Good Girls

In Gazi’s mixed-bag debut, set in Dhaka, Bangladesh, adult sisters Lovely and Beauty have virtually no concept of the world outside of their home thanks to their domineering mother, Farida, and submissive father, Mukhles. If either daughter attempts to defy Farida, they are locked up in their bedrooms for days at a time. Circumstances change on Lovely’s 40th birthday, when Farida unexpectedly permits her to go to the Gausia Market on her own. The experience soon overwhelms for Lovely, who hasn’t left home in nine years, even as a voice inside her head urges her to stay out and learn more about the world. When Lovely fails to return home by her curfew, Farida becomes increasingly concerned while Beauty festers with jealousy. The family’s tightly controlled existence soon begins to unravel, with long-held secrets bubbling to the surface and the threat of violence lurking around the corner. Gazi aids her brisk plotting with flashbacks that emphasize the family’s abusive dynamics, but she leaves several key questions unanswered at the end. Tantalizing and frustrating in equal measure, this twisted domestic thriller doesn’t quite meet its own ambitions. Agent: Susan Raihofer, DBA. (Dec.)