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Intemperance
A middle-aged woman starts a firestorm when she holds a contest, based on an ancient Indian ritual, in which men must compete to win her affections.
A woman who has left two husbands announces she will celebrate her 55th birthday by holding a swayamvar. Drawn from an ancient custom in her Indian culture, this is an event in which suitors line up to compete in a feat of wills and strength to win a beautiful princess’s hand in marriage. The woman, a renowned and respected intellectual in an American town who had once declared she was "past such petty matters as love" is setting herself up for widespread societal ridicule. But her self-esteem and sexual libido are off the charts even as her body withers from disability, fading beauty, and an appetite for cake.
A woman who has left two husbands announces she will celebrate her 55th birthday by holding a swayamvar. Drawn from an ancient custom in her Indian culture, this is an event in which suitors line up to compete in a feat of wills and strength to win a beautiful princess’s hand in marriage. The woman, a renowned and respected intellectual in an American town who had once declared she was "past such petty matters as love" is setting herself up for widespread societal ridicule. But her self-esteem and sexual libido are off the charts even as her body withers from disability, fading beauty, and an appetite for cake.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2025
50 people are currently reading
7124 people want to read
About the author
Sonora Jha
7 books184 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 - 30 of 80 reviews
October 17, 2025
I love books centered around middle aged women who defy social constructs and Intemperence is the perfect example of this!
I just adored the main character! She’s a bold and brazen intellectual who goes after what she wants while embracing herself completely. The self love and acceptance she had for herself as well as her refusal to conform to social norms was inspiring. I also really enjoyed learning more about the ancient Indian custom of the swayamvar which is where a woman chooses a husband from a group of suitors.
Intemperance is a hilarious story told from a feminist perspective (which I loved). The book explores many themes including the prevalence of Ageism in women, Identity, sexuality, and socioeconomic class. Along with Intemperance, I also highly recommend checking out Sonora’s prior work, The Laughter which was one of my top reads of 2023.
I listened to the audiobook version of Intemperance, which is read by Sneha Matham who did an excellent job.
Intemperance by Sonora Jha was published on October 14 so it's available now! Many thanks to Harper Audio, Harper Via, and NetGalley for the gifted copy!
I just adored the main character! She’s a bold and brazen intellectual who goes after what she wants while embracing herself completely. The self love and acceptance she had for herself as well as her refusal to conform to social norms was inspiring. I also really enjoyed learning more about the ancient Indian custom of the swayamvar which is where a woman chooses a husband from a group of suitors.
Intemperance is a hilarious story told from a feminist perspective (which I loved). The book explores many themes including the prevalence of Ageism in women, Identity, sexuality, and socioeconomic class. Along with Intemperance, I also highly recommend checking out Sonora’s prior work, The Laughter which was one of my top reads of 2023.
I listened to the audiobook version of Intemperance, which is read by Sneha Matham who did an excellent job.
Intemperance by Sonora Jha was published on October 14 so it's available now! Many thanks to Harper Audio, Harper Via, and NetGalley for the gifted copy!
November 30, 2025
3.5 stars. I don't know if this really works as a novel, but this book got in my head like almost nothing else I can remember in the last few years.
A twice-divorced, happily single professor decides to have a swayamvar, a traditional ceremony where a woman chooses a husband from a pool of vying men through tasks and feats. What I loved about this book was the time spent thinking about marriage and partnership in a very distinctive way. Our protagonist and narrator does not need anyone, no one understands what she is doing, but she pushes on through force of will. The absurdity of this ritual in the modern age is part of what makes the story so interesting. It's hard to imagine modern men participating in this kind of ritual, having to prove themselves and risk humiliation, submitting themselves before a woman in hopes of being chosen. This is the thing Jha turns over and over as we move through the book.
There is a subplot involving visions of our protagonist's ancestors that never worked for me, I didn't feel that it really connected back to what the book had to say in a meaningful way.
I loved Jha's first novel, THE LAUGHTER, which was prickly and difficult with a hateful protagonist. This is quite different, but both books really get stuck in your head and get your wheels turning. I'll definitely be reading whatever she does next.
A twice-divorced, happily single professor decides to have a swayamvar, a traditional ceremony where a woman chooses a husband from a pool of vying men through tasks and feats. What I loved about this book was the time spent thinking about marriage and partnership in a very distinctive way. Our protagonist and narrator does not need anyone, no one understands what she is doing, but she pushes on through force of will. The absurdity of this ritual in the modern age is part of what makes the story so interesting. It's hard to imagine modern men participating in this kind of ritual, having to prove themselves and risk humiliation, submitting themselves before a woman in hopes of being chosen. This is the thing Jha turns over and over as we move through the book.
There is a subplot involving visions of our protagonist's ancestors that never worked for me, I didn't feel that it really connected back to what the book had to say in a meaningful way.
I loved Jha's first novel, THE LAUGHTER, which was prickly and difficult with a hateful protagonist. This is quite different, but both books really get stuck in your head and get your wheels turning. I'll definitely be reading whatever she does next.
October 7, 2025
I thought the premise of this novel sounded intriguing when I first heard of it, but I did not expect to love it nearly as much as I did. It had me from hello:
I am not the sort of person to throw a lavish party, but this is no ordinary party and the thing that makes it necessary is no ordinary loneliness.
A twice-divorced, fifty-four-year-old well-respected professor of Sociology at a Seattle University reaches back to her Indian heritage and determines to celebrate her next birthday with a Hindu tradition called a swayamvar. The way it works is, she will extend an open invitation to suitors to vie for her hand in marriage and win her by performing feats designed to prove their worthiness and love. In spite of the strangeness of this plan by a well-educated American-based 21st century professional and academic, and her understandable trepidation about the possible repercussions, she has the support of a loving grown son and a devoted best friend, and finds other very unexpected sources of help along the way. Sometimes when you’re in a rut, you need to get a little weird.
The story of her event-planning journey and the swayamvar itself involves ritual and tradition, mysterious missives and gifts from unknown relatives, secrets from her family history, hallucinatory experiences, encounters with mysterious strangers who seem to have messages to impart, as well as meditations on aging and disability, betrayal, forgiveness, and emotional generosity, the importance of self-love, the courage to be who you are, and never giving up.
This book went a lot deeper than expected on themes of gender roles and patriarchy and love within all kinds of relationships, including believing in one’s self. I liked this protagonist so very much. This book is going on my “kick-ass heroines” shelf.
Expected publication date is October 14, 2025. Thanks to HarperVia for my Advance Readers Copy.
I am not the sort of person to throw a lavish party, but this is no ordinary party and the thing that makes it necessary is no ordinary loneliness.
