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Foreign: A Novel by Sonora Jha
In a village in India, a forsaken man is about to kill himself in quiet despair. A million miles away, Katya Misra is celebrating a perfect evening in her fine, academic life in Seattle . . . until she is informed that her teenaged son Kabir has run away to India in search of a father he has never met. Contemptuous of her homeland and determined to bring Kabir back where he belongs, Katya must follow her son into the home of a suicidal farmer, in a village where, every eight hours, a man kills himself. Here, as Kabir's father inspires his son with his selfless social work, Katya finds an ally in the farmer's wife Gayatribai, who saves Kabir's life by damaging her own, and in return asks for Katya's help in keeping her husband alive in the suicide epidemic that has gripped this treacherously changing nation.Whipped up in a world of violent protest rallies, mass weddings, inglorious suicides, and a love that demands to be rekindled, Katya must learn whose life can be saved and whose she should just let go.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Sonora Jha
9 books187 followersSonora Jha is the author of The Laughter (Harper Via 2023), winner of the 2024 Washington Book Award for Fiction and the memoir How to Raise a Feminist Son: Motherhood, Masculinity, and the Making of My Family, published in the U.S., Germany, Brazil, and by Penguin Random House India in 2021. She also wrote the novel Foreign (Random House India, 2013), which tells the stories of farmers' suicides in India. Foreign was a finalist for The Hindu Prize for Fiction, The Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, and was longlisted for the DSC Prize. Sonora grew up in Mumbai and was chief of the metropolitan bureau for the Times of India in Bangalore and contributing editor for East magazine in Singapore before moving to the U.S. to earn a Ph.D. in media and public affairs. Dr. Jha is a professor of journalism at Seattle University and her op-eds and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the Seattle Times, The Establishment, DAME, and in several anthologies. She also teaches fiction and essay writing for Hugo House, Hedgebrook Writers’ Retreat, and Seattle Public Library. She is an alumna and board member of Hedgebrook Writers’ Retreat, and has served on the jury for awards for Artist Trust, Hedgebrook, and Hugo House. Her latest book is the novel Intemperance (Harper Via, 2025).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 16, 2013
Sonora Jha has done for rural Indian what Katherine Boo did for Urban India. Her novel Foreign is an absolute delight to read. It is well written, witty, smart and leaves you so engaged in the adventures and of her characters. I learned immense amounts about the plight of farmers in rural India but never felt like I was learning only that I was enjoying the story and getting to know the characters in her book. I've already bought copies of this book for friends and family and have been recommending it to everyone. If you need a good book in your life this is the book you've been looking for. This is a beautiful book and I loved reading it.
May 8, 2015
Can a book be written too perfectly? Yes, I found out when reading this and it suffered for it. However, that is perhaps the best flaw ever mentioned, and it doesn't sully my hardy recommendation for this book- too much.
As a writer, I'm painfully aware of the bones of stories when I read. Sometimes I can still get lost in masterful storytelling, but there is usually a part of my brain that watches the process. I didn't read much about this book, not even the full inner flap because I hate spoilers, and it began to reveal too much. I knew nothing of the author. But already in chapter 1 on Aurora Bridge in Seattle I felt a stiffness of statistics and manipulation of information that made me suspect...and in chapter 2 when it wraps to tie in with the suicides in the village I knew - this writer is a journalist. It's the only problem in this otherwise outstanding story. Not because facts come into it-they are most worthy of telling- but because the characters like the incredibly alive Gayatribai and vivid scenes like dressing for the mass-wedding are unevenly paired with others that come across more wooden and seemed programmed to the purpose of the news behind the story or the structure of stories done correctly. The organic growth of story feels stunted, or perhaps harshly pruned is a better metaphor, in spots. And in those moments I doubt the story. I feel it is a perfectly constructed ruse just written to teach me instead of the story of those I'm coming to know and want to love. It creates distance when I do understand their plight instead of moving me to reach out to them and work for justice by their sides.
