This debut novel is the story of the year of work authorization granted to international students in the US. In the book, the narrator uses the time to observe as she navigates the obstacles of the immigrant experience.
Our meetings are small gatherings where we can share our thoughts about the writing, the themes of book, and overall reactions in the intersections of the written world and our lives.
Guests from other regions are always welcome.
Join our discussion of: Optional Practical Training by Shubha Sunder '05.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://brynmawr-edu.zoom.us/j/91690245283?pwd=MG8wUHlNWlFCMmxheHlDZWdsaGFiZz09
Meeting ID: 916 9024 5283#
Password: 602750#
The phone number for those without Zoom to use to join the book discussion is:
1-646-931-3860
Meeting ID: 916 9024 5283#
Password: 602750#
About the author
For September, we’re thrilled to be reading the debut novel of a fellow Mawrter (05) and winner of the 2025 Whiting Award. Anassa Kata!
"It was at Bryn Mawr that for the first time in my life I started to dream seriously about becoming a writer of fiction," Sunder says. "I majored in physics and minored in creative writing, and through this dual immersion, I began to cultivate the necessary discipline and tenacity for life as an artist." – BMC Bulletin
Learn more on her writing site: https://shubhasunder.com/
Reviews
“The resulting book is a profound reflection on the double bind immigrants often face between their homeland and their host culture, attempting to draw meaning from and forge an identity out of the experience of dislocation.” – Bomb Magazine
“Sunder, with empathetic and clear-eyed style, reminds us that a person’s essence isn’t only measured by how much she manages to blurt out when given the chance. We see the quiet, intelligent, sensitive heroine in the negative spaces she infuses with her own thoughts, and in the moments when she chooses to share how she responds to others.” – The Rumpus