A twice-divorced, fifty-four-year-old well-respected professor of Sociology at a Seattle University reaches back to her Indian heritage and determines to celebrate her next birthday with a Hindu tradition called a swayamvar. The way it works is, she will extend an open invitation to suitors to vie for her hand in marriage and win her by performing feats designed to prove their worthiness and love. In spite of the strangeness of this plan by a well-educated American-based 21st century professional and academic, and her understandable trepidation about the possible repercussions, she has the support of a loving grown son and a devoted best friend, and finds other very unexpected sources of help along the way. Sometimes when you’re in a rut, you need to get a little weird.
The story of her event-planning journey and the swayamvar itself involves ritual and tradition, mysterious missives and gifts from unknown relatives, secrets from her family history, hallucinatory experiences, encounters with mysterious strangers who seem to have messages to impart, as well as meditations on aging and disability, betrayal, forgiveness, and emotional generosity, the importance of self-love, the courage to be who you are, and never giving up.
This book went a lot deeper than expected on themes of gender roles and patriarchy and love within all kinds of relationships, including believing in one’s self. I liked this protagonist so very much. This book is going on my “kick-ass heroines” shelf.
Expected publication date is October 14, 2025. Thanks to HarperVia for my Advance Readers Copy.
August 11, 2025
Sonora Jha’s Intemperance is an audacious work that combines literary themes with magical realism to spotlight an unconventional main character’s inner world.
When is the last time you have read a book with a fifty-five-year-old disabled Indian woman as the protagonist? If you’re like me, the answer is probably “never,” followed by some reflection about the lack of diversity in literary fiction. Intemperance follows a feminist sociologist who decides that she’s tired of being lonely. Two divorces and a long stretch of solitude provided her with perspective and joy, but she’s ready to meet the man of her dreams. She decides to hold a swayamvar, an ancient Indian marriage ritual in which men compete for a woman’s hand in marriage. The story follows her in preparation for this ritual as she meets new people, contemplates intersectional feminism, and reflects on her life and heritage.
I requested Intemperance because I loved Jha’s previous novel, The Laughter. Intemperance diverges from The Laughter in many respects: it is languorous, dreamy, and gentle where The Laughter is taut, tense, and violent. Intemperance unabashedly celebrates its protagonist’s inner world. Appropriately, the novel’s mirrors its protagonist’s intemperance through digressions that burst with excess and joie de vivre.
Jha is never afraid to disrupt the reader’s expectations. Her literary boldness compliments the book’s steadfast feminism. She uses the encounters her protagonist has with others and herself to continuously reaffirm the claim older, disabled, women of color have to joy and sexuality. While I appreciate what Intemperance brings to the table thematically, I often found my attention slipping due to its, well, intemperance. I grew confused and annoyed at the element of magical realism that seemed thinly related to the central story. I tired of the repetitive musings on the nature of feminism. By the end, I found that I didn’t really care about the swayamvar or its outcome.
Intemperance turns out to be a work I admire far more than I enjoyed. I suspect reactions to it will be mixed, but I encourage literary fiction readers who don’t mind some magical realism to pick it up and form their own opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When is the last time you have read a book with a fifty-five-year-old disabled Indian woman as the protagonist? If you’re like me, the answer is probably “never,” followed by some reflection about the lack of diversity in literary fiction. Intemperance follows a feminist sociologist who decides that she’s tired of being lonely. Two divorces and a long stretch of solitude provided her with perspective and joy, but she’s ready to meet the man of her dreams. She decides to hold a swayamvar, an ancient Indian marriage ritual in which men compete for a woman’s hand in marriage. The story follows her in preparation for this ritual as she meets new people, contemplates intersectional feminism, and reflects on her life and heritage.
I requested Intemperance because I loved Jha’s previous novel, The Laughter. Intemperance diverges from The Laughter in many respects: it is languorous, dreamy, and gentle where The Laughter is taut, tense, and violent. Intemperance unabashedly celebrates its protagonist’s inner world. Appropriately, the novel’s mirrors its protagonist’s intemperance through digressions that burst with excess and joie de vivre.
Jha is never afraid to disrupt the reader’s expectations. Her literary boldness compliments the book’s steadfast feminism. She uses the encounters her protagonist has with others and herself to continuously reaffirm the claim older, disabled, women of color have to joy and sexuality. While I appreciate what Intemperance brings to the table thematically, I often found my attention slipping due to its, well, intemperance. I grew confused and annoyed at the element of magical realism that seemed thinly related to the central story. I tired of the repetitive musings on the nature of feminism. By the end, I found that I didn’t really care about the swayamvar or its outcome.
Intemperance turns out to be a work I admire far more than I enjoyed. I suspect reactions to it will be mixed, but I encourage literary fiction readers who don’t mind some magical realism to pick it up and form their own opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2025
I wasn't my fave. It took me ages to really get into the vibes. It was pretty slow and a bit montonal but it seemed to find its groove in the last half of the book.
I think this would have been better to read because the audio just did not grip me and the plot sounded so great.
3 stars
I think this would have been better to read because the audio just did not grip me and the plot sounded so great.
3 stars
October 5, 2025
This started really strong, lost its way a bit in the middle and landed the ending.
September 1, 2025
4⭐
Heartfelt, sensitive, and a journey.
When a feminist professor chooses to hold a ritual test of feats to find her third husband, it sets off a whirlwind of confusion, scandal, confusion, and history.
I'll admit, I had my phases with this book. I will admit that perhaps I was reading this not at the correct time for everything to hit as hard as it should. Maybe if I had been in a better headspace or situation that this would have landed better, I'd be over the moon.
That said, I can tell when a work is deeply cutting and emotionally charged. Sonora Jha is a masterclass in combining fiction, magical qualities, and womanhood to create a story that can be hard to read because of its brutal honesty and truth. Coming out of this, I can't but feel the love pouring out of these pages wrapped in beautiful and, at-times, poetic verses.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for an ARC of this work!
Heartfelt, sensitive, and a journey.
When a feminist professor chooses to hold a ritual test of feats to find her third husband, it sets off a whirlwind of confusion, scandal, confusion, and history.
I'll admit, I had my phases with this book. I will admit that perhaps I was reading this not at the correct time for everything to hit as hard as it should. Maybe if I had been in a better headspace or situation that this would have landed better, I'd be over the moon.
That said, I can tell when a work is deeply cutting and emotionally charged. Sonora Jha is a masterclass in combining fiction, magical qualities, and womanhood to create a story that can be hard to read because of its brutal honesty and truth. Coming out of this, I can't but feel the love pouring out of these pages wrapped in beautiful and, at-times, poetic verses.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for an ARC of this work!
December 9, 2025
Such a beautiful book. Warm, funny, wise, sensual, and full of goodness. Builds to a lovely close. So many well observed moments along the way.
Disclosure: happy to count the author a friend. But it’s still 5 stars.
Disclosure: happy to count the author a friend. But it’s still 5 stars.
May 31, 2025
I first off would like to say that I was ecstatic to find & be offered to read this book solely based on my love for Jha’s “The Laughter” that was published a few years back. I truthfully read that book in one sitting and adored it, so I was pleased to see a second book of Jha’s being published!
