Everything Here Belongs to You
by Saborna RoyChowdhury
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Pub Date 9 Jun 2022 | Archive Date 4 Feb 2025
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Description
Everything Here Belongs to You follows Parul and Mohini through their early lives and coming of age. The two young women grow up under the same roof but live very different lives. Parul was six years old when her desperately poor father brought her from their village to live with the Sens, a middle-class Hindu family. Following common customs, Parul was taken in as a servant, asked to hide her Muslim idenity, and trained to do household chores alongside Mrs. Sen. By contrast, Mohini, the Sens' daughter, who is a few years younger than Parul, has led a life of privilege and education.
As Parul grows older, she becomes increasingly unhappy and resentful with her lot in life. Mohini struggles with their relationship as well, never sure whether to treat Parul as a sister or a servant. When Parul has a passionate, secret affair with Rahim, a radical Muslim, the careful order the Sens have maintained is thrown into chaos. Parul must decide where her loyalties lie when Rahim asks her to betray the Sens and endanger a young American man who is staying with them and to whom Mohini is attracted. Parul's choice will shock the family and determine everyone's future.
A Note From the Publisher
Her short story "Bengal Monsoon" appeared in New York Stories magazine and received a Pushcart Prize nomination. She was born and raised in Kolkata, India, moved to the U.S. for undergraduate work in chemistry. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and twin daughters.
Advance Praise
2023 Los Angeles Book Festival Awards - Honorable Mention
2023 London Book Festival Awards - Honorable Mention
2023 Southern California Book Festival Award - Honorable Mention - General Fiction
2022 Readers' Favorite Bronze Medal Winner - Fiction - Drama
IndieReader Best Reviewed Books of the Month (May 2022)
2024 DBT Literary Awards - First Place - Literary
2024 Best Book Awards - Finalist - Literary / Multicultural
"Roychowdhury does not shy away from depicting the moral complexities faced by her characters, nor from the poor choices they sometimes make, thereby shining a light on important societal issues." -Veena Rao of NRI PULSE
"Roychowdhury's writing is a tapestry of vivid descriptions and sensory details, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and emotions of Kolkata..." -Online Book Club
"In the vein of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Roychowdhury draws from her own family's experiences, weaving a spellbinding narrative that delves deep into the complexities of Indian social relations and identity." -Writer's Life Magazine
"Her (Saborna RoyChowdhury) writing doesn't just captivate readers- it motivates them to embrace the beauty and diversity that make our world so vibrant." -Monica Viera, HubPages
"Details how a haunting image from childhood inspired a novel challenging class status in India." -Michael Hagerty, NPR's Houston Matters
"Roychowdhury is one of those once in a lifetime authors whose comprehension of the human condition is well-rounded and all-encompassing." -Carin Chea, inmag.com
"I was taken aback by the boldness of the book, addressing such large questions of politics and social critique, subjects that would daunt most writers. In the end it is the two young women, young, innocent, and torn apart by the events around them, who take a stand and establish what is important in life, giving a nod to our shared humanity, relationships, and care for one another." -The Brooklyn Review
"Saborna Roychowdhury's second novel has been gathering critical acclaim for exploring the volatile issue of why women and men get involved in religious extremism that espouses violence..." -India Currents
"Everything Here Belongs to You succeeds beautifully at telling an intimate and deeply felt story of a troubled connection between two young women, set against a larger narrative of ideological conflict." -IndieReader (4.8 Starred Review)
"A heart-wrenching family drama, as powerful as it is delicate." -Kirkus Reviews
"A moving and highly detailed coming-of-age novel that delves into cultural and political differences that threaten to destroy relationships." -Sublime Book Review
"The vitality of Everything Here Belongs to You can be traced to RoyChowdhury's empathy for Mohini and Parul, whose friendship and subsequent plight reminds this reader of classic Bengali stories, deeply ambitious and full of the desire to encounter the political and human conditions of India in this moment." -Jai Chakrabarti, award-winning author of A Play for the End of the World
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781684339594 |
| PRICE | US$0.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 352 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Aiste B, Reviewer
Two girls growing like sisters, but different origin, different religion, different social position, different education does big impact how they perceive the world around them. This book is about how different cultures interact between each other but reading it you feel that despite who the person is, the deepest values and fears are universal.
This is really good book, giving lots of insights about the life and problems of modern India. I couldn't put it down until I finished it.
