All This Could Be Different

Mathews’s poignant and illuminating debut centers on an aloof 22-year-old Indian immigrant whose first job out of college brings her to the Midwest to work as a consultant-in-training for a large manufacturer. Sneha, having been alone since her parents moved back to India when she was a teen, scours online dating apps for other queer women as soon as she arrives in Milwaukee. She quickly finds a friend in philosophy student Antigone Clay, then enters her first love affair with the charming Marina—an older white dancer. Their relationship forces Sneha to reckon with the trauma of her parents’ abandonment and brings to the fore the difficulties she has experienced in the U.S. as a person of color. She also reconnects with old college friends Thomas and Amit, and she comes to rely on and grow with her new patched-together community, especially as her financial situation becomes precarious and her apartment’s property manager threatens to get her kicked out over minor infractions. Mathews is most affecting when charting the wonders of community-building, delving into the strenuous work that goes into sustaining meaningful friendships as well as the heartbreak that ensues when connections are fractured by dishonesty. This thoughtful exploration of the legacies of trauma makes an impact. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency. (Aug.)