Lake Union bags Maniar's 'lyrical love letter to culture and family'

Lake Union has bagged Dry Spells, a "lyrical love letter to culture and family", from debut author Archana Maniar. 

Editor Victoria Oundjian acquired world English language rights in a two-book deal from Olivia Maidment at the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. Dry Spells will be published in May 2024. 

"Dry Spells is a love letter to culture, family, food, tradition and history," said Maidment. "It is a sweeping debut that explores the intertwined fates of a mother and daughter and the enduring power that family secrets have on our lives."

Maniar’s novel follows Shyamala Mehta who moves to Mumbai after a break up. "In Mumbai, Shyamala discovers her mother had a past she never knew, a life that she has all but buried in the present day. As she begins to peel back the layers of a very different woman navigating the streets of Mumbai, Shyamala is confronted with choices of her own." 

Maniar commented: "As the American-born daughter of Indian immigrants who relocated back to Mumbai when I was young, I have always been charmed by the immense warmth of family back home and captivated by the sensory experience that is India. When I started writing Dry Spells, I had a kernel of an idea, a desire to capture the sweeping cityscape of Mumbai, but no formal training in storytelling. Over the years, I thought about the novel obsessively, squeezing the writing into the margins of my day and watching the characters and places I had seen or imagined come to life."

Oundjian said: "Archana has created the most immersive and evocative world in Dry Spells. Utilising her impressive skills she brings Mumbai vividly to life and truly involves the reader in Shyamala’s journey. This is a novel I couldn’t put down and I’m thrilled that soon readers across the English-speaking world will be discovering it in 2024." 

Mouncif Faqir, director of Amazon Books Europe, added: "We are thrilled to be bringing Archana Maniar to the Lake Union Publishing list for 2024, Dry Spells is a strong commercial read that readers will love."