The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing

2 of 33
The Sleepwalker's Guide to Dancing
512 pages; Random House
Having given up her artsy Seattle life as a photographer in order to care for her elderly father, thirty-something Amina returns to her childhood home of Albuquerque, N.M. Once there, she must confront not only her past but her parents’ as well, revisiting an old disastrous visit to India and the tragedies that subsequently resulted, including an act of arson. This is sprawling, poignant, often humorous novel that’s worth missing cocktails on the deck in order to finish a chapter. The pleasure of it comes in the world Mira Jacob so evocatively creates: the family home in Southern India, suburban '80s America (replete with cold war anti-nuke rallies), the quirky, lavish corporate culture of the West Coast dotcom heyday. And let’s not overlook the emotional payoff. Told with humor and sympathy for its characters, the book serves as a bittersweet lesson in the binding power of family, even when we seek to break out from it. “Why is it that fathers so often ensure the outcome they are trying to avoid?” Jacob asks. An indispensable read whether your summer plans mean escaping from—or bracing for—encounters with relatives.
— Elisabeth Witchel