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7 Indian-origin authors in New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2023 list
The list includes novels written by Salman Rushdie, Pico Iyer among others
Clockwise from top left -- Abraham Verghese, Chetna Maroo, Janika Oza, Salman Rushdie, Siddharth Kara, Saket Soni, Pico Iyer /
The New York Times (NYT) released its annual list of 100 notable books for the current year, and the list includes books penned by Indian-origin authors, including Salman Rushdie.
Every year, the NYT Book Review staff glazes over a multitude of new books seeking “the best novels, memoirs, biographies, poetry collections, stories, and more.” The list features both fiction and non-fiction books labeled under different categories, e.g., “historical fiction, southern thriller, family saga, experimental fiction, climate action” among others.
Out of the 100 books, the seven written by Indian-origin authors are as follows:
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
This novel is set in the south Indian state of Kerala and follows three generations of a family, and in every generation, one person dies by drowning. The book follows the generations across 77 years as they contend with political strife and other troubles. The book featured on Oprah’s Book Club Pick, and was an instant New York Times bestseller, as per Amazon.
Verghese is a professor at the School of Medicine at Stanford University. Some of the awards he has received in his career include the Heinz Award in 2014, and the National Humanities Medal presented to him by former President Barack Obama in 2015.
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo
This book was shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize. It revolves around the life of a 11-year-old squash player Gopi whose life is reduced to the sport, and the people she shares the court with. “An indelible coming-of-age story, Chetna Maroo’s first novel captures the ordinary and annihilates it with beauty. Western Lane is a valentine to innocence, to the closeness of sisterhood, to the strange ways we come to know ourselves and each other,” the summary says, as per Amazon.
A History of Burning by Janika Oza
This is a debut novel by Oza, and tells the story of an extended Indo-Ugandan family that is displaced, settled, only to be displaced again.
Victory City by Salman Rushdie
This historical fantasy novel recounts the life of Pampa Kampana who creates an empire from magic seeds in 14th century India called Bisnaga that translates to “victory city”. Rushdie recently won the ‘Disturbing the Peace Award’ in New York recently.
Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara
This is an exposé on the immense toll that cobalt mining has taken on the lives of the people and the environment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Great Escape by Saket Soni
This book is a gripping account regarding the lives of several hundred Indian men lured to the U.S. on promises of work and green cards, but end up in semi-captivity in Mississippi until a labor organizer named Soni makes efforts to free them.
The Half-Known Life by Pico Iyer
This philosophical book presents what paradise means to different people around the world.
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