The line between reality and imagination blurs for a woman facing her past in a poignant and haunting novel of grief and identity by the bestselling author of The Candid Life of Meena Dave.

Lonely and introverted Alya Sarkar prefers to escape in her daydreams, however consuming they can be. In an effort to make connections and control her increasingly intrusive fantasy life, Alya reluctantly joins a hiking group—only to watch her hiking buddy, Isha, fall to her death. For Alya, now the line between reality and daydream becomes more blurred.

In the aftermath of the accident, Alya begins to hear Isha’s voice. Then comes a plea to find the truth in the decades-old family mystery Isha left unsolved, and a journey that introduces Ayla to Isha’s brother. As tenuously grounding as her new relationship is, Alya fears that she’s also sliding into the kind of heartbreaking delusions that tragically claimed her mother.

Only in confronting her fears and Isha’s secrets can Alya hope to find love, a newfound family, and closure where she least expects it.

Namrata Patel is the bestselling author of Your Next Life Is Now, The Curious Secrets of Yesterday, Scent of a Garden, and The Candid Life of Meena Dave. Her writing explores identity, multigenerational tensions, and how Indian Americans navigate the duality of their lived experiences. Her debut was longlisted for the Center of Fiction’s Best First Novel Prize. Her essays have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Cognoscenti, and other online outlets. She leads writing and publishing workshops, and consults on narrative paradigm and brand story for private and public organizations. She has taught at Emerson College and Boston College. Namrata is passionate about the way humans create meaning and how we experience culture. She currently lives in Boston. For more information, visit www.nampatel.com.