The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, 2025
After the gorgous Inheritance of Loss, which won the Booker Prize in 2006, I was looking forward to reading Desai's The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize.
The language is beautiful. We are in Allahabad, India where Sonia and Sunny's grandparents reside. And then in Vermont and New York City, following Sonia's isolating time at college during winter break where she enters a relationship with much older artist Ilan.
Sunny is also in New York City, working as a journalist and living with Ulla, a blonde American from Kansas.
The same beautiful language is in this story, but it does drag a bit. There are the wry observations of human nature, the cultural contrasts between India and America. The relationship between Sunny's mother Babita and her Uncles and what happens with the shared townhouse are fascinating.
There is much beautiful language but some parts seem quite tedious. Some portions of the story, such as the more mystical parts of the story around Badal Baba and its symbolism, seemed like it could be edited down.
Tells the story of growing up Korean American in Virginia, greater DC area. Has bits of details and intense pressure of a professional kitchen that is seen in The Beef.
Comments on how if an Asian ingredient is used for a European dish, it is still European with the Asian influence, but once an Asian dish has a touch of Europeanness in it, it becomes 'fusion'.
Also talks about his battle with depression. An ode to food but also business and building an empire.
