You Bring the Distant Near starts with an Indian family that has recently emigrated to the United States in the 1970s. Mother Ranee is skeptical of the move. She wants to preserve the family's Indian heritage and keep her daughters safe from the danger that waits for children on the streets of America. Sonia and Tara are thrilled to be in the U.S. but for totally different reasons. Tara is engrossed in American cinema and theater, transforming herself to look like a new movie star each year. Sonia is an activist and is thrilled about her new access to free speech and public demonstrations. As the generations pass, Sonia and Tara have daughters of their own, who continue the saga of trying to find their way as Indian American women.
Why It's Worth Reading:
There are so many reasons why this book was excellent. It's a multi-generational, multicultural family story. It's a beautiful picture of what emigration can look like and feel like to different people within the same household. It perfectly captures how the American picture of immigration has changed with each generation from the 70s until now. It's Mitali Perkins at her finest. And gosh darn it, that cover is stunning. I'm thrilled to have an authentic and honest novel depicting a large Indian-American family for the many Indian-American students that attend NHS, and for their peers who may want a better understanding of how some of their classmates might see the world.
Book Details:
Title: You Bring the Distant Near
Author: Mitali Perkins
ISBN: 9780374304904
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Publication Date: September 12, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Awards/Accolades: 5 starred reviews, and Longlisted for the 2017 National Book Award
Do We Own a Copy?: On order
**Disclaimer - I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**