South Asian Book Club

For Pride month we will be reading A Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu.

In her poignant debut novel, *Marriage of a Thousand Lies*, SJ Sindu intricately weaves a tale of identity and deception within the Sri Lankan-American and LGBTQ communities. Lucky and her husband Krishna maintain a facade of marital harmony to appease their traditional families, all while engaging in secret affairs. Though this arrangement seems to work for Lucky—who fills her life with dance, art, and the thrill of independence—her carefully constructed world shifts when she returns to her childhood home to care for her injured grandmother. There, she reconnects with Nisha, her first love, who is on the brink of an arranged marriage with a stranger. As their bond reignites, Lucky faces the challenge of convincing Nisha to escape her own entrapment while grappling with her own life's complexities. *Marriage of a Thousand Lies* is a vivid exploration of the intersections of race, sexuality, and cultural expectation, delivering a heartfelt narrative about love, truth, and the sacrifices one must make to embrace authenticity.

Come join us for a conversation with author Nayantara Roy as she discusses her newest book with us Sisters of a Halved Heart. Nayantara had previously written The Magnificent Ruins which drew a lot of critical claim, this time around her newest novel focuses on the story of two sisters who have to navigate a terrible betrayal from within their family.

In a propulsive story of love and passion and the ultimate pull of family, Sisters of a Halved Heart examines the lengths we will go to in order to make our own narratives of love work out, the lies we tell ourselves, and the ways in which the truth, often right in front of you, can be impossible to see.