Habitations

Sundar debuts with an earnest meditation on an Indian American graduate student’s grief, loneliness, and longing. Vega Gopalan unexpectedly gets pregnant while pursuing her PhD in reproductive rights. Her loveless marriage with Suresh lacks the passion she once felt for her college girlfriend Naomi, though she struggled with letting herself be emotionally vulnerable in that relationship as much as she does with Suresh. She traces the root of the problem to her grief over her younger sister Ashwini’s death in India, where Vega grew up and where their parents still live. Vega was 17 when Ashwini died of a heart condition that could’ve been easily treated had the family lived in America. Now, having spent several years in the U.S., Vega has mixed feelings about the country’s abundance of resources, given their asymmetrical accessibility, and she begins to reflect on her own privilege as a Brahmin in India. Sundar offers a fresh perspective on the pressures of motherhood and desire for self-fulfillment as Vega considers leaving Suresh and co-parenting with him. This leaves readers with much to chew on. Agent: Judythe Cohen, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Apr.)