This story was absolutely stunning and Jha’s weaving of feminist ideals, humor, history, and exploration of identity truly made this book shine. The main character’s quest for love as an older woman with a disability in a seemingly uncharacteristic way (based on the story that is weaved about her identity throughout) seemed to me to not only be a conversation about the act of looking for love as a woman BUT as a test to herself. Similarly, the characters throughout the book add great value and conversation to the story, often through the discussion of the main character’s underlying expertise in gender studies and through the history of her culture.
This book was truly is a shining star at integrating many complex topics into a story and overall conversation in a way that felt natural, beautiful, and necessary. And the ending truly had me grinning from ear to ear.
Thank you to NetGalley & HarperVia for an opportunity to read the ARC of this book!
This story was absolutely stunning and Jha’s weaving of feminist ideals, humor, history, and exploration of identity truly made this book shine. The main character’s quest for love as an older woman with a disability in a seemingly uncharacteristic way (based on the story that is weaved about her identity throughout) seemed to me to not only be a conversation about the act of looking for love as a woman BUT as a test to herself. Similarly, the characters throughout the book add great value and conversation to the story, often through the discussion of the main character’s underlying expertise in gender studies and through the history of her culture.
This book was truly is a shining star at integrating many complex topics into a story and overall conversation in a way that felt natural, beautiful, and necessary. And the ending truly had me grinning from ear to ear.
Thank you to NetGalley & HarperVia for an opportunity to read the ARC of this book!
November 30, 2025
2.5// this was longlisted for the Aspen Words literary prize. We get an unnamed middle-aged Indian professor who studies feminist sociology. She has been twice-divorced and is planning to throw a swayamvar, which is basically the Indian version of The Bachelorette. She plans to throw a public wedding where suitors will compete against each other to win her marriage. This book tackles a lot in a short amount of time and is trying to touch on the intersectionality of race, age, gender, sexuality, disability, class (pertaining to the caste system), family history, Indian folklore… which in the end just didn’t work for me. It’s also one of those books where it’s more about the past than the present, which is a device I generally don’t like. I think the disability lens was the most successful, but there was too much going on that took us away from the swayamvar.
October 28, 2025
the swayamvar only takes place in the last 10 pages just FYI to future readers !!!
November 29, 2025
“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵. 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯, 𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭����𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯.”
Thank you HarperVia Books for this gifted copy! I also followed along with the audio, which is narrated by the author herself! I learned a lot about Indian ceremonies in general (not just marital) and folklore/mythology, and found this to be sharp, candid, entertaining, humorous, though at times I did find myself spacing during her longwinded musings.
Due to the plot there is to-be-expected content, but thankfully I found it wasn’t overdone or all that explicit. I did find the structure and flow to be unique and wasn’t what I expected, which caught me a bit off guard and again, with the reflections, I wasn’t fully enamored throughout. Since I am unfamiliar with Indian folklore and myths, I missed a lot of the references, retellings, and metaphors, and was thankful the publisher provided a guide to accompany.
I’m still glad I read it as for me personally it was educational but I felt the conclusion didn’t match the extent of the build-up; it felt so rushed. While there was plenty about womanhood and even the changes a female body experiences as we get older I could relate to, the aspect of marriage (or in her case marriages) was something I didn’t connect with.
Content includes some profanity, brief references to underage sexual harassment and r*pe, a ceremony involves a slaughtered animal, frequent sexual innuendos, references to disabilities and chronic health conditions, divorce, and infidelity.
Thank you HarperVia Books for this gifted copy! I also followed along with the audio, which is narrated by the author herself! I learned a lot about Indian ceremonies in general (not just marital) and folklore/mythology, and found this to be sharp, candid, entertaining, humorous, though at times I did find myself spacing during her longwinded musings.
Due to the plot there is to-be-expected content, but thankfully I found it wasn’t overdone or all that explicit. I did find the structure and flow to be unique and wasn’t what I expected, which caught me a bit off guard and again, with the reflections, I wasn’t fully enamored throughout. Since I am unfamiliar with Indian folklore and myths, I missed a lot of the references, retellings, and metaphors, and was thankful the publisher provided a guide to accompany.
I’m still glad I read it as for me personally it was educational but I felt the conclusion didn’t match the extent of the build-up; it felt so rushed. While there was plenty about womanhood and even the changes a female body experiences as we get older I could relate to, the aspect of marriage (or in her case marriages) was something I didn’t connect with.
Content includes some profanity, brief references to underage sexual harassment and r*pe, a ceremony involves a slaughtered animal, frequent sexual innuendos, references to disabilities and chronic health conditions, divorce, and infidelity.
August 27, 2025
This lush novel of desire and self-love features a sensual menopausal professor seeking a mate for her third marriage.
She decides to hold a ritual swayamvar, or contest of feats, updated for the characteristics she desires in a partner today. Her announcement causes something of a sensation and a former student, now a wedding planner, steps up to help her navigate all the permits, event details, and social media. The story is about seeking, finding, and holding on to those you love and adapting to one’s changed circumstances while staying true to one’s self. Several interesting twists and discussions about aging and disabilities added to the weight of the story while magical elements and traditional stories added charm.
“No one is looking. No one has expectations any more,” she writes, regarding being a woman of a certain age. “Somewhere between the void of expectations and the abyss of irrelevance, I want to float up, one arm outstretched, to find an intimate other.”
I found a lot to like about the frank heroine and her life on a houseboat in the Seattle area. Beautiful writing and excellent narration.
My thanks to the author, @HarperAudio, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #Temperance for review purposes. Publication date: 14 October 2025.
She decides to hold a ritual swayamvar, or contest of feats, updated for the characteristics she desires in a partner today. Her announcement causes something of a sensation and a former student, now a wedding planner, steps up to help her navigate all the permits, event details, and social media. The story is about seeking, finding, and holding on to those you love and adapting to one’s changed circumstances while staying true to one’s self. Several interesting twists and discussions about aging and disabilities added to the weight of the story while magical elements and traditional stories added charm.
“No one is looking. No one has expectations any more,” she writes, regarding being a woman of a certain age. “Somewhere between the void of expectations and the abyss of irrelevance, I want to float up, one arm outstretched, to find an intimate other.”
I found a lot to like about the frank heroine and her life on a houseboat in the Seattle area. Beautiful writing and excellent narration.
My thanks to the author, @HarperAudio, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #Temperance for review purposes. Publication date: 14 October 2025.
December 13, 2025
Sonora Jha can WRITE, both beautiful sentences and complex characters that pull you in. This book is about a fifty-something year old woman who decided to throw herself a “swayamvar,” a tradition in which men are invited to perform feats and compete for her hand in marriage. She’s twice divorced, and a professor in feminist and masculinity studies, so this plan causes some extra commotion in the fabric of her life. I thought this would be a story about a woman and the men seeking to win her heart—it’s not. It’s a story about a woman and her love for herself. It’s about women and men, how women must live and think and feel in the world of men; what women want in a man and what we want in ourselves. The myths and stories we’ve been told and those we want to create for ourselves. There is some magical realism at moments, and some hallucinatory dips into the past that I personally could have done without; but overall I really enjoyed my time getting to know this woman, mother, friend.
