Showing results by narrator "and Soneela Nankani" in All Categories

It’s a classic story: girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, boy finally notices girl when he sees her in a homemade costume. At least, that’s what Sonia Patil is hoping for when she plans to meet her crush at the local comic-con in cosplay.

These intimate stories of South Indian immigrants and the families they left behind center women's lives and ask how women both claim and surrender power—a stunning debut collection from an O. Henry Prize winner. Traveling from Pittsburgh to Eastern Washington to Tamil Nadu, these stories about dislocation and dissonance see immigrants and their families confront the costs of leaving and staying, identifying sublime symmetries in lives growing apart.

Angels, monsters, and bees. Birdwatchers, emperors, and prison wardens. These and more populate the twenty-two new and old stories from award-winning author E. Lily Yu, collected for the first time here in her debut short story collection. From her early innovative work that won her the Astounding Award for Best New Writer, such as "The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees," to recent short fiction such as "Small Monsters," E. Lily Yu's writing has continued to garner award nominations and recognition from the literary community for its faceted beauty, cutting edge, and uplifting heart.

Law student Anita Virani hasn’t seen her ex-husband since the ink dried on their divorce papers. Now she’s agreed to pretend she’s still married to Nikhil until his sister’s wedding celebrations are over—because her former mother-in-law neglected to tell her family of their split! The closeness they share during the marriage act gives Anita new insight into the man she once loved so deeply. And reignites Nikhil’s feelings for her…

Having fought numerous battles together, Lucas Morel and his sister, Lena, and a small but disciplined team of fighters have grown into a formidable unit. But they’re not the only ones who’ve gotten stronger and more resilient. The zombie hordes have developed new methods of increasing their numbers—methods that make life in the so-called safe zones increasingly unsustainable. To turn the tide of death, Lucas and Lena must execute a dangerous information-gathering mission across the Adriatic Sea.

When Nina Soni hears that her grandmother and cousin are going to visit from India, she can’t wait to be the perfect hostess. She’s got all sorts of lists and plans and she’s prepared to be very mature; she’ll even move into Kavita’s room and let Dadi and Montu have hers. It will be fun to introduce Dadi and Montu to her life and friends, and Nina is determined to control every detail to ensure a successful visit. Not surprisingly, things don’t go exactly as she planned.

Jax, Yas, Spider, and Han are the four cornerstones of Team Jericho, the best scavenger hunting team in all of Seattle. Each has their own specialty: Jax, the puzzler; Yas, the parkourist; Spider, the hacker; and Han, the cartographer. But now with an oil refinery being built right in their backyard, each also has their own problems. Their families are at risk of losing their jobs, their communities, and their homes. So when The Order hijacks the scavenger hunting forum and concocts a puzzle of its own, promising a reward of influence, Team Jericho sees it as the chance of a lifetime.

At eight, Nira had only one over-powering wish—to pee standing up like a boy. In fact, to be a boy. Join Nira as she steps into her brother’s clothes and becomes the self-appointed Al Caponesque gang leader of the neighborhood boys. Her oddball yet madly loving family shapes her personality, and a poignant relationship with her brother’s best friend shapes her life. She uses uninhibited candor to detail her coming-of-age journey from Calcutta to London, from tomboy to reluctant woman-in-progress … always trying to fit in, but always failing.

Halloween brings out Nina Soni's competitive spirit. Her friend Jay has a great costume planned, so—of course—Nina has to come up with an even better idea. A bunch of old boxes in the basement inspires her to create an impressively scary haunted house, for which she can charge admission. So what could possibly go wrong for the Halloween Queen?

In Shajarpur, everyone is always happy. The weather is always perfect. But newcomer Savi, a lonely teenager, doesn’t know what happiness means anymore. If she were to make a list of things that were the absolute worst, moving to Shajarpur would be right on top. Well, right after missing her father, who just died of a heart attack. As Savi grapples with loss in a strange new town, she discovers something startling. Not only can she communicate with her father’s plants—all forty-two of them—she can talk to the giant ficus tree behind her school.

A long weekend with lots of snow sounds like a recipe for super-special fun to Nina, especially with new friends Priya and Nayan visiting. They’ve just moved to Wisconsin from Florida, so Nina is prepared to introduce them to lots of winter activities: snowball fights, snow angels—and maybe even a snow fort! And then Nina notices a strange car at her neighbors’ house while they’re out of town. Clearly, it’s time to be a Snow Spy and identify MP (Mystery Person).

It’s Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, and Nina, Kavita, and Jay are all going to create gardens with Mom, a landscape architect. Naturally that’s not enough for Nina, who quickly develops big ideas for an impressive business selling the vegetables she plans to grow. But her plans don’t include managing the problems that inevitably arise, including rabbits, slugs, mosquitos, and more.

Nina Soni is a problem solver—and her latest problem is her little sister Kavita, who is a real embarrassment. Not only does Kavita sing too much, she often gets the lyrics wrong or, even worse, makes up ridiculous songs. What Nina needs is a project—a plan to fix her sister. But one project isn’t really enough, especially during a long rainy school break. Nina is restless. A pile of dirt in the neighbor’s yard is a temptation she can’t resist—a project for Nina, a distraction for Kavita, and something to do to pass the time.

The daughter of proud Napa Valley hoteliers, Asha “Poppy” Patel chose a different line as a Paris perfumer, gifted with a nose for fragrances and business. Until her heightened sense of smell disappears. Her career in jeopardy, her world now muted, Poppy returns home. Maybe tending to her grandmother’s massive aromatic garden, where Poppy’s gift first flowered, will bring restorative hope. But when she arrives, Poppy discovers that the land upon which the beautiful garden once thrived has been uprooted and destroyed.

Roshan Chaya is out for justice. Abandoned by her parents at birth and adopted by the kingdom of Jwala's most notorious bandit before his brutal murder, she is now leader of the Shadow Clan, a gang of farmers-turned-bandits impoverished by the provincial governor’s atrocities and corruption. Roshan’s goal: to avenge her adoptive father and earn back rights and dignity for her people.