Set in contemporary Mumbai, Devika Rege’s Quarterlife chronicles the lives of three young protagonists during a time of political change. Financial consultant Naren Agashe returns home to Mumbai from the United States with his friend Amanda, who is keen on doing social work in the city’s slums. In need of direction, Rohit, Naren’s brother, joins the Hindu nationalist movement. Forging their own paths in a country gripped by discord and change, the three friends find themselves at a turning point in history. Crafted with immediacy and rich in detail, Rege’s atmospheric novel is a stirring portrait of a country in transition.
Jennifer Croft’s The Extinction of Irena Rey follows a group of translators who convene in rural Poland to translate the work of acclaimed writer Irena Rey. Irena’s home is in an ancient forest, and when she suddenly vanishes, the translators scramble to find her. Confronting the wild natural environment that surrounds them, they comb the woods in search of the author. Irena’s disappearance gives rise to unexpected competitiveness and conflict within the group. Croft brings humor and suspense to a novel that interrogates the process of translation, the state of the environment and the meaning of art.
In Jahmal Mayfield’s Smoke Kings, Black political activist Nate Evers, devastated by the murder of his cousin, sets out to get revenge. With three friends, he kidnaps the descendants of people who carried out hate crimes in the South and insists they make payments to a reparation fund or face violent consequences. But the actions of Nate and his friends have dangerous repercussions: They’re threatened by Samuel, head of a white supremacist gang called the Righteous Boys, and by retired cop Mason Farmer. An electrifying novel that asks important questions about race and society, Mayfield’s debut is sure to spark urgent dialogue among readers.
The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward tells the story of twin sisters Dempsey and Clara, who were separated as children after their mother’s death. Raised in different families, the sisters are opposites: Outgoing Clara is a hard-drinking novelist, while isolated Dempsey does computer work at home. When Clara befriends a woman who looks exactly like their mother, Dempsey questions Clara’s judgment—and her sanity. As they try to piece together the truth about the woman, they struggle with important questions about their lives. Throughout this spellbinding novel, Daley-Ward skillfully toggles between each sister’s point of view as she examines topics of family and identity.