Excerpt from A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"My point is," Veena continued, "you can't give the police—or anyone—any reason to suspect you. When I go into a nice store, I dress up, make a big point of greeting the saleslady, making eye contact. And I take a very small purse. I don't give them anything to worry about. Right, Priya?"

Priya pulled her eyes away from the image on the TV. "Oh, yes, right." This was the code she and Ashok had lived by since coming to this country: work hard, don't make waves, keep placing one foot in front of the other on each new rung that appeared before them.

"Yeah, but you can't do anything about your skin color," Archie said pointedly.

Veena tilted her head slightly and a sly smile spread across her face. "Well, speaking of that, let me tell you what I learned from my dermatologist. There's a new procedure now that can eliminate all your dark spots, and even some wrinkles. Apparently, your skin looks so much lighter and fresher afterward." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I have an appointment in two weeks."

"Okay, Miss Fair and Lovely." Archie laughed, pulling her mane of wavy hair around to rest on one shoulder, where it extended halfway down her toned arm. "Do I have to remind you we're not in India anymore? We don't have to stay out of the sun, per our mothers' instructions."

"No, really. Apparently, this can take a decade off your face," Veena said, though her delicate bone structure already gave her a youthful look, her smooth hair pulled into a graceful twist. Priya felt somewhat unremarkable next to her friends: not as elegant as Veena, nor as strong as Archie.

As Veena described her upcoming procedure, Priya reached for a samosa and found herself looking around. Veena and Vikram's house was spotless and impeccably decorated with a few homey touches—a pedestal bowl filled with oranges from their garden on the marble island, a luxurious faux fur throw draped casually over the modern sectional, a richly colored Indian painting prominent on the back wall. Every time Priya came to this home, she was filled with admiration for the way it looked and the way it made her feel. The Sharmas had wealth but managed it tastefully.

They had the kind of life Priya didn't even know existed when she and Ashok first came to America. Their first rental apartment here had been a delight simply because it didn't have to be shared with family members, as was always the case back in Mumbai, where the price of real estate was exorbitant and space was always at a premium. In that one-bedroom on Magnolia Lane, Ashok and Priya didn't even notice the chipped windowsills or the flimsy accordion closet doors. They kept an IKEA catalog on the kitchen counter and carefully deliberated over each piece, saving up for and assembling them one at a time. That apartment had lasted them many years, well after Deepa was born and her playpen and toys had taken over the family room.

Excerpted from A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Copyright © 2024 by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. Excerpted by permission of Mariner Books. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.