China Room, by Sunjeev Sahota
Composed of twin narratives unfolding 70 years apart in Punjab and England, Sahota’s family saga is an often-harrowing account of how past events reverberate across generations—and how people we never knew are often the ones most intimate with us. Through the stories of a young man and his great-grandmother as they try to live in a way that feels authentic to their own desires and aspirations—and anchored by gorgeous prose—Sahota has crafted a beautiful story about one family as they struggle to declare their humanity against the forces of society and history.