Radiant Fugitives

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Shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction 2022, this narrative unfolds in the last weeks of a Muslim Indian lesbian's pregnancy in San Francisco, as she faces a visit from her estranged mother and sister that brings long-buried secrets to light. Seema, a consultant for Kamala Harris’s attorney general campaign, has built a successful life in the West, yet still grapples with her father's decision to exile her after she came out. Now, nine months pregnant and separated from her unborn child's Black father, she seeks comfort from her ailing mother, Nafeesa, who travels from Chennai, and her devout sister, Tahera, a doctor in Texas. Instead of a joyful reunion, the week reveals years of betrayal and misunderstanding, weaving a complex tapestry of emotions reflective of their intertwined lives. The story is narrated from the perspective of Seema's child at the moment of birth, enriched by the poetry of Wordsworth and Keats, alongside verses from the Quran. This poignant tale explores themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and enduring love within a family and a nation navigating their identities and connections.