My last author for the day is Indian American and her latest novel is all about three generations of Asian women and it sounds (and looks) absolutely beautiful.
Without further ado, please do welcome the AMAZING Mitali Perkins, author of You Bring The Distant Near and I'm so excited to have her here and also for the day I get to read her brilliant book. I haven't had the chance to read any of her other books but I can't wait to read those either.
1) Your top five Indian (or Indian American) characters in YA literature, TV shows or Movies would be?
Mindy Kaling as Mindy in TV show THE MINDY PROJECT, Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford in the TV show PARKS AND RECREATION, Kunal Nayyar as Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappali, Ph.D in the TV show THE BIG BANG THEORY, Naseeruddin Shah as Lalit Verma in the movie MONSOON WEDDING, and Dimple Lala in BORN CONFUSED by Tanuja Desai Hidier.
2) What have some of your favourite 2017 releases been so far?
Too many to count! The growing number of releases featuring South Asian protagonists is delightful and exciting!
3) What is your all time favourite dessert?
Potato chips. I am a savory girl; I usually skip dessert so I can snack on my chips secretly while reading late at night.
And now, moving onto your masterpiece:
4) What were some of your first thoughts when you came across the GORGEOUS cover to You Bring The Distant Near?
I was so thrilled. Elizabeth Clark, the cover designer, creatively and thoughtfully expressed so many themes in the novel. I love the colours and the beautiful face of the dancer.
5) For those readers who haven't read about the book yet, could you describe what You Bring The Distant Near is about?
Five girls. Three generations. One great American love story. Tara’s family has just immigrated to New York from India via London. Her beauty draws everyone’s eyes, but she doesn’t let anyone truly see her. Her younger sister, Sonia, is falling in love with a boy her mother doesn’t approve of, cutting a deep wound in the Das family. The daughter of a Bollywood star, Anna is both brilliant and shy, like the Bengali tigers she fights to protect. Shanti is as fierce a dancer as she is a friend, student, and athlete. But will her wealthy new boyfriend be able to thrive in her shadow? And Ranee, the center that binds them all together, is beginning to unravel. As each Das woman decides which Bengali traditions to uphold in America and which to leave behind, one hard truth remains: some scars take generations to heal.
6) If you could give one piece of advice to your main characters, what would it be?
Mitali Perkins was born in Kolkata, India, and immigrated to the States when she was seven years old. She's written several books for young readers, including YOU BRING THE DISTANT NEAR, BAMBOO PEOPLE, RICKSHAW GIRL, MONSOON SUMMER, TIGER BOY, and SECRET KEEPER. She is also the editor of an anthology: OPEN MIC: RIFFS BETWEEN CULTURES IN TEN VOICES. Mitali maintains a website (mitaliperkins.com) and blog (mitaliblog.com), and you may also follow her at twitter.com/mitaliperkins or @mitaliperkins on instagram.
Author: Mitali Perkins
Publication Date: September 12th 2017
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan)
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
Buy Links: Amazon US || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books
Blurb Description: Five girls. Three generations. One great American love story. You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture--for better or worse. Ranee, worried that her children are losing their Indian culture; Sonia, wrapped up in a forbidden biracial love affair; Tara, seeking the limelight to hide her true self; Shanti, desperately trying to make peace in the family; Anna, fighting to preserve Bengal tigers and her Bengali identity-- award-winning author Mitali Perkins weaves together a sweeping story of five women at once intimately relatable and yet entirely new.
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