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About Anagram Destiny
Fans of Namrata Patel's Scent of a Garden will melt for Grishma Shah's characters as they confront their pasts and must find a way to both the Indian and the American Dream under the shadow of terrorism.
When Aanya arrives in India, ready for a new beginning, she is in awe of the glitz and glamour of expat living. But on her very first day, in the still of her apartment, tears salt her welcome cake. The cake is supposed to be a celebration, a symbol of her career accomplishments, a salute to her triumphs--and yet she has never felt more alone, not even on her darkest days.
Luckily, when she pitches her work to Abhimanyu, the self-made, down-to-earth Director of Events at the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai, he is charmed. But before Aanya can find the strength to reciprocate, she is thrust into reconciling her past: a coming of age at a roadside motel in Georgia, where her Indian-immigrant parents and their best friends manifest the American dream by turning over a thirty-four-room motel as their children, Aanya and Ayaan, develop a bond and fate as entwined as their anagrammed names. Now, in Mumbai, thousands of miles from home, can the fear of another loss help Aanya move forward?
Grishma Shah was inspired to write this story not only as a daughter of Indian immigrants who spent part of her childhood growing up in motels/convenience stores but also as an expert on culture and globalization. After spending years as an academic in New York City publishing, researching, traveling, and teaching, she believes that nothing educates, enlightens, informs, or propels us forward like a good story, which is why she moonlights as a storyteller. Shah works in New York City and lives in Monroe Township, New Jersey, with her husband and two daughters.
Rani Shah is an author and literary lead for Lilly's Library, Lilly Singh's book club focused on showcasing South Asian authors. Her book, Wisdom From A Humble Jellyfish, has been featured in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, and Shondaland. Her favorite movie of all time is Jurassic Park and she likes to write comedy in her free time. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband where you'll find her at a coffee shop with her Kindle and an almond croissant.