I wanted to be swept away in the manner I have been by other writers with origins in India. They are some of the best I've read. I want the ancient earth and colors and smells and hearts of the people to carry the anguish and struggle and beauty of this culture to me. There are moments and scenes where this happens in FOREIGN. And it happens in the characters, imagery that becomes movingly poetic, and even in the newsworthy action. In the scene of the protest Gayatribai sings for me. The depth and poignancy of her soul and actions come bursting out of the hardcover and will stay with me for a long time. It is well worth reading for these moments, and it shows that Sonora Jha, this journalist, is also a novelist and has potential to be a master...but not yet. It is her first novel after all. And a fabulous one. But I hope her characters will live their own full lives next time and the story will unfold from within all of them even when it doesn't quite fit the points to be made and doesn't quite wrap on every nuance foreshadowed. Allowing the story to breathe more would make this story breathtaking. It is still one to inhale deeply and to finish reading with a long sigh. Contentment, new understanding, sadness, resignation, resolve? That sigh is complex. Job well done, Sonora Jha.
As a writer, I'm painfully aware of the bones of stories when I read. Sometimes I can still get lost in masterful storytelling, but there is usually a part of my brain that watches the process. I didn't read much about this book, not even the full inner flap because I hate spoilers, and it began to reveal too much. I knew nothing of the author. But already in chapter 1 on Aurora Bridge in Seattle I felt a stiffness of statistics and manipulation of information that made me suspect...and in chapter 2 when it wraps to tie in with the suicides in the village I knew - this writer is a journalist. It's the only problem in this otherwise outstanding story. Not because facts come into it-they are most worthy of telling- but because the characters like the incredibly alive Gayatribai and vivid scenes like dressing for the mass-wedding are unevenly paired with others that come across more wooden and seemed programmed to the purpose of the news behind the story or the structure of stories done correctly. The organic growth of story feels stunted, or perhaps harshly pruned is a better metaphor, in spots. And in those moments I doubt the story. I feel it is a perfectly constructed ruse just written to teach me instead of the story of those I'm coming to know and want to love. It creates distance when I do understand their plight instead of moving me to reach out to them and work for justice by their sides.
I wanted to be swept away in the manner I have been by other writers with origins in India. They are some of the best I've read. I want the ancient earth and colors and smells and hearts of the people to carry the anguish and struggle and beauty of this culture to me. There are moments and scenes where this happens in FOREIGN. And it happens in the characters, imagery that becomes movingly poetic, and even in the newsworthy action. In the scene of the protest Gayatribai sings for me. The depth and poignancy of her soul and actions come bursting out of the hardcover and will stay with me for a long time. It is well worth reading for these moments, and it shows that Sonora Jha, this journalist, is also a novelist and has potential to be a master...but not yet. It is her first novel after all. And a fabulous one. But I hope her characters will live their own full lives next time and the story will unfold from within all of them even when it doesn't quite fit the points to be made and doesn't quite wrap on every nuance foreshadowed. Allowing the story to breathe more would make this story breathtaking. It is still one to inhale deeply and to finish reading with a long sigh. Contentment, new understanding, sadness, resignation, resolve? That sigh is complex. Job well done, Sonora Jha.
December 6, 2013
Disappointing , it has successfully displaced One Night at the call centre from the worst book i have ever read , in fact now Bhagat's exploits look harmless to me.
This book is The Hindu shortlist which says - 'Her debut novel, Foreign, is literary fiction based on the true stories of farmers' suicides in Vidarbha ...It brings together her work as a journalist, an academic, and a creative writer ' , having just finished it , that quote is nothing but a very tragic and self-serving sales pitch.
All characters of the book are stereotypes in a peculiar fashion , the author hints she is conscious of it but yet is oblivious making her crime even bigger, all thought complexities or intelligence seems to reside to the protagonist and her son, the villagers and the activist are always waiting for their pearls of wisdom and direction , it's subtle .Using her protagonist the author has gone over-board with her contemptous outlook. It's a NRI form of white man's burden.
