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Anita Desai’s ‘Rosarita’ on Obama’s summer reading list
Desai was thrice-nominated for the Booker Prize.
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Bhavana P - Sat, 06, Sep 2025
- 16:36 EDT
- 17
(L-R) Rosarita book cover (Image- Amazon) and Anita Desai / MIT
Acclaimed Indian author Anita Desai’s book Rosarita was recognized by former U.S. President Barack Obama as part of his 2025 summer reading list.
Obama, who annually shares his summer reading selections, included a handwritten note about the book, describing it as “a short, beautiful novella about a woman’s discovery of her mother’s secret past.”
Also read: Kannada debut: Banu Mushtaq features in Booker Prize Longlist
Rosarita, set in San Miguel, Mexico, tells the story of Bonita, a young student whose quiet life is disrupted when a stranger claims she mirrors her mother, who was once an artist in Mexico. The novella explores themes of memory, identity, and family secrets, showcasing Desai’s characteristic lyrical and restrained prose.
Desai, now 88, is recognized as one of India’s foremost literary artists. Author of acclaimed works including Clear Light of Day and Fasting, Feasting, Desai has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times.
Obama framed his reading list as both a personal reflection and an invitation for public engagement. He noted the upcoming opening of a new branch of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, emphasizing the importance of reading and dialogue in civic life.
“Reading has always been an important part of my journey, which is why I couldn’t be more excited that we’ll have a new branch of the Chicago Public Library at the Obama Presidential Center when it opens next year,” he said in a social media post.
Other notable selections on the list include Ron Chernow’s Mark Twain, Madeleine Thien’s The Book of Records, and S.A. Cosby’s King of Ashes. Non-fiction titles feature Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s Abundance, Michael Lewis’s Who is Government?, and Chris Hayes’s The Sirens’ Call, covering themes of governance, democracy, and social change.
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