The Wrong Way Home by Shunali Khullar Shroff
My take on the book:
On the first anniversary of their divorce, Nayantara is shocked to discover her ex-husband Jay Sarabhai got married to a much younger social media influencer amidst a picturesque European holiday. The divorce not just broke Nayantara emotionally in the past one year but also closed doors to the circles she was once part of, because of Jay’s celebrity status. With some prodding from her best friend Rishi, Nayantara decides to resurrect her PR business which she has neglected in the past year.
Aging movies stars, politicians, small-town socialites, Nayan is ready to accept any sort of client, to revive their failing careers to in turn help revive her business; during this journey Nayan meets Vikram, the Tech nerd from San Francisco who took an early retirement after selling off his business to come back and settle in Landour as Nayan’s mother’s neighbor and did organic farming. Arjun on the other hand embodies what Nayan loves about Mumbai’s elite.
Will Nayan be able to succeed in her second innings in business, will Arjun’s charisma or Vikram’s groundedness attract Nayan forms the rest of the story.
On the exterior, this story feels like a glossy look at the Mumbai elite and their lifestyle, but the author hides strong emotions in sarcasm to drive home the reality of life after divorce, especially for women. The author provides important social commentary on what being divorced at forty looks like for women and how marital status precedes all other achievements.
The author also contrasts well the different characters surrounding Nayan, Rishi, Vikram, Arjun and her mother, each with a different personality and how they influence Nayan’s decisions. Nayan being in PR gives the reader insight into how artificial narratives are created. The story also highlights the fake life shared on social media in current times. The humor is also one of the impressive aspects of the story. There are many places where I could not relate to Nayantara as a character but that also gave me a new perspective about the situations she faces.
The author delivers a perfect blend of humor and message with relatable characters which make this a perfect read for the holiday season.
My rating:
4/5.