November 17, 2025
Quite wonderful. I feel an excruciating affinity for the protagonist with all of our similarities and all of our differences. I don't think it will resonate with first-year college students, although it will absolutely "slay" in average book clubs! I'm even more convinced that one day I will need to learn Hindi.
September 30, 2025
without question, my favorite book this year
January 5, 2026
Overall meh, but I did like the overall Seattle houseboat setting and references like the Flower Lady
November 27, 2025
I think this is a 3.5 but maybe it’s a 4. Unsure. Lots going on here: beautiful writing and really interesting commentary, but it just lagged so much in the middle.
Want to read
March 16, 2025as someone who has been obsessed with the concept of swayamvars ever since i read the ramayana, i know this book is going to be so GOOD.
December 20, 2025
I’m changing my review from 4 to 5 stars because I cannot stop thinking about this one🩷
November 27, 2025
Features:
- Middle aged, disabled woman ‘taking space’ and challenging social norms
- Themes around identity, female sexuality, history, heritage, and feminism
- Literary fiction infused with magical realism
Synopsis:
What does a well-known, middle aged, feminist sociologist do when faced with the prospect of finding love again? Well, this one decides to throw a swayamvar; an ancient Indian tradition in which suitors compete for a woman’s hand in marriage. As she starts to plan her swayamvar and consider what sort of challenges would prove a man was the right fit, her bold decision is faced with both criticism and support. However, finding what she is truly looking for will require facing past secrets, failed relationships, and a complicated family history.
Thoughts:
The candor and quirkiness of this book was an unexpected breath of fresh air. I loved seeing a middle aged, disabled woman of color unapologetically taking up space in her world. Though she definitely has her flaws, she is also self aware and self accepting in a way that is rarely seen with younger characters; especially if they are women. I think a lot of women will relate to the way this narrator embraces her independence while still desiring a meaningful partnership and trying to define what that sort of relationship would look like for her. I particularly loved this narrator’s practical approach to the whole affair. She is not without emotion, but her intellectual reflections and expression of her sexual needs and desires helps turn the slightly absurd situation into a rich ground for deeper exploration.
This is very much a literary piece with a bit of magical realism mixed in. Since a lot of it is told through the narrator’s ruminations, it has a meandering, poetic quality. As a result, the pace felt a little slow to me, but not in a bad way. This is a story that wants you to truly engage with its themes and takes its time to develop them. Admittedly, I was ready for the narrator to ‘get on with it’ a couple of times towards the middle of the story, but the story overall evolves in a fantastic way. The magical realism element comes into play in the form of a family curse that causes the narrator to look far back in her family history while also coming to terms with her more recent history. I felt like I learned a lot through this exploration and loved what it added to the personal journey the narrator was on.
Where this book is definitely quirky, it is definitely not as ‘light hearted’ as the synopsis might suggest. Despite the swayamvar being out of place in both time and its typical context, it is used as a vehicle for serious reflection on the part of the narrator. This book is not without its humorous moments, but readers should be aware that it stays firmly in the serious literary fiction category.
Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review
- Middle aged, disabled woman ‘taking space’ and challenging social norms
- Themes around identity, female sexuality, history, heritage, and feminism
- Literary fiction infused with magical realism
Synopsis:
What does a well-known, middle aged, feminist sociologist do when faced with the prospect of finding love again? Well, this one decides to throw a swayamvar; an ancient Indian tradition in which suitors compete for a woman’s hand in marriage. As she starts to plan her swayamvar and consider what sort of challenges would prove a man was the right fit, her bold decision is faced with both criticism and support. However, finding what she is truly looking for will require facing past secrets, failed relationships, and a complicated family history.
Thoughts:
The candor and quirkiness of this book was an unexpected breath of fresh air. I loved seeing a middle aged, disabled woman of color unapologetically taking up space in her world. Though she definitely has her flaws, she is also self aware and self accepting in a way that is rarely seen with younger characters; especially if they are women. I think a lot of women will relate to the way this narrator embraces her independence while still desiring a meaningful partnership and trying to define what that sort of relationship would look like for her. I particularly loved this narrator’s practical approach to the whole affair. She is not without emotion, but her intellectual reflections and expression of her sexual needs and desires helps turn the slightly absurd situation into a rich ground for deeper exploration.
This is very much a literary piece with a bit of magical realism mixed in. Since a lot of it is told through the narrator’s ruminations, it has a meandering, poetic quality. As a result, the pace felt a little slow to me, but not in a bad way. This is a story that wants you to truly engage with its themes and takes its time to develop them. Admittedly, I was ready for the narrator to ‘get on with it’ a couple of times towards the middle of the story, but the story overall evolves in a fantastic way. The magical realism element comes into play in the form of a family curse that causes the narrator to look far back in her family history while also coming to terms with her more recent history. I felt like I learned a lot through this exploration and loved what it added to the personal journey the narrator was on.
Where this book is definitely quirky, it is definitely not as ‘light hearted’ as the synopsis might suggest. Despite the swayamvar being out of place in both time and its typical context, it is used as a vehicle for serious reflection on the part of the narrator. This book is not without its humorous moments, but readers should be aware that it stays firmly in the serious literary fiction category.
Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review
November 17, 2025
Two years ago, I discovered Sonora Jha through her compelling campus novel, The Laughter. For those of you who struggled with The Laughter’s repugnant narrator, I’m happy to report that Jha’s new novel is as equally compelling as her last, and this time she's given us a truly delightful narrator!
Intemperance tells the story of a twice-divorced middle-aged woman. She is an esteemed sociology and gender studies professor living alone on a house boat with her dog in Seattle. She is fiercely independent but has become exceedingly lonely. So she draws on her Indian heritage to throw herself a swayamvar: an ancient Indian matrimonial practice through which a bride selects her husband by publicly inviting suitors to compete for her hand. On a rational level, she knows, as a fifty-five year old woman with a disability, this bold decision will open herself up to social ridicule; however, on a deeper level she feels called to take this path. As the main character plans her swayamvar, she is visited by ancient hindu goddesses in modern form, and she receives news from an extended relative about a curse laid upon the women of her family.
I really enjoyed how the novel dipped into magical realism, and yet my favorite part of Intemperance was Jha’s realistic portrayal of the main character— Jha’s nameless narrator is complex and fully realized, both funny and thoughtful, with desires, vulnerabilities and flaws. I was charmed and captivated with her as a narrator, and I sincerely appreciated Jha’s centering of a middle-aged woman as a romantic heroine with self-esteem, sexual libido, and the conviction that she is deserving of love. (Bonus points that she is a woman of color with a disability!)
