Library Journal First Novels #7

Recently, Library Journal published an article written by Barbara Hoffert that listed first time writers with novels that are coming out this summer. I scoured through the lists and added many to my TBR list and thought I would highlight some of the novels here at Barney's Book Blog.

Bijou Roy

by Ronica Dhar

Here is the Publisher Weekly review from Barnes and Noble :

In her deft debut, Dhar examines the consequences of secrets shared between families against the politically charged backdrop of modern India. As the eldest of two daughters, U.S.-raised Bijou Roy struggles to fulfill traditional male roles for the burial of her father, Nitish, culminating in a trip with her mother and sister to Calcutta to scatter his ashes. In the unfamiliar country, each step of the process reinforces Bijou's alienation, from the people and culture as well as from her mother, who continues to keep Nitish's past shrouded in secrecy. It's only after meeting Naveen, the son of Nitish's oldest friend, that Bijou begins to comprehend her father's political entanglements and the reasons her parents migrated years before. As she learns more about her father, Bijou predictably gains insight into her own character, but Bijou's struggle to reconcile tradition with the demands of the modern world is propelled by skillful, luminous prose.

This sounds fantastic. Is this on your TBR list?