South Haven

A Novel

Fiction & Literature, Coming of Age, Family Life
Cover of the book South Haven by Hirsh Sawhney, Akashic Books (Ignition)
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Hirsh Sawhney ISBN: 9781617754579
Publisher: Akashic Books (Ignition) Publication: April 11, 2016
Imprint: Akashic Books Language: English
Author: Hirsh Sawhney
ISBN: 9781617754579
Publisher: Akashic Books (Ignition)
Publication: April 11, 2016
Imprint: Akashic Books
Language: English

“A vivid portrait of second-generation immigrants . . . Sawhney is pitch-perfect when describing the uneasy relationship between adolescents and their parents.” —The Times Literary Supplement
 
Siddharth Arora lives an ordinary life in the New England suburb of South Haven, but his childhood comes to a grinding halt when his mother dies in a car accident. Siddharth soon gravitates toward a group of adolescent bullies, drinking, and smoking instead of drawing and swimming. He takes great pains to care for his depressive father, Mohan Lal, an immigrant who finds solace in the hateful Hindu fundamentalism of his homeland and cheers on Indian fanatics who murder innocent Muslims. When a new woman enters their lives, Siddharth and his father have a chance at a fresh start. They form a new family, hoping to leave their pain behind them.
 
South Haven is no simple coming-of-age tale or hero’s journey, blurring the line between victim and victimizer and asking readers to contend with the lies we tell ourselves as we grieve and survive. Following in the tradition of narratives by Edwidge Danticat and Junot Díaz, Sawhney draws upon the measured lyricism of postcolonial writers like Michael Ondaatje but brings to his subjects distinctly American irreverence and humor.
 
“An affecting tale of a family’s loss, a child’s grief, and the search for solace in all the wrong places. Hirsh Sawhney is an incandescent voice in fiction.” —Laila Lalami, Pulitzer Prize finalist
 
“This luminous debut . . . captures precisely the heartache of growing up.” —Library Journal
 
“A raw portrait of a motherless family . . . poetic.” —The Village Voice

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“A vivid portrait of second-generation immigrants . . . Sawhney is pitch-perfect when describing the uneasy relationship between adolescents and their parents.” —The Times Literary Supplement
 
Siddharth Arora lives an ordinary life in the New England suburb of South Haven, but his childhood comes to a grinding halt when his mother dies in a car accident. Siddharth soon gravitates toward a group of adolescent bullies, drinking, and smoking instead of drawing and swimming. He takes great pains to care for his depressive father, Mohan Lal, an immigrant who finds solace in the hateful Hindu fundamentalism of his homeland and cheers on Indian fanatics who murder innocent Muslims. When a new woman enters their lives, Siddharth and his father have a chance at a fresh start. They form a new family, hoping to leave their pain behind them.
 
South Haven is no simple coming-of-age tale or hero’s journey, blurring the line between victim and victimizer and asking readers to contend with the lies we tell ourselves as we grieve and survive. Following in the tradition of narratives by Edwidge Danticat and Junot Díaz, Sawhney draws upon the measured lyricism of postcolonial writers like Michael Ondaatje but brings to his subjects distinctly American irreverence and humor.
 
“An affecting tale of a family’s loss, a child’s grief, and the search for solace in all the wrong places. Hirsh Sawhney is an incandescent voice in fiction.” —Laila Lalami, Pulitzer Prize finalist
 
“This luminous debut . . . captures precisely the heartache of growing up.” —Library Journal
 
“A raw portrait of a motherless family . . . poetic.” —The Village Voice

More books from Akashic Books (Ignition)

Cover of the book Delhi Noir by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Brussels Noir by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book The Nervous System by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Every Boy Should Have a Man by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Tehran Noir by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Strays by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Native Believer by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book The Third Squad by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Philadelphia Noir by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book The System of Dante's Hell by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book The Love Book by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book American Honor Killings by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Buffalo Noir by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book A Mind of Winter by Hirsh Sawhney
Cover of the book Richmond Noir by Hirsh Sawhney
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy