Monsoon’s 2024 Reading List

By Shreeya More | January 2024

Check out some South Asian and POC authors to add to your 2024 reading list!

Honor - Thrity Umrigar (Fiction)

Thrity Umrigar is well established for her rich storytelling inspired by her Indian American identity. In Honor, Umrigar expertly weaves the journeys of two women: Smita Agarwal, an American journalist determined to leave her family’s troubles in the past, and Meena, a rural Indian woman suing her brothers for her husband’s murder. The book presents a raw depiction of Hindu-Muslim divides and the paradoxical Indian experience through Smita’s wavering perspective.

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Evil Eye - Etaf Rum (Fiction)

North Carolina resident Etaf Rum presents her second novel, Evil Eye: a heartfelt depiction of a Palestinian American experience. Rum introduces Yara, a protagonist raised by Palestinian immigrants. Against the backdrop of suburban bliss, Yara navigates inherited trauma, motherhood and questions her cultural narratives. Brilliantly crafted, Evil Eye reveals fundamental truths about the immigrant experience and motherhood alike.

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They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us - Prachi Gupta (Memoir)

In this brave memoir, Prachi Gupta reflects on the narratives that shaped her childhood as a daughter of Indian immigrants. In an unflinching manner, this author examines the complexities of her upbringing and the delusions that shattered her family. Gupta explores the model minority myth, postcolonial research and mental health data to interrogate the Indian American experience.