An immersive, provocative, and heartfelt novel that follows a disgraced Indian American divorcée who spends a summer in Italy, reconnecting with her love of cooking and reckoning with cultural expectations to make the choice of a lifetime.
Jyoti was always the ideal Indian daughter. She stayed out of trouble, looked after her siblings, and agreed to an arranged marriage with Ashok. So, when she is pressured to quit her dream job as head chef of her husband's family restaurant to focus on conceiving, she obliges.
But despite her tireless efforts, she cannot carry a baby to term, and Ashok leaves her for a younger woman. Now unemployed and divorced, a disgrace to her Gujarati family, she flees New York for the summer to visit her best friend in Tuscany. Sumptuous meals and la bella vita reawaken what Jyoti has lost, leading to a serendipitous opportunity that could help her buy Ashok's restaurant. But when Jyoti unexpectedly goes viral for her culinary prowess in Indian Italian fusion meals, her aunties find out and gossip ensues, estranging her even further from her family back home.
And when a shocking reveal comes to light, Jyoti must decide what she truly desires-family approval, career growth, or even motherhood-all before the summer ends...
Soneela Nankani's narration adds depth and charm to this unique take on a woman's divorce forcing her into discovering her resilience. When dutiful Jyoti, at her husband's request, quits her job and then fails to have their baby, he divorces her, and she finds herself truly at rock bottom. Through Nankani's skilled performance, Jyoti's journey from conformity to empowerment comes alive with moment
