HarperCollins Presents The Naani Diaries by Riva Razdan

Publishing in Fall 2022

About the Book

New Yorker Radhika Anand is an Achiever: the speediest at Spin Class and the quickest analyst at McKinley Consulting. But romance has proved to be a far bigger challenge. When she is dumped by Siddhant, her boyfriend of two years, Radhika is devastated. She is single at twenty-nine, an age otherwise referred to as ‘menopause for marriage’ by her aunts in Bombay.

Radhika’s own adamantly feminist mother, who is Yale’s head researcher of Gender and Psychology, is too disapproving of the institution of marriage to understand her daughter’s disappointment or her need for romantic love. The only woman Radhika can expect empathy from is her grandmother in Bombay: her beloved Naani whose own legendary love story in the 1960s—the details of which are penned in an old diary—provides inspiration to Radhika.

And so, with her thirtieth birthday approaching and the threat of loneliness looming large, Radhika abruptly decides to relocate to Bombay—to the comfort of her Naani’s home and the veritable circus of the Arranged Marriage market. But, as Naani warns her, if Radhika is serious about finding a suitable match, she must definitely pay no attention to Zain Rajan, the sexy, sardonic ‘bad boy’ next door. 

What ensues is a witty and funny overview of courtship and all its attendant drama in a clash between modern, liberal values and an age-old, traditional system: from meeting eligible men (and their overbearing mothers) to navigating the minefield of social one-upmanship that make Manhattan boardrooms seem like a playground. But as the shaadi-related shenanigans increase and the emotional stakes get higher, Radhika is confronted with a growing personal dilemma about what ‘adjustments’ will truly make her happy.

Combining the sweeping spectacle of Crazy Rich Asians with the charm and humour of Anuja Chauhan at her best, The Naani Diaries is a big-hearted extravaganza: a fun, heartfelt and utterly engrossing novel that explores what it means for a spirited young woman to desire a successful career without giving up on the possibility of romance. This is also a tale firmly premised on the need for female solidarity—and the importance of following your own heart without compromising on your individuality.

Riva Razdan says, ‘I wrote this book almost immediately after my grandmother passed, in remembrance and with reverence for the love and the values with which she raised me. I am delighted to have found, in Harper Collins, a publishing house that shares my enthusiasm for stories of grandmothers, granddaughters and the incredible affection they share. It is an affection that ruins us for lesser loves. And thank God, and Naani, for that.’

About the Author
Riva Razdan is an author based in Mumbai. She is also a screenwriter for Anil Kapoor Films and Unicorn Island Productions. As a writer, she is determined to create romantic-feminist fiction that encourages, supports and comforts young Indian women. Her work has been featured in The Hindu Business Line, Grazia India and The Telegraph. Her debut novel, Arzu, was published by Hachette India in February 2021. She is currently adapting Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility for The Telegraph, India.

About HarperCollins Publishers India –

HarperCollins Publishers India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollins India publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian Subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2,000 titles across 10 imprints. Its authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, JCB Prize, DSC Prize, New India Foundation Award, Atta Galatta Prize, Shakti Bhatt Prize, Gourmand Cookbook Award, Publishing Next Award, Tata Literature Live Award, Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, BICW Award, Sushila Devi Award, Prabha Khaitan Woman’s Voice Award, Sahitya Akademi Award and the Crossword Book Award. HarperCollins India has been awarded the Publisher of the Year Award three times: at Publishing Next in 2015, and at Tata Literature Live! in 2016 and 2018.HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Egmont, Oneworld, Harvard University Press, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet.

For further information and queries, please write to: Shabnam.Srivastava@harpercollins.co.in