There is nothing wrong with with the form of the book but the substance is repulsive , Having read Muddy River, The Householder and AR Roy one can see through the superficiality and selfishness of the endeavor.
Interestingly this reflects what's wrong with the elites in India , even admist the choas self-preservation and promotion is always preferred and reform should be peripheral without disturbing their family ethos-fabric which could be modern or traditional.This book should be a case study on how not to write a book on a sensitive topic as Farmer suicide.
But people who need the book to know that farmer suicides do happen may love the book anyone else would be deeply disappointed.
This book could have been fine if she hadn't chosen farmer's suicide as a backdrop of an elitist non-consequential family drama.
This book is The Hindu shortlist which says - 'Her debut novel, Foreign, is literary fiction based on the true stories of farmers' suicides in Vidarbha ...It brings together her work as a journalist, an academic, and a creative writer ' , having just finished it , that quote is nothing but a very tragic and self-serving sales pitch.
All characters of the book are stereotypes in a peculiar fashion , the author hints she is conscious of it but yet is oblivious making her crime even bigger, all thought complexities or intelligence seems to reside to the protagonist and her son, the villagers and the activist are always waiting for their pearls of wisdom and direction , it's subtle .Using her protagonist the author has gone over-board with her contemptous outlook. It's a NRI form of white man's burden.
There is nothing wrong with with the form of the book but the substance is repulsive , Having read Muddy River, The Householder and AR Roy one can see through the superficiality and selfishness of the endeavor.
Interestingly this reflects what's wrong with the elites in India , even admist the choas self-preservation and promotion is always preferred and reform should be peripheral without disturbing their family ethos-fabric which could be modern or traditional.This book should be a case study on how not to write a book on a sensitive topic as Farmer suicide.
But people who need the book to know that farmer suicides do happen may love the book anyone else would be deeply disappointed.
This book could have been fine if she hadn't chosen farmer's suicide as a backdrop of an elitist non-consequential family drama.
February 3, 2020
I want to rate it 4.5 or so, so I just rounded up. The story compelled me, and I didn't know what some of the twists and turns would reveal, as I read. Satisfying ending.
I think my only "complaint" might be that I felt somehow distanced from the emotional impact of the story, particularly the main character Katya, most likely due to the third person POV. She was very much an observer, and as a gateway POV this was informative, but distancing. And her left-behind fiance was nothing more than a two-dimensional prop; although, to be fair, the story is 97% in the Indian village, not her adopted Seattle home, where Alec is awaiting her return.
As a vehicle for educating readers about an ongoing crisis in India (economic, social, environmental, etc), this narrative delivers. Engaging character relationships pulled me through the novel, despite its skimming the surface of full character development.
My favorite aspect of this novel is the deliciousness of the words; specifically unique descriptive phrases really draw me in. There is not too much, just the right amount of scenic luxuriating.
I think my only "complaint" might be that I felt somehow distanced from the emotional impact of the story, particularly the main character Katya, most likely due to the third person POV. She was very much an observer, and as a gateway POV this was informative, but distancing. And her left-behind fiance was nothing more than a two-dimensional prop; although, to be fair, the story is 97% in the Indian village, not her adopted Seattle home, where Alec is awaiting her return.
As a vehicle for educating readers about an ongoing crisis in India (economic, social, environmental, etc), this narrative delivers. Engaging character relationships pulled me through the novel, despite its skimming the surface of full character development.
My favorite aspect of this novel is the deliciousness of the words; specifically unique descriptive phrases really draw me in. There is not too much, just the right amount of scenic luxuriating.
May 8, 2018
I have read so many books and in almost every book from the starting one could anticipate the ending or atleast what book holds within but “Foreign” left me in complete awe. I couldn’t guess what the next turn of page would bring to me .
The story revolves around a women named katyayini and her son and how their lives turn upside down when one fine day her son decides to run away to a foreign land to meet his father whom he had never known. Through the story author has talked about the conditions of farmers in Indian economy and the core reasons for the ever growing suicide rates.
Also the book shows the real scenario of our agricultural sector and how difficult life could get yet how one stands up in the most odd times of their life to fight back.
