Mother Ocean Father Nation: A Novel
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LONGLISTED FOR THE MARK TWIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD
βA brilliant debut novel.β βJoyce Carol Oates
A brother and sisterβs paths diverge in the wake of political upheaval: one forced to leave, one left behind
On a small Pacific island, two siblings tune in to a breaking-news radio bulletin. It is 1985, and an Indian grocer has just been attacked by nativists aligned with the recent military coup. Now, fear and shock ripple through the islandβs deeply rooted Indian community as racial tensions rise to the brink.
Bhumi hears this news from her locked-down dorm room in the capital city. She is the intellectual standout of the family, an aspiring botanist on the path to success. But when her connection to a government official becomes a liability, she must flee her unstable home for California.
Jaipal feels like the unnoticed sibling, always left to fend for himself. He avoids their fatherβs wrath as he manages the family store, distracted only by his hidden desires. Suddenly, he is presented with an opportunityβone that promises money and connection, but may leave him vulnerable to the islandβs escalating volatility.
Mother Ocean Father NationΒ is an entrancing debut about how one family, at the mercy of a nation broken by legacies of power and oppression, forges a path to find a home once again.
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Nishant Batsha is the author of the novel Mother Ocean Father Nation, named a finalist for a 2023 Lambda Literary Award and listed as one the best books of 2022 by NPR, among other honors. He lives in Buffalo, New York, with his family.
