The Pathless Sky - by Chaitali Sen (Paperback)

About the Book

"John, a young student with a potentially brilliant academic career ahead of him, and Mariam, a shy preternaturally perceptive woman, meet and fall in love in college. Their early careers, their seemingly mismatched natures, and the alarming changes occurring in their country conspire to keep them apart for years. But a day comes when, across a great distance, both realize that they have always loved each other. During the intervening years, however, the troubles in their country have reached a critical impasse. Government crimes have been covered up, personal liberty is deeply compromised, a resistance movement has emerged from the underground to take the fight for freedom to the streets, and the government militia emplys increasingly draconian measures in an attempt to maintain control. When Mariam is implicated in the latest anti-government actions and arrested without appeal, the consequences of her and John's love will prove dire for both"--Front flap.

Book Synopsis

"A searingly vivid portrayal of the depths of human emotions--from the first glow of young love to the deeper strength of middle-aged commitment" (Kirkus Reviews).

In the "exquisitely written" The Pathless Sky, Chaitali Sen conjures a world in which a nation's political turmoil, its secret history, and growing social unrest turn life into a fragile and capricious thing and love into a necessary refuge to be defended at all costs (The Rumpus). A world not unlike the one we live in.
Though they fell in love in college, life has conspired to keep John and Mariam apart for years. But a day comes when, across a great distance, both realize they have always loved each other. During the intervening years, however, the troubles in their country have reached a critical impasse. Government crimes have been white-washed, personal liberty is deeply compromised, a resistance movement has emerged from the underground to take the fight for freedom to the streets, and the government militia employs increasingly draconian measures in an attempt to maintain control. When Mariam is implicated in the latest spell of anti-government actions and arrested without appeal, the consequences of her and John's love will prove potentially dire for both.

"The Pathless Sky centers on a couple, John and Mariam, and the subtle ways history and status complicate their relationship. Just as couples in the US might be discovering new tensions from their disparate reactions to whatever's happening next in the White House, John and Mariam struggle with how their reaction to their country affects their experience of each other."--BuzzFeed News, "10 Books That Challenge Our Political Landscape by Inventing New Ones"

Review Quotes

"This debut novel is a searingly vivid portrayal of the depths of human emotions [. . .] A poignant and sophisticated work couched in lyrical, effervescent prose. " -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Chaitali Sen came to the U.S. from India when she was two years old. She grew up in the Northeast, received an MFA from Hunter College, and now lives in Austin, Texas. Her short stories have been published in the Colorado Review, the New England Review, Juked, and many other journals. In 2014, she was the recipient of a Tennessee Williams Scholarship at Sewanee Writers' Conference.