The Dream Builders: A Novel

by Oindrila Mukherjee, Soneela Nankani (Read by)

Overview

After living in the United States for years, Maneka Roy returns home to India to mourn the loss of her mother and finds herself in a new world.

The booming city of Hrishipur where her father now lives is nothing like the part of the country where she grew up, and the more she sees of this new, sparkling city, the more she learns that nothing―and no one―here is as it appears. Ultimately, it will take an unexpected tragic event for Maneka and those around her to finally understand just how fragile life is in this city built on aspirations.

Written from the perspectives of ten different characters, Oindrila Mukherjee’s incisive debut novel explores class divisions, gender roles, and stories of survival within a society that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly Americanized.

It is a story about India today and people impacted by globalization everywhere: a tale of ambition, longing, and bitter loss that asks what it really costs to try and build a dream.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212256902
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	01/10/2023
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Oindrila Mukherjee is an associate professor of creative writing at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. She grew up in Kolkata, India, and resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Soneela Nankani is a classically trained actress who has performed in theaters all over the country as well as in acclaimed films and on television. She is an ensemble member of the award-winning Sojourn Theatre. Soneela has narrated over 100 audiobooks and has garnered four Earphones Awards and an Audie nomination.

Editorial Reviews

A multitude of voices and visions…come together to create an astonishing, and astonishingly accurate, portrait of contemporary India.”

author of The Mistress of Spices Chitra Divakaruni

A novel of epic proportions…[with] characters who are often real enough to remind us of ourselves, even as they betray one another, even as they betray themselves.”

Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jericho Brown

Funny, moving, and often deliciously cynical.”

author of Monster in the Middle Tiphanie Yanique

The Dream Builders is such an impressive feat of storytelling, a novel that examines the constraints of class, of gender, of history.”

New York Times bestselling author Kevin Wilson

Soneela Nankani is a strong narrator for a novel about a woman who is confronting her parents' past. Nankani’s dexterity and range as a performer are demonstrated in how she captures the wide range of characters. Through her confident style, listeners experience the modernization of India through middle-aged Maneka's eyes. Disoriented after being raised in the U.S., she must grapple with the loss of her mother, along with the many changes—and family secrets—she encounters while visiting India for the funeral. From Gopal, a young boy scorned by his family, to Maneka, who confronts her past, Nankani evokes interest and sympathy for the characters in this sprawling novel. Fans of world literature will find much to admire as this complex story becomes a luxurious listening experience. M.R. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2023 - AudioFile