At various points throughout the book, the narrator touches on her experience with menopause with refreshing honesty. In many ways, Intemperance felt like the more relatable sibling to Miranda July’s “All Fours.” Ultimately, I believe we need more stories of middle-aged women living unconventional lives, and with Intemperance it feels like Sonora Jha is leading the charge. I loved Intemperance and I know many of my friends will too.
Thank you to HarperVia for the gifted copy and HarperAudio Adult for the gifted audiobook. While I’m sure this novel will be enjoyable in any format, I want to give a special shout out to Sneha Mathan who gave a phenomenal performance on the audiobook.
Lastly, I wanted to share that I was fortunate enough to catch the author during the Los Angeles stop in her book tour, and Sonora Jha was every bit as engrossing as the narrator of Intemperance (even though she half-jokingly reminded us that the book is not based on her life). I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Intemperance tells the story of a twice-divorced middle-aged woman. She is an esteemed sociology and gender studies professor living alone on a house boat with her dog in Seattle. She is fiercely independent but has become exceedingly lonely. So she draws on her Indian heritage to throw herself a swayamvar: an ancient Indian matrimonial practice through which a bride selects her husband by publicly inviting suitors to compete for her hand. On a rational level, she knows, as a fifty-five year old woman with a disability, this bold decision will open herself up to social ridicule; however, on a deeper level she feels called to take this path. As the main character plans her swayamvar, she is visited by ancient hindu goddesses in modern form, and she receives news from an extended relative about a curse laid upon the women of her family.
I really enjoyed how the novel dipped into magical realism, and yet my favorite part of Intemperance was Jha’s realistic portrayal of the main character— Jha’s nameless narrator is complex and fully realized, both funny and thoughtful, with desires, vulnerabilities and flaws. I was charmed and captivated with her as a narrator, and I sincerely appreciated Jha’s centering of a middle-aged woman as a romantic heroine with self-esteem, sexual libido, and the conviction that she is deserving of love. (Bonus points that she is a woman of color with a disability!)
At various points throughout the book, the narrator touches on her experience with menopause with refreshing honesty. In many ways, Intemperance felt like the more relatable sibling to Miranda July’s “All Fours.” Ultimately, I believe we need more stories of middle-aged women living unconventional lives, and with Intemperance it feels like Sonora Jha is leading the charge. I loved Intemperance and I know many of my friends will too.
Thank you to HarperVia for the gifted copy and HarperAudio Adult for the gifted audiobook. While I’m sure this novel will be enjoyable in any format, I want to give a special shout out to Sneha Mathan who gave a phenomenal performance on the audiobook.
Lastly, I wanted to share that I was fortunate enough to catch the author during the Los Angeles stop in her book tour, and Sonora Jha was every bit as engrossing as the narrator of Intemperance (even though she half-jokingly reminded us that the book is not based on her life). I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
November 29, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
Sonora Jha’s Intemperance is a bold, satirical, and deeply layered novel that interrogates desire, power, and cultural tradition through the lens of one woman’s audacious experiment in love and autonomy.
🕵️ At the heart of the story is a 55 year-old Indian American intellectual who has already left two husbands behind. On her birthday, she announces she will host a swayamvar—an ancient Indian ritual in which suitors compete for a woman���s hand.
By reviving this tradition in a modern American town, she sparks scandal, fascination, and ridicule. What begins as a contest of wills becomes a mirror reflecting society’s anxieties about aging, sexuality, and female agency.
🌟 Distinctive Qualities
- Subversive Ritual: The swayamvar, once a tool of patriarchal power, is reimagined as a feminist act of defiance.
- Unapologetic Protagonist: The heroine embraces her fading beauty, disability, and unabated appetite for pleasure, refusing to conform to expectations of restraint or invisibility.
- Cultural Fusion: Jha blends Indian myth with American satire, creating a narrative that feels both timeless and contemporary.
- Comic Edge: The novel balances sharp humor with serious questions about autonomy, making its provocations accessible and entertaining.
✍️ Jha’s prose is incisive, witty, and fearless. She moves seamlessly between biting social commentary and intimate interiority, allowing readers to feel both the absurdity of the contest and the vulnerability of the woman at its center. The rhythm of the narrative mirrors the chaos of the swayamvar—energetic, unpredictable, and charged with tension.
🎭 The novel insists that women’s sexuality and self-esteem do not expire with age.
By transplanting an ancient ritual into a contemporary setting, Jha exposes the contradictions of cultural inheritance.
The protagonist’s willingness to invite mockery becomes a radical act of self-possession.
The swayamvar is spectacle and battleground, highlighting how love, marriage, and reputation are entangled with social power.
📚Intemperance is a fearless, funny, and provocative novel that refuses to let its heroine be diminished by age, disability, or societal judgment. Jha transforms a cultural ritual into a stage for feminist rebellion, crafting a story that is as entertaining as it is intellectually daring. It is a novel that challenges readers to rethink the boundaries of desire, tradition, and selfhood.
Sonora Jha’s Intemperance is a bold, satirical, and deeply layered novel that interrogates desire, power, and cultural tradition through the lens of one woman’s audacious experiment in love and autonomy.
🕵️ At the heart of the story is a 55 year-old Indian American intellectual who has already left two husbands behind. On her birthday, she announces she will host a swayamvar—an ancient Indian ritual in which suitors compete for a woman���s hand.
By reviving this tradition in a modern American town, she sparks scandal, fascination, and ridicule. What begins as a contest of wills becomes a mirror reflecting society’s anxieties about aging, sexuality, and female agency.
🌟 Distinctive Qualities
- Subversive Ritual: The swayamvar, once a tool of patriarchal power, is reimagined as a feminist act of defiance.
- Unapologetic Protagonist: The heroine embraces her fading beauty, disability, and unabated appetite for pleasure, refusing to conform to expectations of restraint or invisibility.
- Cultural Fusion: Jha blends Indian myth with American satire, creating a narrative that feels both timeless and contemporary.
- Comic Edge: The novel balances sharp humor with serious questions about autonomy, making its provocations accessible and entertaining.
✍️ Jha’s prose is incisive, witty, and fearless. She moves seamlessly between biting social commentary and intimate interiority, allowing readers to feel both the absurdity of the contest and the vulnerability of the woman at its center. The rhythm of the narrative mirrors the chaos of the swayamvar—energetic, unpredictable, and charged with tension.
🎭 The novel insists that women’s sexuality and self-esteem do not expire with age.
By transplanting an ancient ritual into a contemporary setting, Jha exposes the contradictions of cultural inheritance.
The protagonist’s willingness to invite mockery becomes a radical act of self-possession.
The swayamvar is spectacle and battleground, highlighting how love, marriage, and reputation are entangled with social power.
📚Intemperance is a fearless, funny, and provocative novel that refuses to let its heroine be diminished by age, disability, or societal judgment. Jha transforms a cultural ritual into a stage for feminist rebellion, crafting a story that is as entertaining as it is intellectually daring. It is a novel that challenges readers to rethink the boundaries of desire, tradition, and selfhood.
