Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

All This Could Be Different

A Novel

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST
ONE OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES' TOP 5 FICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR
ONE OF TIME AND SLATE'S TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Named one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2022 by NPR, Vogue, Vulture, BuzzFeed, Harper's Bazaar, and more
One of the buzziest, most human novels of the year…breathless, dizzying, and completely beautiful.” Vogue

“Dazzling and wholly original...[written] with such mordant wit, insight, and specificity, it feels like watching a new literary star being born in real time.” Entertainment Weekly
From a brilliant new voice comes an electrifying novel of a young immigrant building a life for herself—a warm, dazzling, and profound saga of queer love, friendship, work, and precarity in twenty-first century America

Graduating into the long maw of an American recession, Sneha is one of the fortunate ones. She’s moved to Milwaukee for an entry-level corporate job that, grueling as it may be, is the key that unlocks every door: she can pick up the tab at dinner with her new friend Tig, get her college buddy Thom hired alongside her, and send money to her parents back in India. She begins dating women—soon developing a burning crush on Marina, a beguiling and beautiful dancer who always seems just out of reach.
But before long, trouble arrives. Painful secrets rear their heads; jobs go off the rails; evictions loom. Sneha struggles to be truly close and open with anybody, even as her friendships deepen, even as she throws herself headlong into a dizzying romance with Marina. It’s then that Tig begins to draw up a radical solution to their problems, hoping to save them all.
A beautiful and capacious novel rendered in singular, unforgettable prose, All This Could Be Different is a wise, tender, and riveting group portrait of young people forging love and community amidst struggle, and a moving story of one immigrant’s journey to make her home in the world.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 20, 2022
      Mathews’s poignant and illuminating debut centers on an aloof 22-year-old Indian immigrant whose first job out of college brings her to the Midwest to work as a consultant-in-training for a large manufacturer. Sneha, having been alone since her parents moved back to India when she was a teen, scours online dating apps for other queer women as soon as she arrives in Milwaukee. She quickly finds a friend in philosophy student Antigone Clay, then enters her first love affair with the charming Marina—an older white dancer. Their relationship forces Sneha to reckon with the trauma of her parents’ abandonment and brings to the fore the difficulties she has experienced in the U.S. as a person of color. She also reconnects with old college friends Thomas and Amit, and she comes to rely on and grow with her new patched-together community, especially as her financial situation becomes precarious and her apartment’s property manager threatens to get her kicked out over minor infractions. Mathews is most affecting when charting the wonders of community-building, delving into the strenuous work that goes into sustaining meaningful friendships as well as the heartbreak that ensues when connections are fractured by dishonesty. This thoughtful exploration of the legacies of trauma makes an impact. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Reena Dutt performs a captivating story that centers around Sneha, a young immigrant woman from southern India who has graduated from college during a recession. Sneha finds a job in Milwaukee with a disgruntled consultant who pays enough for her to send some money to her parents in India. However, Sneha soon finds herself running out of money with nowhere to turn for help. Given the long conversations among Sneha and her leftist friends, the characters' dialogue in this novel could prove a challenge to perform. But Dutt captures the voices of Sneha's friends perfectly. However, many moments of Sneha's internal thoughts, along with exposition, seem like missed opportunities to create a deeper emotional connection between listeners and the protagonist. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading