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Cover of The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

by Kiran Desai · 2025

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When Sonia and Sunny first glimpse each other on an overnight train, they are immediately captivated yet also embarrassed by the fact that their grandparents had once tried to matchmake them, a clumsy meddling that served only to drive Sonia and Sunny apart. Sonia, an aspiring novelist who recently completed her studies in the snowy mountains of Vermont, has returned to her family in India. She fears that she is haunted by a dark spell cast by an artist to whom she had once turned for intimacy and inspiration. Sunny, a struggling journalist resettled in New York City, is attempting to flee his imperious mother and the violence of his warring clan. Uncertain of their future, Sonia and Sunny embark on a search for happiness together as they confront the many alienations of our modern world.

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"Shortlist"
Booker Prize 2025 — Winner & Shortlist · thebookerprizes.com
"It took Kiran Desai almost 20 years to write this near-700-page novel – her first since The Inheritance of Loss – and, boy, was it worth the wait. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny explores themes of exile and displacement – not only from one’s home country, family and culture, but also from one’s own sense of self. At heart, though, this Booker Prize finalist is a great love story, abundant with coincidences, misunderstandings and one bona fide art monster."
NPR Books We Love — 2025 · apps.npr.org