American Chandra (A Novel in Progress)

It's 2017. Eleven-year-old Neil Desai is hunched over a flimsy plastic toilet in a makeshift trailer after his little league baseball game, thus beginning his journey with excruciating migraines. Sometimes the debilitating pain consumes Neil for hours, sometimes it comes and goes in minutes. Neil’s headaches make his stomach weak, his breaths shallow and his joints stiff. They make Neil ravenous for food but woozy afterwards. On occasion, they make life unbearable. Neil’s multigenerational Indian American family is determined to help, but everyone has their own agenda. And karma never seems far behind. 

 

Few stories have been told about American-born, second-generation Indian American parents who are now raising kids of their own. The Desai family’s story is one of intergenerational pressures, misplaced expectations, and the journey of self-discovery.

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I have been fortunate to work on this book with the encouragement of generous writers and teachers at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Napa Valley Writers' Conference, Community of Writers Conference, Lit Camp (Bay Area), Diablo Writers' Workshop (Bay Area), and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop (Summer Workshop). I have also learned much from friends and family everywhere.  Thank you to my wonderful writing community!

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Reading at the Napa Valley Writers' Conference (2 minutes)

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