About the Book: The story is a coming-of-age tale set in 1990s India, following a young man named Shagun who is grappling with personal grief, a difficult family life, and his identity. The themes of performance, finding a chosen family in a traveling theater troupe, and a romantic relationship with a man place it in the category of LGBTQ+ fiction as well. The passage describes the novel as both “dark and beautiful, harrowing and triumphant,” which are hallmarks of literary fiction.