November 20, 2025
The moment I heard the premise for this novel, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. A swayamvar in Seattle just has such a ring to it, and immediately brings up so many questions. In Hindu epics, swayamvars are for kings to marry off their princesses, and there is something so powerful about a twice-divorced sociology professor hosting a swayamvar for herself and her own desires. But that begs the question of what kind of feat could tell you that this is the man you want to marry? I really liked the expansive focus on love in your fifties and the self-assuredness of the main character’s views on love.
I did struggle a bit with a couple parts of the book. First of all, I went into it expecting a bit more of a satire. I would say instead the book is more of a social commentary that is very ideas focused, and not quite humorous or ridiculous in the way I would want from a satire. There are definitely some very funny and over the top moments though. I also was not really expecting the magical realism elements of the story, which are pretty much a central part of what moves the story forward. Basically, the main character is visited by many Hindu goddesses and heroines who are either in favor or against her swayamvar. I found this aspect of the story a bit challenging, since I was not really raised Hindu, so it was hard for me to make use of the allusions to other people’s stories. I do know the Ramayana though, and Sita’s stance and actions are hilarious and make perfect sense.
Lastly, there is another aspect to the story that I had no idea about going into it, but it was absolutely one of my favorite parts. The main character is told that she is cursed in matters of love because essentially, her great great great uncle was gay. Then she starts getting visions of this ancestor’s life in 1892 and his love story with a Dalit man. It was definitely confusing at first, but I think it was woven in really well to have this historical queer love story complimenting the present day, which really adds to the ways that conservatism, gossip culture, and gender roles really hinder the search for love. My only complaint would be that the ending is a little underwhelming. The historical storyline hits its emotional conclusion a good amount before the present storyline does. However, I do think the abrupt ending for the present storyline suits the novel. But overall, I loved that it was set in Seattle, and it brought up such interesting ideas.
I did struggle a bit with a couple parts of the book. First of all, I went into it expecting a bit more of a satire. I would say instead the book is more of a social commentary that is very ideas focused, and not quite humorous or ridiculous in the way I would want from a satire. There are definitely some very funny and over the top moments though. I also was not really expecting the magical realism elements of the story, which are pretty much a central part of what moves the story forward. Basically, the main character is visited by many Hindu goddesses and heroines who are either in favor or against her swayamvar. I found this aspect of the story a bit challenging, since I was not really raised Hindu, so it was hard for me to make use of the allusions to other people’s stories. I do know the Ramayana though, and Sita’s stance and actions are hilarious and make perfect sense.
Lastly, there is another aspect to the story that I had no idea about going into it, but it was absolutely one of my favorite parts. The main character is told that she is cursed in matters of love because essentially, her great great great uncle was gay. Then she starts getting visions of this ancestor’s life in 1892 and his love story with a Dalit man. It was definitely confusing at first, but I think it was woven in really well to have this historical queer love story complimenting the present day, which really adds to the ways that conservatism, gossip culture, and gender roles really hinder the search for love. My only complaint would be that the ending is a little underwhelming. The historical storyline hits its emotional conclusion a good amount before the present storyline does. However, I do think the abrupt ending for the present storyline suits the novel. But overall, I loved that it was set in Seattle, and it brought up such interesting ideas.
December 27, 2025
This book describes the development of a deeply contemplative approach to the challenges of modern life for a middle-aged disabled but sexually active intellectual woman while balancing any resulting heaviness with a sense of humorous insight. A twice divorced feminist scholar, when facing her mid-fifties alone and with no serious prospects, decides to hold a swayamvar, a sort of party-based competition by potential suitors based the ancient Indian culture that informs her and her family's perspectives. It is her hope to find the soulmate who will both love her for who she is and also support her in her ongoing efforts to fully love herself.
The book deals with some very difficult issues, including including struggles and societal issues with aging and disability, misogyny and feminism, balancing family culture with individuality, and so much more. As our protagonist moves through the weeks leading up to her swayamvar, the planning of which turns into something of a social media circus that threatens her profession as a well-respected academic, she thinks deeply about her meaning in the context of her family and both American and Indian societies. She examines the love (or lack thereof) for and by her friends, lovers, ex-husbands, other family members, and most importantly, herself. Jha manages to make all of this deep thinking happen in the context of a complicated plot involving all of the preparations for the swayamvar, flashbacks to a generations-old curse, and some magical realism involving a mysterious tin of kohl. This is contemplative literary fiction that is very difficult to put down.
The book is highly engaging, and made even more so in its audio form by an accomplished narrator, Sneha Mathan, who voices our main character in a bit of an Indian accent which adds authenticity without making understanding difficult for American readers. I believe the book would be very good even without Mathan's voicing, but she manages to capture just the right tone, somewhere between serious and sparkling, making listening to the book entertaining and thought provoking at the same time.
The book deals with some very difficult issues, including including struggles and societal issues with aging and disability, misogyny and feminism, balancing family culture with individuality, and so much more. As our protagonist moves through the weeks leading up to her swayamvar, the planning of which turns into something of a social media circus that threatens her profession as a well-respected academic, she thinks deeply about her meaning in the context of her family and both American and Indian societies. She examines the love (or lack thereof) for and by her friends, lovers, ex-husbands, other family members, and most importantly, herself. Jha manages to make all of this deep thinking happen in the context of a complicated plot involving all of the preparations for the swayamvar, flashbacks to a generations-old curse, and some magical realism involving a mysterious tin of kohl. This is contemplative literary fiction that is very difficult to put down.
The book is highly engaging, and made even more so in its audio form by an accomplished narrator, Sneha Mathan, who voices our main character in a bit of an Indian accent which adds authenticity without making understanding difficult for American readers. I believe the book would be very good even without Mathan's voicing, but she manages to capture just the right tone, somewhere between serious and sparkling, making listening to the book entertaining and thought provoking at the same time.
November 6, 2025
A queen, on her fifty-fifth birthday, seeks a man to wed. Come ye from far and wide. Line up. Perform a feat of her decree. She will garland the man who is victorious.
A fiercely independent middle-aged woman lives with her dog on a house boat. She’s a well-regarded feminist sociologist with two ex-husbands. She prides herself on her self-sufficiency, but she’s lonely. So she’s planning herself a birthday party, but not just an ordinary birthday party. It will be a swayamvar, a traditional Indian matrimonial ritual whereby a woman chooses amongst a number of suitors who compete for her hand in marriage. She realizes this is an audacious thing to do, but it feels like it is the most efficient method to find herself a king.
I appreciate a novel that is centered around a woman in middle-age or later and this felt like a slightly tamer sister to Miranda July’s All Fours, which I also adored . The protagonist of Intemperance is sensual, selfish, and full of contradictions. Her story was incredibly compelling and I loved the suspense leading up to the swayamvar— will she go through with it? Will she truly find a husband with this method? I thought the pacing and pay-off of this central story was extremely well-done and would have made for a satisfying novella.
