Back in October 2022, Sheila Yasmin Marikar was on a flight from New York to Los Angeles, feeling good after launching her debut novel, the wellness industry satire The Goddess Effect . "As I was walking through the cabin, I saw Mindy [Kaling]," the author tells Bustle. "I feel like this must be a sign, [so] I'm just going to give [my book] to her and see what happens." So she approached Carlin, who politely paused the in-flight entertainment and accepted the gift.
Less than two years later, Kaling's imprint Mindy's Book Studio released Marikar's second book. "I knew I wanted to try working with Sheila if she wrote a sophomore novel, and luckily she wrote The Napa Friend ," Carlin tells Bustle via email.
The new novel tells the story of six Cornell University alumni who come together to celebrate the opening of their friend's lavish new Napa Valley vineyard. Against this backdrop, the college friends—who now lead very different lives, with careers in management consulting, magazine editing, and social media influencers—wonder what would have happened if things had gone differently.
Oh, and there was a murder. The body appears on the first page: "Dry Cleaner Nightmare." Just like in " White Lotus" — one of Marica’s inspirations — the reader slowly pieces together who is behind the scenes.
However, the author does not stop at the scenes of violence, instead turning her attention to her characters, ultimately showing that even the most inhumane actions can have humane motives.
"There are some dark things going on in 'Napa Friends ,' but it's also a story about how friendships develop and change over time—what brings people together and what drives them apart," she says.
Although the author himself never takes center stage in the murder mystery, "The Napa Friend" remains deeply personal. To create the novel, she drew on her experience as an Indian-American student at Cornell University, writing about Napa Valley for national outlets such as The New York Times and The New Yorker , and previous interracial relationships . She skillfully writes about the pressures of parents to pursue material success and the challenges of interracial marriages.
"Readers want to see themselves reflected in the stories they choose; they want to see joy, love, irreverence and hope."
The idea of a “traditionally underrepresented” perspective is part of what drew Carlin to her. They want to see joy, love, irreverence, hope,” said Kaling, adding, “It’s my responsibility and privilege to make that experience more accessible to everyone through Mindy Book Studio. "
While South Asian readers may relate most closely to Marika's characters, anyone who stayed close to their college friends will feel caught up in "The Napa Friends"—a novel that does the most to examine its characters' long-standing grievances. good job. Anyone gets wild when they get tired of being pushed around.
