kerala, wins herself a scholarship for a year aboard at an elite private high school in Manhattan. But what clinches the award is not her own...

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger [in Bloomsbury Review]

06 Apr, by SIBookDragon in Fiction, Indian, Indian American, Repost, Young Adult Readers

Four days after 9/11, a man wearing a turban shows up on Samar’s doorstep – and turns out to be her uncle. After years of estrangement, he’s determined to reunite the fractured family – and in the process teach Sam about her Sikh American heritage....

The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar [in Bloomsbury Review]

13 Mar, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian, Indian American, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American

Frank and Ellie Benton have had the unthinkable happen to them: their precious 7-year-old son has died of a sudden illness. Even while Ellie is wracked with guilt, Frank blames her for what he believes was her negligence in not taking him to the hospital quickly...

Haunting Bombay by Shilpa Agarwal [in Bloomsbury Review]

13 Mar, by SIBookDragon in Adult Readers, Fiction, Indian, Indian American, Repost, South Asian, South Asian American

Pinky Mittal, a 13-year-old schoolgirl in 1960s Bombay, lives with her extended family in a sprawling family bungalow in one of the city's more fashionable neighborhoods. Her grandmother, who rescued her after her mother's death as an toddler, dotes on her. Her aunt-by-marriage barely puts...