Intemperance - by Sonora Jha

About the Book

"A woman who has left two husbands announces she will celebrate her 55th birthday by holding a swayamvar. Drawn from an ancient custom in her Indian culture, this is an event in which suitors line up to compete in a feat of wills and strength to win a beautiful princess's hand in marriage. The woman, a renowned and respected intellectual in an American town who had once declared she was 'past such petty matters as love,' knows she is now setting herself up for widespread societal ridicule, but her self-esteem and sexual libido are off the charts even as her body withers from disability, fading beauty, and her appetite for cake. To her surprise, a cast of characters shows up to support her call--a wedding planner looking for the next enchanting thing, a disability rights activist making a documentary film, and even, begrudgingly, her own young adult son. The Men's Rights Movement protests her project, angry at her objectification of men. She is waylaid by visitations from goddesses and princesses past, who either try to slap sense into her or cheer her on. She must also reckon with a brutal love story in her ancestry that was endangered by the caste system--a story that placed a generational curse on those in the family who show an intemperance of spirit. As her whole plan spirals into a spectacle, the woman embarks on a journey to decide what feat her suitor must perform to be worthy of her wrinkling hand. What feat will define a newer, better masculinity? What feat will it take for her to trust in the tenderness of love"

Book Synopsis

In this follow-up to the critically-acclaimed The Laughter--winner of the Washington State Book Award--a middle-aged woman starts a firestorm when she holds a contest, based on an ancient Indian ritual, in which men must compete to win her affections.

A woman who has left two husbands announces she will celebrate her 55th birthday by holding a swayamvar. Drawn from an ancient custom in her Indian culture, this is an event in which suitors line up to compete in a feat of wills and strength to win a beautiful princess's hand in marriage. The woman, a renowned and respected intellectual in an American town who had once declared she was "past such petty matters as love," knows she is now setting herself up for widespread societal ridicule, but her self-esteem and sexual libido are off the charts even as her body withers from disability, fading beauty, and her appetite for cake.

To her surprise, a cast of characters shows up to support her call--a wedding planner looking for the next enchanting thing, a disability rights activist making a documentary film, and even, begrudgingly, her own young adult son. The Men's Rights Movement protests her project, angry at her objectification of men. She is waylaid by visitations from goddesses and princesses past, who either try to slap sense into her or cheer her on. She must also reckon with a brutal love story in her ancestry that was endangered by the caste system--a story that placed a generational curse on those in the family who show an intemperance of spirit. As her whole plan spirals into a spectacle, the woman embarks on a journey to decide what feat her suitor must perform to be worthy of her wrinkling hand. What feat will define a newer, better masculinity? What feat will it take for her to trust in the tenderness of love?

Intemperance is at once a satirical feminist folktale and a meditation on how we might reach past all sense and still find love.

Review Quotes

"Jha adds depth to the brisk story with hints of the narrator's troubled family history and sticks the landing with a surprising and rewarding conclusion. It's a fresh and sassy take on romantic comedy conventions." - Publishers Weekly
"Jha uses her heroine to discuss specific issues that become universal. Despite the absurdity around her, the heroine remains certain of herself and true to herself, to her benefit and detriment. Her sense of inner peace grounds the narrative." - Kirkus Reviews
"Contemplating difficult questions about desire, aging, and cultural identity, Jha leverages humor and wisdom for an authentic, compelling blend of modern perspectives and ancient mythology. Readers who enjoyed the cultural tension in Kiley Reid's Such a Fun Age and the midlife reckonings in Jenny Offill's Weather will find much to appreciate in Jha's exploration of late-in-life love, tradition, and the courage to challenge conventional expectations." - Booklist
"Intemperance isn't just an intellectually stimulating story; it's a saucy, sexy and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny tale of a middle-aged woman's desire and the steps she'll take to sate it. The woman's intemperance is seen as a curse, but she sees it as liberation." - BookPage (starred review)
"In her follow-up to The Laughter, Jha deftly weaves an engrossing tale of one woman's introspective journey with humor and honesty. Readers will be enthralled, and book groups will have much to discuss." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Jha's writing is lush, detailed, and sensual. ... Small matters do not go overlooked, if anything they add richness and immersiveness to the reading experience. ... Most importantly, even in the face of obvious tragedy, Jha's writing embraces joy. And joy, as it turns out, is sorely missing from these other tales of middle-aged dissatisfaction. ... [Intemperance] is a balm in an otherwise bleak literary and sociopolitical year, and is of a standard Jha herself already set with her darker 2023 novel The Laughter. In short, it is a book that can and should be read by all." - Chicago Review of Books
"Delightfully incisive ... Intemperance is a deep and honest meditation on love, aging, gender, and partnership. At its core, Jha's latest is a whimsical tale of joy and freedom. The message being that love--and the search for it--can be a feminist act. And that's something worth celebrating." - BUST
"Imbued with warmth and wit, Intemperance both satirizes and honors the search for love in middle age. At times laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes achingly poignant, the novel also reckons with serious themes such as the bucking of generational and cultural expectations, and the complexities of masculinity, disability and family estrangement." - Seattle Times
"Sassy, satirical, and oh-so-scintillating, this one-of-a-kind feminist novel is a meditation on marriage, masculinity, midlife, and everything in between. With a captivating narrator and a cast of loveable characters, Sonora Jha provides the perfect satirical escape." - Ms. Magazine
"Jha creates a well-paced narrative filled with surprises while also engaging in deep discussions on disability, caste, marriage, and motherhood." - International Examiner
"Gorgeous, witty, sexy, and smart, Intemperance is a wonderfully original tale of a woman facing off her own cynicism about love--and prevailing. Jha writes like a dream, and this book will delight you." - Susan Orlean, New York Times bestselling author of Joyride and The Library Book