The story revolves around a women named katyayini and her son and how their lives turn upside down when one fine day her son decides to run away to a foreign land to meet his father whom he had never known. Through the story author has talked about the conditions of farmers in Indian economy and the core reasons for the ever growing suicide rates.
Also the book shows the real scenario of our agricultural sector and how difficult life could get yet how one stands up in the most odd times of their life to fight back.
February 6, 2020
It is an easy read with simple prose and a creative way to shed light on the plight of Indian farmers whose ways of life are getting squeezed out by agrobusinesses and genetically modified crops in the global economy. The premise of the book is unrealistic and the foreigners' perspective, although it makes it more relatable to the Western reader, makes it seem as if a foreigner can just settle down in a village and help extricate the locals out of an ordeal that they have been dealing with for many years. The visual imagery and descriptive language is very good considering the author is a journalist by trade.
July 3, 2018
A simple book which talks about a topic very common yet ignored in India. The characters are hard to empathize with, because they're all on extreme endpoints of different tangents. A boy who grew up in Seattle, but instantly very comfortable in a village, a mom who lets her 14 year old stay behind in a village, surrounded by dangers both natural and humane, and a guy who lets the woman he loves and his son to move to another country. The character buildup of the other people in the book is much better though.
Also, being a very simple story, some parts seemed to have been romanticized way too much, with poetry and metaphorical descriptions which were completely unnecessary and out of place. However, there were certain lines so well placed, they made me go "Ooh snap". 😅
Overall, a nice one time read.
Also, being a very simple story, some parts seemed to have been romanticized way too much, with poetry and metaphorical descriptions which were completely unnecessary and out of place. However, there were certain lines so well placed, they made me go "Ooh snap". 😅
Overall, a nice one time read.
December 1, 2016
The start was so good, a real page-turner in the beginning. But the story lost its charm in the mid. I felt the author tried to fit in quite a lot of drama, thereby, making the reader question the genuineness of the story of the protagonists. It didn't quite seem plausible to me that anything and everything is happening to one family. And the ending also didn't connect with me- it was as if the author wanted to somehow come to a conclusion, no matter how unreasonable it might come across. Even though the book touched upon a every important issue- the plight of the Indian farmers, yet it was a disappointment.
However, there were some really nice quotes & shero-shayari in between. A few of them I have penned down for you:
1. 'Ghalib would say ... her gaze upon me puts a glow on my face ... and she assumes that this ailing man is well.'
(Unke dekhe se jo aa jati hai mung par raunak,
woh samajhte hain ki bimaar ka haal acha hai)
2. But she knows better than to fall into the trap of 'belonging'. Just when you think you do, someone shows you that you don't, or lets you go, or, worst of all, tells you you are free to leave. If rugs are so easy to pull from under your feet, it's best not to stand on rugs at all.
However, there were some really nice quotes & shero-shayari in between. A few of them I have penned down for you:
1. 'Ghalib would say ... her gaze upon me puts a glow on my face ... and she assumes that this ailing man is well.'
(Unke dekhe se jo aa jati hai mung par raunak,
woh samajhte hain ki bimaar ka haal acha hai)
2. But she knows better than to fall into the trap of 'belonging'. Just when you think you do, someone shows you that you don't, or lets you go, or, worst of all, tells you you are free to leave. If rugs are so easy to pull from under your feet, it's best not to stand on rugs at all.
January 16, 2014
This debut novel by Sonora Jha has fully captured my heart. The reader is treated to glimpses of beautiful and subtly nuanced relationships in the midst of an emotional, compelling story of farmer suicides in India. Jha's gift with words is remarkable - perfectly balancing the narration of her characters' stories while highlighting the complexities of such a devastating and widespread issue that has yet to receive sufficient media attention today. Here's hoping that this exquisite novel can help spark more conversation on this topic.
December 25, 2015
It is a very nice plot but she completely failed to do justice with the characters which proved to be two-dimensional. There is inconsistency in the writing style and the flow is abrupt.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews