Atlas of Unknowns

Praise

Praise for Tania James's Atlas of Unknowns

“Delightful. . . . James writes with poise, sly humor, and an acuity both cultural and sensuous. . . . The characters' love for one other radiates off the page.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Tania James comes at you like everyone you’ve ever cared about, like everyone you’ve ever lost. Wise and hilarious her Atlas is an astonishment of a debut, so radiant with life, with love, with good old human struggle that I had trouble detaching myself from its pages. James’s prevaricating bikini–waxing husband–dodging beautiful-crazy sisters followed me into my day, into my dreams. Take this book from someone, give it to someone–you will not go wrong. Atlas is that damned good.”
—Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

“Atlas of Unknowns is a plain masterful debut from a gifted writer. Tania James is a natural born storyteller, and Atlas of Unknowns is the torn-between-two-continents family saga to prove it.”
—Nathan Englander, author of The Ministry of Special Case and For the Relief of Unbearable Urges

“Debut novelist Tania James maps her characters’ yearnings and missteps with the skills of a seasoned cartographer. Dazzling, original, witty, and poignant, Atlas of Unknowns is one of the most beguiling first novels I’ve read in years.”
—Ann Packer, author of The Dive from Clausen’s Pier and Songs without Words

“Atlas of Unkowns is the story of two sisters, separated by two countries—the United States and India—but also by jealousy and secrets. Tania James weaves these two narratives together seamlessly, threading together an intricate narrative that explores the nature of immigration and also the price paid by women struggling to find their place in the world. Share this book with your mother, your sister, your friend–they will thank you for it.”
—Hannah Tinti, author of Animal Crackers and The Good Thief

“A powerful and nuanced debut novel, Atlas of Unknowns draws us into the complex lives of two sisters, each facing the demons of ancient family secrets and guilty new ones that they have created for themselves. Tania James paints the dual worlds of the novel—India and America—with masterful care, choosing beautiful, shocking details, and peopling them with characters we will remember long after closing the book.”
—Chitra Divakaruni, author of Mistress of Spices and The Palace of Illusions

“A touching debut novel with a range of tones, from the sweet to the sordid.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“James paints Kerala and immigrant New York with identical depth and ease. . . . [A] balance of well-crafted plot and artful emotion.”
—Publishers Weekly