Shanthi Sekaranis a Berkeley author whose new novel Lucky Boy zooms in on two immigrant families who live right here in the Bay Area. It tells the story of two very different women as they strive to achieve their version of the American Dream.
Kavya, an Indian-American chef who lives a comfortable life in Berkeley, desperately wants to become a mother, while Soli, an undocumented housekeeper from Mexico, struggles to stay afloat. They’re brought together by a young child, a so-called “lucky boy” they both love.
Sekaran came into KALW's studios to talk about tackling the subject of immigration and "not letting backstory or logistical detail become character."
"I believe as a fiction writer that you pretty much have the right to write any story you want, but you have to approach it very very carefully. You know, you really have to commit to doing your research, to really delving deeply into character and not letting backstory or logistical detail become character."
Sekaran will be discussing Lucky Boy at the Berkeley Public Library North Branch on Jan 27.