I was not a huge fan of the interspersed ancestral mythology sections. They felt disconnected and drew focus from an otherwise extremely solid story. It almost felt like filler to me.
Regardless, I very much recommend this novel for its unique premise and gorgeous writing as well as its sense of humor. Sonora Jha's perspective on the ways modern feminism intersects with issues like ableism, ageism, and racism felt very pertinent. This sociological aspect added a valuable depth to the journey of our unnamed protagonist without feeling heavy-handed.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to be an early reader of this title!
A fiercely independent middle-aged woman lives with her dog on a house boat. She’s a well-regarded feminist sociologist with two ex-husbands. She prides herself on her self-sufficiency, but she’s lonely. So she’s planning herself a birthday party, but not just an ordinary birthday party. It will be a swayamvar, a traditional Indian matrimonial ritual whereby a woman chooses amongst a number of suitors who compete for her hand in marriage. She realizes this is an audacious thing to do, but it feels like it is the most efficient method to find herself a king.
I appreciate a novel that is centered around a woman in middle-age or later and this felt like a slightly tamer sister to Miranda July’s All Fours, which I also adored . The protagonist of Intemperance is sensual, selfish, and full of contradictions. Her story was incredibly compelling and I loved the suspense leading up to the swayamvar— will she go through with it? Will she truly find a husband with this method? I thought the pacing and pay-off of this central story was extremely well-done and would have made for a satisfying novella.
I was not a huge fan of the interspersed ancestral mythology sections. They felt disconnected and drew focus from an otherwise extremely solid story. It almost felt like filler to me.
Regardless, I very much recommend this novel for its unique premise and gorgeous writing as well as its sense of humor. Sonora Jha's perspective on the ways modern feminism intersects with issues like ableism, ageism, and racism felt very pertinent. This sociological aspect added a valuable depth to the journey of our unnamed protagonist without feeling heavy-handed.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the opportunity to be an early reader of this title!
November 15, 2025
✨ Review ✨ Intemperance by Sonora Jha; Narrated by Sneha Mathan
Thanks to HarperVia and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
This is my first book by Sonora Jha and I was instantly hooked in by her beautiful writing and reflections about aging, loneliness, and love.
The main character is a 55-year-old academic on sabbatical that decides to hold a swayamvar, where men can come compete for her hand in marriage. The juxtaposition of her feminist worldview coming together with this old Indian practice to find a husband for princesses made for such an intriguing premise of the book. She grapples with family and friends, far-off relations from India, community members, strangers in real life and on the Internet, all who who perspectives on whether she should go through with this.
The book also has a fantastical magical realism component, both where goddesses and important figures are visiting her (my favorite is the encounter on the bus), but also where she applies this mystery kohl she got in the mail on her eyes and goes into sort of hallucinations or a trance where she learns more about her family history.
I thought this was so smart in how it tackled so many different themes and topics in the main character's pursuit of love and happiness. I thought this beautifully handled topics of middle age, of love and loneliness, of disability and identity, of family and friendship, of ethics and principles, of loyalty to culture and distant family, and so so much more.
🎧 I loved listening to this, and while I might have been confused if I'd started with the audio, I definitely appreciated it once I got into the groove of the book!
It was such a delight to get to participate in a zoom book club event where we got to meet Sonora and hear her talk about writing this book and its significance to her!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.25)
Genre: literary fiction
Setting: Seattle, Washington
Length: 9 hours 41 minutes
Pub Date: Oct 14 2025
Thanks to HarperVia and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
This is my first book by Sonora Jha and I was instantly hooked in by her beautiful writing and reflections about aging, loneliness, and love.
The main character is a 55-year-old academic on sabbatical that decides to hold a swayamvar, where men can come compete for her hand in marriage. The juxtaposition of her feminist worldview coming together with this old Indian practice to find a husband for princesses made for such an intriguing premise of the book. She grapples with family and friends, far-off relations from India, community members, strangers in real life and on the Internet, all who who perspectives on whether she should go through with this.
The book also has a fantastical magical realism component, both where goddesses and important figures are visiting her (my favorite is the encounter on the bus), but also where she applies this mystery kohl she got in the mail on her eyes and goes into sort of hallucinations or a trance where she learns more about her family history.
I thought this was so smart in how it tackled so many different themes and topics in the main character's pursuit of love and happiness. I thought this beautifully handled topics of middle age, of love and loneliness, of disability and identity, of family and friendship, of ethics and principles, of loyalty to culture and distant family, and so so much more.
🎧 I loved listening to this, and while I might have been confused if I'd started with the audio, I definitely appreciated it once I got into the groove of the book!
It was such a delight to get to participate in a zoom book club event where we got to meet Sonora and hear her talk about writing this book and its significance to her!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.25)
Genre: literary fiction
Setting: Seattle, Washington
Length: 9 hours 41 minutes
Pub Date: Oct 14 2025
November 4, 2025
The main character, in her mid-fifties, twice divorced and living with mobility issues, decides to organize a swayamvar because Modern dating doesn´t appeal to her. Through her story, we’re invited into her world, her thoughts, and her longing, mixed with Magical realism.
A beautiful, honest exploration of love, loneliness, and the courage to begin again. I felt her pain, but also her quiet sadness: when will someone truly see you? In today’s world, such moments of connection feel rare, and when they happen, they’re so fleeting.
I felt seen and understood in her moments of estrangement, mistreatment, and being misunderstood for simply wanting space to exist on one’s own terms. Even though this book is about a woman taking a leap in love, no matter how late in life, it’s really about reclaiming your happiness and refusing to let life or others define it.
What struck me most after finishing was that she has no name. She is a professor, a mother, a friend, and “Beloved,” but never a named person. It’s a subtle but powerful choice that shows how women, especially in midlife, are often defined by their roles and relationships rather than seen as individuals. Her lack of a name mirrors her invisibility, and yet she feels deeply real.
A quote from the book that I like:
“Why, now, when I have overcome soul-deep loneliness and can embrace a life of being solitary, do I still not lie back into a solitary life, a life of easeful solitude? Why, now, do I imagine bonds and communion with a partner? Perhaps I will find one who will also understand my need for solitude from time to time. He will know that when this woman heads into a forest in a cultivated, organized solitude for a while, she returns nourished, a few pounds heavier from the feasting, but softened from sleep and turned ravishing from thought.”
A beautiful, honest exploration of love, loneliness, and the courage to begin again. I felt her pain, but also her quiet sadness: when will someone truly see you? In today’s world, such moments of connection feel rare, and when they happen, they’re so fleeting.
I felt seen and understood in her moments of estrangement, mistreatment, and being misunderstood for simply wanting space to exist on one’s own terms. Even though this book is about a woman taking a leap in love, no matter how late in life, it’s really about reclaiming your happiness and refusing to let life or others define it.
