Tanvi

Thanks to @noevalleybooks for hosting such cool events and keeping a great book-events calendar for the city. We got to attend Meet Me In The Garden’s launch party (for free!) at this cute venue @chandrangallery

I’ve been reading a lot of historical fiction lately set in different countries and eras, partly to educate myself while getting immersed in a good story. There’s something about stepping into complex characters’ lives and worlds so different from our own.

During the book launch, @nina_lacour shared how her grandparents left New Orleans for California in the 1940s, seeking a different life and better opportunities. Her family’s experiences with racism and segregation became part of the inspiration for the book - Meet Me in the Garden.

We also got a peek into her writing process .. four drafts before the final book, almost cutting the book in half, taking the train her grandparents traveled on, revisiting stories of her ancestors, and using newspapers and magazines from that time as research.

The book explores a queer love story beginning in 1944 New Orleans, alongside themes of family, identity and mental health. So much to learn from stories like these. I can’t wait to read this book!

Ps Live Jazz Event as pre-event was a cherry on the top, perfect ode to New Orleans .. birthplace of jazz and the book’s setting.