Have you ever read a new book so good that you’re sure it’ll one day become a beloved classic? We at The Bombay Circle Press felt that way when we read these books. These 21st century novels feel like modern classics.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A young couple leaves military-ruled Nigeria—one pursues success in America where she grapples with being black for the first time and the other lives undocumented in London unable to enter a post-9/11 USA. Over a decade later they reunite in a democratic Nigeria and learn to love their homeland again. Published in 2013, this is an urgent book that explores themes of race, immigration and the diasporic experience.
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
In an Irish village in the early 1990s, Lucy feels out of place as the path of marriage and motherhood feels unappealing to her. But one hot summer, a spark with her friend Susannah grows into a desperate love. Fearing rejection from her community, she lives a secret double life until she has the chance to leave her village and possibly build a different life for herself but leave all she knows behind. This book is a tender portrayal of first love and adolescence.
Babel by R.F Kuang
Set in a fantastical early 20th century, Robin Swift, an orphan from Canton is brought to London to prepare to enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation. In this world translation is magic—and a tool of the empire. Despite his fascination with the knowledge Oxford offers, he eventually finds himself involved with the secret Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to ending imperialism. This book explores the ethics of revolution, colonial resistance and language as a tool for domination in an accessible but human way.
A Thousand Times Before by Asha Thanki
In modern-day New York City, Ayukta and her wife are discussing having a child. But Ayukta must now reveal a family secret spanning generations. She narrates the lives of the women who came before her, who she’s connected to through a fantastical tapestry. Beginning in Partition-era India, this story explores inheritance, motherhood and art.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Piranesi is a resident of a labyrinthine, partially ruined house with walls lined with thousands of statues and an imprisoned ocean within. His life centres on exploring this house. A man called The Other visits twice a week and asks Piranesi for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as evidence emerges of another person, a world beyond the only one Piranesi knows begins to emerge. This fantasy novel is an atmospheric tale of isolation, curiosity and mystery as labyrinthine as the house it is set in.
The English Problem by Beena Kamlani
A young Shiv Advani is chosen by Mahatma Gandhi to travel to London, train as a barrister and support the Indian freedom movement. Leaving everything behind, he begins to be drawn in by a world that does not seem to want to fully accept him. This historical fiction novel explores identity, freedom and the tension between duty and desire.
These are some modern fiction books that remind us of the classics and we think will be relevant and enchanting for generations to come. Check out The Bombay Circle Press’ bulletin for more book recommendations.