Modern Desi interpretation of "Persuasion" from the author of "Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors"! ⁣
⁣
Ashna Raje has given up just about everything to preserve her father's restaurant and memory, but can she give up her paralyzing fear to enter and win a reality cooking show? She desperately needs the cash but her dignity may need her to stay as far away as possible from surprise celebrity contestant and Brazilian footballer Federico Silva. They definitely have chemistry (and a history) but is it all a recipe for disaster or persuasion?⁣
⁣
This is a clever, nuanced, multilayered nod to Austen's original story and covers some pretty heavy themes, like childhood trauma, mother-daughter relationships, female friendships, suicide, death of a parent, off-screen spousal rape, cultural oppression of women, PTSD and panic attacks. I wouldn't consider it a rom-com although it does heavily feature a romantic relationship with some familiar romance-style conundrums and communication issues. This reads more like contemporary women's lit to me, which I think is appropriate for an interpretation of Persuasion.⁣ ⁣Also, I love that cover.