This Beautiful, Ridiculous City

“Everyone writes about New York with so much tenderness, even when they are sick of it,” Sohini observes in the opening pages of her reflective, rambling debut. Born in a suburb of Calcutta, Sohini grows up immersed in a heady blend of Indian and Western culture but is particularly fascinated by New York City as depicted in American novels and films. As a young adult escaping an abusive relationship, she takes the plunge and moves to the Big Apple. Though her account is peppered with quotations from writers who lived in New York, including Joan Didion, Fran Liebowitz, and Dylan Thomas, it’s just as much about India and the ways Sohini balances her homeland with her chosen home. She draws luscious spreads of food to contrast her favorite family dishes with the international cuisine she encounters in America, and cutaway diagrams detail the pros and cons of living in a busy multigenerational house versus a two-person apartment. Much of the story is told in bold full-page compositions anchored by symbolic imagery: Sohini entering a door in the spine of a book, windows opening to reveal moments in time. The narrative builds to no great revelations, but those equally entranced by the mythology of New York will enjoy themselves. Agent: Leah Pierre, Ladderbird Literary Agency. (Jan.)