In this week's edition of Endnotes, we take a look at Sonora Jha's Intemperance, following a twice-divorced feminist scholar who decides throw herself a swayamvar, a traditional Indian ceremony in which a woman invites potential suitors to compete for her hand in marriage, to celebrate her 55th birthday. In its review, PW calls it "a fresh and sassy take on romantic comedy conventions."
Here's how the book came together:
Sonora Jha
“After writing my previous novel, I felt the urge to write a love story. I started writing close to my own skin, about a woman who finds herself single in middle age, wondering if she even cares about matters like love. I landed on the idea of a swayamvar, which comes from Hindu mythology, where princesses and goddesses would make men perform feats to win their hands in marriage. What if this aging heroine decided to hold such a competition in present-day Seattle?”
Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts
“I always hope to find a love match with an editor who understands not just the book they’re acquiring but the whole of an author’s sensibility and style and approach. I loved how funny, poignant, and unconventionally romantic Intemperance was, and I had a feeling Rakesh would, too.”
Rakesh Satyal
“Every draft of this book was compelling and accomplished, but one thing that we wanted to make sure of was that the execution of the narrative would deliver fully on the premise itself, which is so delicious and enticing from the get-go. So this was less a case of pruning language and more of making sure that the pacing and payoff were just right.”
Sarah Kellogg
“Once I came across the painting of two swans by Hilma af Klint, I knew I was onto something. The juxtaposition between the two swans pairs well with the two periods of time conveyed in the story. The separate worlds of the two swans meet in the middle, and much like our protagonist, their wings are outstretched with no lack of restraint for what lies ahead.”
