Chhayabrita by Samaresh Majumdar [Hardcover]

"Ahona Amin, a woman from Dhaka, lives in New York with her sixteen-year-old daughter, Trina, after divorcing her husband. Ahona owns a three-story house where she rents out the first and third floors. She has entered into a business venture with her childhood friend, Liton, whose wife Meena is largely focused on physical desires.

In Jackson Heights, a beloved hub for Bengali expatriates in America, Bengali books by Humayun Ahmed, Shamsur, Sunil, and Suchitra sit side by side in stores. Items like ilish fish and lal shak (red spinach) are also available there. However, the next generation—American Bengalis—does not feel as connected to traditional Bengali culture. This creates conflict between Ahona and her daughter, Trina.

Dreaming of America as a land of opportunity, Swapna once went to great lengths to obtain a visa under false pretenses, only to have her illusions shattered soon after. When Ahona is brutally murdered by Trina's boyfriend, Swapna decides to return to her homeland.

The novel ‘Chhayabrita’ is a credible account of the lives of Bengali expatriates in America."