Rough Draft is excited to celebrate author Naheed Phiroze Patel on the launch of her debut novel, Mirror Made of Rain. The book was selected by The Millions as a most anticipated books of 2022, and author Diksha Basu called it "luminous -- a blistering and unflinching commentary on family, love, pain, addiction and destruction." 

Naheed will be in-house on Saturday from 3 to 5 pm to sign copies of her book. She’d love to chat with readers (and potential readers!), as well as anyone interested in her writing process or her personal story.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Despite an embarrassing, alcoholic mother, Noomi Wadia is loathe to change her own hard-partying ways simply because it's what's expected in Kamalpur high society. As her peers begin to marry and her social obligations become more fraught, she finds herself under constant scrutiny at summer parties of the city’s upper crust. 

With her options in her hometown growing increasingly limited, Noomi leaves for Mumbai and quickly becomes a successful journalist. There she falls in love with Veer, who appreciates her for exactly who she is. When Noomi and Veer decide to marry, Noomi must observe a host of patriarchal wedding rituals at the behest of her new in-laws, whose cultural customs deviate from her own. Soon, Noomi realizes that her worst fears have come to pass — she is trapped in the same cycle of self-destructiveness as her mother, and she must battle her impulses or risk losing it all. 

A riveting exploration of class and tradition in contemporary India, Noomi is as quick-witted as she is quick-tempered. At times funny and tragic, taking place over many years of Noomi's life, Naheed Phiroze Patel's exhilarating debut novel shows how society encourages us to see ourselves through the eyes of others. 

COVID PROTOCOLS:

Rough Draft is not currently requiring masks or social distancing. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, although Naheed will be signing books indoors.