What struck me most after finishing was that she has no name. She is a professor, a mother, a friend, and “Beloved,” but never a named person. It’s a subtle but powerful choice that shows how women, especially in midlife, are often defined by their roles and relationships rather than seen as individuals. Her lack of a name mirrors her invisibility, and yet she feels deeply real.
A quote from the book that I like:
“Why, now, when I have overcome soul-deep loneliness and can embrace a life of being solitary, do I still not lie back into a solitary life, a life of easeful solitude? Why, now, do I imagine bonds and communion with a partner? Perhaps I will find one who will also understand my need for solitude from time to time. He will know that when this woman heads into a forest in a cultivated, organized solitude for a while, she returns nourished, a few pounds heavier from the feasting, but softened from sleep and turned ravishing from thought.”
November 6, 2025
Unique and poetically told.
As a woman of—ahem— a certain age, I am thoroughly enjoying the onset of literature that explores the complexities of middle-aged women.
And here, Jha crafts a quirky and complex FMC full of contradictions and relatability that I found engaging.
The unnamed 55-year-old narrator is a feminist scholar and sociology professor on sabbatical. Though well versed in misogynistic and patriarchal ideologies, our Indian American protagonist longs for connection and, even after two failed attempts, finds herself ready to plunge into marriage once more. But she lacks a groom.
I had never heard of the ancient Indian practice of swayamvar before this book, and its usage here felt fresh and unexpected. In this modern interpretation, our unnamed heroine breaks societal norms to invite suitors to accomplish varying feats for the honor of marrying her.
The swayamvar planning is the primary focus of the book, and as each detail was cultivated, I became more invested in her journey and success. It provided an engaging look at desire, sexuality, and connection in those middle to waning years. It also allowed a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of disability.
Letters from a nay-saying cousin and varying hallucinatory vignettes are interspersed within the narrative. But truth be told, those sections often impeded the primary storyline for me, and I found myself fixated on getting back to the swayamvar and our bold heroine.
Ultimately, this story is less an event and more a journey of self-discovery and self-love for our FMC, and what stood out to me most was her refusal to settle, whether regarding societal status, race, culture, looks, disability, or age.
Intemperance was a fresh and compelling read with quality representation and abundant warmth and wit.
As a woman of—ahem— a certain age, I am thoroughly enjoying the onset of literature that explores the complexities of middle-aged women.
And here, Jha crafts a quirky and complex FMC full of contradictions and relatability that I found engaging.
The unnamed 55-year-old narrator is a feminist scholar and sociology professor on sabbatical. Though well versed in misogynistic and patriarchal ideologies, our Indian American protagonist longs for connection and, even after two failed attempts, finds herself ready to plunge into marriage once more. But she lacks a groom.
I had never heard of the ancient Indian practice of swayamvar before this book, and its usage here felt fresh and unexpected. In this modern interpretation, our unnamed heroine breaks societal norms to invite suitors to accomplish varying feats for the honor of marrying her.
The swayamvar planning is the primary focus of the book, and as each detail was cultivated, I became more invested in her journey and success. It provided an engaging look at desire, sexuality, and connection in those middle to waning years. It also allowed a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of disability.
Letters from a nay-saying cousin and varying hallucinatory vignettes are interspersed within the narrative. But truth be told, those sections often impeded the primary storyline for me, and I found myself fixated on getting back to the swayamvar and our bold heroine.
Ultimately, this story is less an event and more a journey of self-discovery and self-love for our FMC, and what stood out to me most was her refusal to settle, whether regarding societal status, race, culture, looks, disability, or age.
Intemperance was a fresh and compelling read with quality representation and abundant warmth and wit.
December 13, 2025
If you come to this beautiful book deciding you’ll understand the plot, you won’t, or at least you won't in the way you might think.
The protagonist is a disabled, 55 year old, brown, feminist professor of sociology in Seattle who impulsively decides to hold a swayamvar (an ancient Indian ritual where men will perform ‘feats’) and this unnamed woman will then choose which man she’ll marry. I was dying to know what feats these also unnamed men might be asked to perform and I was charmed at what they were.
This is a funny, quirky and fresh book that I almost didn’t read because the premise of this protagonist suddenly wanting a love relationship in such a dramatic way seemed too contrived, unrealistic and fantastical, but I was SO happy I gave it a chance! I mean the story does have some magical-realism in it; that's why I gave it a go.
It IS a fascinating plot written with humor & seriousness but the novel is really character-driven as this earnest woman who doesn’t follow many Indian traditions for how women are to be in this world (and yet is holding a swayamvar and having bridal mehndi painted on her hands 😂) is having some serious “come to Jesus” moments about what she may want for herself in the future.
We’re in her head much of the time as she grapples with an 'identity dilemma' and the craziness she’s unleashed in her mind & within the community as to what this character is up to.
All the secondary characters are wonderfully painted in full throughout the world of social media, academia, her friends, some family, the cake maker, the dressmaker, the mehndi artist, etc. as they all weigh in or help contemplate this with her. Jha also weaves the cultural/and familial histories to enrich our understanding of Indian practices & customs.
Jha shifts and surprises with transitions & turns that are unexpected. 'Intemperance' takes us on a ride that is thrilling & enjoyable. The audio book version is read by Sneha Matham who did a very fine job bringing this idiosyncratic & gutsy woman to life.
The protagonist is a disabled, 55 year old, brown, feminist professor of sociology in Seattle who impulsively decides to hold a swayamvar (an ancient Indian ritual where men will perform ‘feats’) and this unnamed woman will then choose which man she’ll marry. I was dying to know what feats these also unnamed men might be asked to perform and I was charmed at what they were.
This is a funny, quirky and fresh book that I almost didn’t read because the premise of this protagonist suddenly wanting a love relationship in such a dramatic way seemed too contrived, unrealistic and fantastical, but I was SO happy I gave it a chance! I mean the story does have some magical-realism in it; that's why I gave it a go.
It IS a fascinating plot written with humor & seriousness but the novel is really character-driven as this earnest woman who doesn’t follow many Indian traditions for how women are to be in this world (and yet is holding a swayamvar and having bridal mehndi painted on her hands 😂) is having some serious “come to Jesus” moments about what she may want for herself in the future.
We’re in her head much of the time as she grapples with an 'identity dilemma' and the craziness she’s unleashed in her mind & within the community as to what this character is up to.
All the secondary characters are wonderfully painted in full throughout the world of social media, academia, her friends, some family, the cake maker, the dressmaker, the mehndi artist, etc. as they all weigh in or help contemplate this with her. Jha also weaves the cultural/and familial histories to enrich our understanding of Indian practices & customs.
Jha shifts and surprises with transitions & turns that are unexpected. 'Intemperance' takes us on a ride that is thrilling & enjoyable. The audio book version is read by Sneha Matham who did a very fine job bringing this idiosyncratic & gutsy woman to life.
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