KEYA DAS'S SECOND ACT (2022) - Review

Keya Das's Second Act by Sopan Deb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: July 5, 2022

Theatrical connections made me request this debut novel with a strange name in the title. I wasn't sure about the part concerning an Bengali American family dealing with the death of a teenage daughter. I didn't know a family like this one, but I knew Howell, New Jersey.

FIRST SENTENCE: "The wooden box was simple, elegant even."

THE STORY: A touching, charmingly funny, story about what happens to a family shattered by the death of their daughter. Keya Das had just come out to her family and they were still struggling to understand. Shantanu discovers his daughter's unfinished script in the attic and that begins the family's journey to forgiveness and a staged production of "The Elm Tree".

WHAT I THOUGHT: The unexpected twists and turns were surprising. Scattering Bengali words and beliefs added another level of understanding. Every character is so well drawn with failings and quirks and humanity. Clear and beautiful writing makes the book a joy to read.

Touchstones that drew me in: Howell, New Jersey; the musical Rock of Ages; mounting a production of a script; George Street Theatre in New Brunswick; mentions of Linn Manual Miranda; improv classes; Carnegie Mellon University; drums and more. Deb admitted in an interview that he was a self-described 'theatre kid'. Me too. How could I not love this book?

And the ending was exactly what it needed to be leaving the reader to consider how the world will go forward.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "Keya Das's Second Act" by Sopan Deb from NetGalley/Simon & Schuster for my honest review.

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